When Do Maltipoos STOP Growing?

Maltipoos are a small, adorable dog breed, so most reach their full size before one year. But when exactly do Maltipoos stop growing?

If your Maltipoo’s parents are a Toy Poodle and a Maltese, your puppy should be fully grown at 6-10 months. If the parents are a Mini Poodle and a Maltese, your Maltipoo is likely to reach full size at 12 months.

This guide will teach you about Maltipoo growth and what to expect from birth to adulthood. You can compare the information with your Maltipoo to know when they will reach full size!

Maltipoo Growth Pattern

Maltipoos are a hybrid breed of a Maltese and a Miniature or Toy Poodle. They weigh 5-20 lb with a height of 8-14 inches at the shoulder, and their life expectancy is 10-13 years.

Maltipoos are a small breed. Even when full-grown, they are still small compared to other dog breeds. Some grow faster than others depending on the Poodle type paired with the Maltese.

The growth pattern for most puppies is rapid in the first half of their life. They’ll reach half of their size, and then growth slows down. Their growth will shoot once again during the last few months leading to their full development.

Your Maltipoo’s growth pattern depends on a few factors:

• Is your dog first or second generation?
• What were the adult sizes of the parents?
• Is your pup more Maltese or Poodle?

You can enter your Maltipoo’s age in weeks, weight, and height in a puppy weight calculator to predict when they will reach adult size.

Use a bathroom scale for the weight. If your puppy is fidgety, measure your weight while holding the pup and again when alone, then subtract to find your puppy’s weight.

To determine the height, measure from the withers (highest point on their shoulder blades) to the ground. The withers reside between the shoulder blades at the neck’s base.

If you are concerned about your pup’s weight relative to their age, you can compare with the table below to see how they are fairing.

Age	Weight (lbs)	Weight (kg)
Birth	0.1 – 0.5 lbs	0.04 – 0.2 kg
2 months	1 – 3 lbs	0.4 – 1.3kg
4 months	2.5 – 5.5 lbs	1.1 – 2.5 kg
6 months	3.5 – 7 lbs	1.5 – 3.1 kg
9 months	4 – 9 lbs	1.8 – 4 kg
12 months	5 – 12 lbs	2.2 – 5.4 kg

What To Expect From Birth to Fully Grown?

If you are interested in your puppy’s growth through the weeks and months, here is a summary of what to expect.

Birth – 2 Weeks

Maltipoos weigh a few ounces or up to half a pound at birth. During these first weeks, weight gain is slow, and their movement is limited. They will spend most of their time next to the mother, suckling.

3 Weeks – 12 Weeks

At this point, their growth is huge though they still depend on mommy’s milk. You can introduce puppy food at this stage because they are now exploring and will get hungry.

4 Months – 6 Months

At this age, they reach half of their adult weight. Some, like Toy Maltipoos, may stop growing at six months. Feed them three meals daily and give them adequate exercise at this age.

7 Months – 9 Months

Most Toy Maltipoos have stopped growing at this age, but Mini Maltipoos have some more growing up to do. Since they are nearing adulthood, you don’t need to feed them as much as before. Two meals per day are proper.

10 Months – 12 Months

Finally, any pup still growing begins to stop growing. Be attentive to your puppy’s weight because you shouldn’t be feeding them excess calories. They tend to gain weight fast at this stage.

Fully Grown

Congratulations! Your puppy is now fully grown at one year. Change its diet and start feeding it adult dog food.

Transition to adult food by putting a little adult food with puppy food in the same bowl.

A gradual transition prevents your Maltipoo from experiencing stomach upsets. Within a few weeks, you can now feed them only adult dog food.

Here is a comparison of the ideal weight and height a mini and Toy Maltipoo should have when fully grown.

