Appearance of the Maltipoo
At this stage in the development of this hybrid dog, the appearance of the Maltipoo varies quite a bit. As time goes by, with proper breeding practices followed and most (if not all) breeders striving toward the same goal, the Maltipoo will someday have a much stricter standard. With this said, there here are the stats for the Maltipoo:
Weight: 5-12 lbs (2.27-5.44 kg). You may notice that this range is a bit larger than a lot of other breeds. This is because the Maltipoo is a relatively new hybrid dog....As time goes by , range will most likely not vary so much.
Height:
14 inches average (35.56 cm)....this is the average and can vary from 12 to 16 inches in most cases.
Life Expectancy:
15 years - Again an average....some small dogs live up to 18 years and in rare cases even longer.
Average Litter Size:
4-6 puppies - It is not unusual to have 1 pup...however the maximum is almost always 6
Color:This is where it gets quite interesting. The Maltipoo can be found in a metaphorical rainbow of
colors. While one parent (the Maltese) is a pure white dog (in rare cases and without excellent breeding, a cream color)....The other parent (the toy Poodle) comes in a huge range of colors.
Therefore, the Maltipoo will be a toned down coat color of the following:
Apricot, black, blue (appears black but skin pigmentation -nose, eye rims, lips and paw pads- have a dark blue tint), brown, cream, gray, tan, orange, red, silver. The majority of Maltipoo dogs are multi colored (also referred to as parti-colored) which means that the coat holds more than one color. Some Maltipoos are one solid color. The most popular color is white and the rarest is black....this is because black is dominant and almost always overpowers the white genes.
The coat will either be soft and silky or long and wavy....Those that are not bred well will have a wiry coat.