The Maltese (Japanese: マルチーズ Maruchīzu) is a breed of dog introduced in Nintendogs + Cats. It comes from the Central Mediterranean area, around Malta and the Italian island of Sicily. The oldest record of this breed was found in Greece.
Breed Information
The Maltese (Latin: Canis Melitaeus) is usually a show dog, given that it has long, silky fur. Like other small breeds, such as the Bichon, Malteses are prone to reverse sneezing (also known as the mechanosensitive aspiration reflex).
In-Game Description

Official artwork of the Maltese
- Nintendogs + Cats:
(NTSC): "Receiving its name from the island of Malta, this breed boasts a silky, pure-white coat."
(PAL): "This breed from the Mediterranean boasts a soft coat of pure white."
In Nintendogs + Cats
The Maltese can only come in one color option: White. However, the breed can have either brown, gray, or black patches on its face and body.
There is no coloration exclusive to the Surprise Me! option for the Maltese.
Unlocking the Breed
Version | |
---|---|
Toy Poodle & New Friends | Obtain 2,100 Owner Points Play for 11 days |
Golden Retriever & New Friends | Starter Breed |
French Bulldog & New Friends | Obtain 3,400 Owner Points Play for 15 days |
Neighbors
Sadie (owned by Sally) on the left. Also mid: Gus; Right: Player's dog.
Nintendogs + Cats
- Sadie/Lulu (PAL), owned by Sally (competitions only)
Gallery
Nintendogs (scrapped content)
Nintendogs + Cats
Trivia

The "Maltese" displayed in-game in Nintendogs. Its character model is represented by a Beagle.
- The breed was originally going to appear in Nintendogs, but it was scrapped in development and uses an earlier placeholder Beagle model. The only way to acquire it is to use a save file editor.
- If your Maltese has a certain bark, its growl will sound high-pitched. This is also consistent in the Toy Poodle, Golden Retriever, and Pomeranian.
- In real life, it is often considered that a solid white Maltese is a purebred. Malteses with brown/tan/black marks are usually seen as a mixed breed.