	Toy Maltipoo	Mini Maltipoo
Weight	5 – 5 lbs	15 – 25 lbs
Height	6 – 11 inches	11 – 14 inches
Full-grown age	7.5 – 11 months	11 – 13 inches

Factors Affecting Maltipoo Growth

When do Maltipoos stop growing? Maltipoo growth depends on genetics, nutrition, and physical activity.

Genetics

A Maltese and Standard Poodle cross breed will be larger than a Maltese and Toy Poodle cross breed. Other puppies aren’t a 50/50 Maltese and Poodle breed, so their size will differ.

• A Toy Poodle and Maltese mix will produce a Toy Maltipoo that reaches full growth at 6-9 months.
• A Mini Poodle mixed with a Maltese will produce a Maltipoo that takes longer to reach full size. Usually, up to 12 months.

A DNA test can determine your puppy’s percentage of Poodle or Maltese because different generations carry varying degrees of Poodle or Maltese genes.

A Maltipoo with a higher Poodle percentage will be slightly larger than one with a higher Maltese percentage.

Nutrition

Maltipoos need energy and a nutrition-filled diet, which they can obtain from puppy formulas specifically for Mini and Toy Maltipoos.

As the puppy grows, the number of meals decreases from three to two to reduce the number of calories. However, you can feed them snacks in between meals. When your puppy reaches adulthood, swap their diet with adult dog food.

When you provide your Maltipoo with high-calorie foods as they grow, the foods will meet their energy needs, and you won’t have to worry about your pup experiencing stunted growth.

Health

A healthy puppy will grow to its ideal size if diseases are nonexistent. A common health problem is Shaker Syndrome, which causes poor coordination. Maltipoos are also prone to epilepsy, though it is controllable.

Portosystemic shunt (PSS), another health problem, is a genetic condition that causes abnormal blood flow and results in stunted growth, poor appetite, and imbalance.

Exercise prevents medical conditions, so make sure your Maltipoo gets plenty of it. But, don’t let them lose more energy than they are taking in because they need it more than a fully grown Maltipoo. 

Don’t get worried if your pup seems smaller or larger than you expect. Your Maltipoo should be fine as long as they stay on their growth curve.

Also, don’t judge their health by their behavior. A full-grown Maltipoo will display puppy behavior until it turns two years old.

How To Maintain Your Maltipoo’s Weight?

Proper weight is needed if your puppy is to reach its ideal size. An overweight or underweight dog will have health problems that stunt its growth.

Here are helpful tips for maintaining their weight:

• Give fewer treats – Limit the treats you give to your Maltipoo. If you must, give them calorie-restricted treats.
• Provide supplements – If your puppy is on the thinner end of the spectrum, you need to boost their weight. Nutritional supplements will help add some pounds but in a healthy way.
• Don’t give human food – Your dog’s tiny stomach might fail to digest human food. Certain food types might be toxic to canines and also fattening.
• Take your Maltipoo for walks – Walks are suitable for your little friend. Not just because they will enjoy the sights and sounds, but they will also get much-needed exercise.

Will Spaying and Neutering Affect a Maltipoo’s Growth?

Spaying and neutering too early will affect your puppy’s growth rate. Spaying/neutering Maltipoos increases the length of time for bone growth, causing misalignment of bones.

To counter this problem, you can do this:

• Spay a Maltipoo female in the fifth month, usually before the first heat cycle.
• Neuter a Maltipoo male before it enters puberty, right at the sixth month.

If you spay or neuter Maltipoos at this age (when not too young), their growth won’t be affected. It also comes with other benefits, including reduced aggressiveness in males and reduced risk of cancer and other diseases in females.

So, When Do Maltipoos Stop Growing?

A Toy Maltipoo, a cross breed of Maltese and a Poodle, stops growing at 6-10 months at 6-11 inches tall and weighing 5-15 pounds. A Mini Maltipoo stops growing at 11-15 months at 15-25 pounds and a height of 11-14 inches.

Besides genetics, nutrition and health play a part in your puppy’s growth. Keep in mind that the Maltipoo is a small breed even when fully grown.