Maltese is a charming, playful, and affectionate toy dog breed. They are known for their long straight and silky coat. These lapdogs are obedient and trainable. Sometimes they become a little stubborn but they are mostly adaptive. And when it comes to training they perform pretty well. Are Maltese easy or hard to potty train? Let’s see.
In this article, I’m going to answer a few questions about your cute Maltese potty training and I’ll give you some tips and a list of essential supplies to make the process easier.
Are Maltese Easy To Potty Train?
Maltese are easier to potty train as compared to other small dogs because of their level of intelligence and their desire to please the owner. Their small body size may become a hurdle because they need to urinate many times a day. But with consistency and knowing what works for this dog breed, the trainer should be able to housetrain his Maltese pup in the right timeframe.
Why Are Maltese Easy To Potty Train?
Maltese are not so hard to potty train because of the following reasons:
1- They Are Intelligent Dogs:
Akc states that Maltese are very intelligent dogs. Sometimes they may act stubborn but they respond very well to positive reinforcement.
2- They Are Eager To Please The Owner:
Maltese are affectionate dogs and they are very eager to please the owner. This obedience factor makes them good followers and they learn quickly.
3- Clean Dog Breed:
Maltese are clean dogs by nature. So when it comes to keeping themselves and their living space clean, they will cooperate.
Maltese Potty Training Problems:
Besides being easier to potty train, your Maltese may cause some problems while potty training.
1- Smaller Size May Cause Problems:
Small dogs need to urinate and defecate more times a day as compared to large dogs.
This can be wrong because if during potty training, no one was there to take him to the potty spot right on time, Maltese may urinate in the wrong place.
Every potty accident in the wrong place is a step-back in the potty training.
2- Stubbornness:
Maltese are affectionate and eager to please the owner but just like other lapdogs, they may act stubborn sometimes and when they do, you will get a tough time in housetraining.
3- He May Not Follow The Proper Eating Schedule:
Maltese are picky eaters. Sometimes it can be hard to get your Maltese to eat. A consistent eating schedule is crucial in potty training as it will help you to identify the dog’s routine and take him to the potty spot in time.
How To Potty Train A Maltese Puppy?
Potty training a Maltese puppy is a straightforward process.
We have a full guide on this process.
Find out here: Complete guide to a puppy’s potty training.
When To Start Potty Training A Maltese Puppy?
Maltese puppies are very small. An 8 week old Maltese is only 1.5-2.25lbs. He will develop bladder strength much later than other medium or large dogs.
Typically, it is recommended to start potty training anywhere between 12-16 weeks.
But you should start potty training a Maltese puppy when he is more than 16 weeks old. This is the time when your puppy will have enough muscular strength to control his bladder.
Before that, you only have to set good habits and keep the puppy’s area clean. It is best to keep him confined and covered with a diaper.
Maltese Potty Training Tips:
Here are a few tips that will help you in your Maltese puppy’s potty training.
1- Crate Training Works:
Maltese are clean dogs and they will cooperate to keep their space clean. So crate training will work with potty training.
While he will be in his crate, he will learn to hold his bladder.
Make sure to choose a proper crate size that is just the right size for your dog to sit, stand and turn around.
2- Keep The Area Clean:
Once again, Maltese are clean dogs. So keeping their surroundings clean will help with potty training.
To clean up every potty accident, use a good enzyme cleaner.
3- Use Puppy Pads:
It is recommended to use puppy pads to potty train a Maltese. Their small bladder is not able to hold the urine for a long time. He won’t wait to go outside.
So, potty train your Maltese to use puppy pads.
If you plan to train him to go outside later on (when he will be grown-up), it is best to use real grass pads.
How to potty train a puppy using pads?
4- Use Positive Reinforcement:
Maltese respond well to positive reinforcement. So, use treats to encourage your Maltese to urinate in the right spot.
5- Routine Is Crucial:
Maltese may give a little hard time with eating routine but it is crucial. Make sure to set a time for everything.
How Long Does It Take To Potty Train A Maltese Puppy?
It typically takes around 1-3 months to see good results in your puppy’s potty training. However, your Maltese may take a little more time because his bladder muscles will take more time to develop enough strength.
It will take around 3-4 months for your Maltese to show good progress in potty training and up to a year to be fully potty trained. However, it also depends upon the personal traits of the dog and how he has been living in the past.
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Maltese Potty Training Essential Supplies:
Following are the supplies that you will require to potty train your Maltese.
1- Crate:
Crate training really helps with Maltese potty training.
Being a small dog breed, they need a small crate like Midwest iCrate 24-inch starter kit. This one is suitable for a dog breed weighing up to 13-25 pounds.
2- Playpen:
You will have to keep your puppy confined to an area to avoid house-soiling.
A playpen is a great tool to help you with this purpose. Let your dog enjoy in his own territory and keep your house safe from dog mess.
3- Leash:
Keep your Maltese puppy on a leash so he could stay in a place during the toilet breaks. Otherwise, he will get distracted and move without finishing his work.
4- Puppy Pads Or Grass Pads:
It is recommended to potty train your Maltese on puppy pads.
You can get real grass pads here.
Disposable puppy pads are also a good choice. Amazon Basics Dog and Puppy Pads are good.
5- Pack Of Treats:
Maltese respond really well with positive reinforcement. Keep a pack of treats with you to reward your puppy whenever he does the deed in the right place.
6- UV Flashlight:
UV flashlight helps to find out hidden urine stains so you can clean up the mess perfectly.
7- Cleaning Supplies:
- Enzyme cleaner is a must-have to clean up after dog potty accidents. A simple cleaner won’t work.
- Pooper scooper is a great tool to pick up the dog feces without touching it.
- Flushable dog poop bags help you to flush down the small dog poop.
- Paper towels will help clean up the mess perfectly.
How Do I Stop My Maltese From Peeing In The House?
A potty-trained Maltese can start peeing in the house again. It can be urine marking or potty training regression. There can be multiple reasons behind it.
You can stop him from peeing in the house by confining him to a certain area of the house (which is easy to clean up) and following up with the potty training.
Maltese Potty Training Regression:
When a potty trained Maltese reverts back to his old habits of peeing and pooping in the house, it is called potty training regression.
It is a normal part of a dog’s brain growth that they forget their training and revert back to the old habits but this regression is reversible. You just have to repeat the process of potty training.
Find out more information about potty training regression and its solution, here.
Conclusion:
Are Maltese easy to potty train? Maltese are usually easier to potty train as compared to other small dogs. This is because of their intelligence and obedience. However, by not following the right method of potty training, a Maltese may also give a hard time.
Consistency and patience are crucial.
