Breed training guides
How to train a maltese: house training and separation for a companion breed
Maltese are gentle, playful and devoted, and they rarely get asked to do much. Our trainers see the results of that kindness: a dog that uses the rug, cries at the door and greets everyone like it has been alone for a year.
Last reviewed September 29, 2026 · by the Best Dog University Team
A companion for centuries
An ancient lap dog, and what that job means in a modern house.
The maltese is one of the oldest companion breeds, long associated with the Mediterranean island of Malta and kept as a pampered lap dog for centuries. It sits in the toy group, with a long, silky, pure white coat that lacks the undercoat many breeds have. Temperament tends toward gentle, playful, lively and deeply attached to its people. It has never had a working job other than keeping someone company.
That history explains the two big calls we get. A dog bred to stay near a person often finds alone time hard, especially when nobody taught it. And a tiny dog that is carried, followed around and forgiven for small accidents often never finishes house training. Neither problem is fixed by more love. Both are fixed by structure: a schedule, a crate or pen, and practice at being apart.
- A companion bred to stay close to people
- A small bladder that needs frequent, scheduled trips
- A gentle nature that trains best with rewards and calm limits
- A white single coat that needs daily grooming and handling
The first year
House training, alone time and handling, stage by stage.
Decide on one potty system before the puppy comes home: outdoors only, or outdoors with a single indoor backup such as a turf box. Switching back and forth confuses a small dog. Take the puppy out on a leash to the same spot after every nap, meal and play session, pay it right there, and keep it in a crate or pen when you cannot watch. Accidents mean too much freedom, not a stubborn dog.
Alone time starts in the first week too. Put the puppy in its pen with a chew while you are home and busy in another room, for five minutes and then longer. Leave the house for short errands and come back without fuss. By six months a maltese that has practiced this can usually manage a normal morning alone. Brushing and handling practice every day keeps grooming visits from becoming a battle.
Eight to twelve weeks: one potty system, leash trips to one spot, a crate or pen, five minutes alone with a chew
Three to four months: sit, down, place, short errands out of the house, daily brushing on a table
Four to six months: longer alone time, quiet arrivals, sidewalk walks, first store trips
Six to nine months: house freedom earned room by room, a calm sit to greet visitors
Nine to twelve months: a normal morning alone, polite greetings, grooming without struggle
What we see
Accidents, the door closing and the frantic greeting.
Accidents are the first call. The fix is usually a smaller space and more trips, not a new product. Go back to a schedule, supervise or confine the dog, and clean every accident with an enzyme cleaner. If an adult maltese suddenly starts having accidents after being clean, see your vet before retraining. Pay the dog outdoors within a second of finishing, because a treat handed over back inside teaches nothing.
Separation distress is second. Build alone time in small steps, keep departures dull, and give a long-lasting chew as you leave. A dog that panics, drools, scratches at doors or cries for the whole absence needs a structured plan and your vet's input. The frantic greeting is third, and it feeds the second: a huge reunion makes the absence feel bigger. Arrive quietly, wait for four paws on the floor, then say hello.
- A smaller space and more trips for accidents
- A vet check for new accidents in an adult
- Dull departures with a long-lasting chew
- Quiet arrivals and four paws on the floor before hello
Houston life
Rain days, apartment potty trips, long commutes and loud holidays.
Houston's summer downpours and tropical storms can leave yards flooded for days, and a small white dog will often refuse to go out. A covered potty spot by the door or a single turf box taught early keeps house training from sliding backward. In high-rise apartments near the Galleria or in Midtown, a potty trip means an elevator ride, so puppies need more frequent trips and a plan for overnight.
Long commutes on 290, I-10 and the Beltway stretch the day a maltese spends alone, which is why alone time must be trained, not assumed. A midday visit helps while the dog builds up. July 4 and New Year fireworks and summer thunder frighten many small dogs, so set up a covered crate or pen in an interior room with white noise. From May to September, walk early and late on cool pavement.
Getting help
When accidents or crying outlast the first months.
Get help when accidents continue past six months, when your maltese cannot manage an hour alone, or when greetings end in jumping and nipping. For a puppy under four months, the Puppy Development Bundle covers crate and potty routines, alone time and early socialization in four sessions, at $550 in Cypress or $750 in your home. Private lessons at $160 or $220 fit a family that needs targeted coaching.
Gold, two weeks at $2,500 in our trainer's home, builds place, door manners and a steady routine with the go-home session and an extra lesson included. A maltese in real separation distress fits Platinum at $3,750, with behavior modification and unlimited private lessons afterward. While your maltese stays with us, the family gets photos and video on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The maltese training page explains each program for Houston families.
The programs
Programs that suit a maltese.
The puppy bundle to set routines, Gold for manners and structure, Platinum for a maltese in separation distress.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this.
Are maltese hard to house train?
They can be slow, mostly because small dogs have small bladders and accidents go unnoticed. Choose one potty system, take the dog out on a leash on a strict schedule, pay it outdoors, and use a crate or pen when you cannot watch. Most maltese improve quickly once freedom is earned rather than given.
Can a maltese use pee pads and go outside?
It can, but mixing systems slows house training. If you need an indoor option for a high-rise or storm days, choose one spot, such as a turf box, and teach it as deliberately as the yard. Avoid pads scattered around the house, which teach a small dog that any soft surface will do.
How do I stop my maltese crying when I leave?
Teach alone time in small steps from the first week, keep departures and returns calm, and leave a long-lasting chew. Build duration over weeks. A dog that panics, drools or tries to escape needs a structured separation plan and a talk with your vet, not simply more time alone.
Is a maltese a good dog for a Houston apartment?
Yes, with a plan. A maltese needs frequent potty trips, which means elevator rides, so set up a backup indoor spot early. Walk at cool hours in summer, practice calm hallway manners, and build alone time before long commutes begin. Neighbors hear a crying dog through apartment walls.
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