I am a boy!

My Birthday is March 9, 2026! 🎈🧁

I am a Maltese/Shih Tzu!

All About Malshi’s! 🐾

Size: 4–10 lbs, Perfect travel companions, ideal for retirees or someone who loves to tote around their four-legged friend!

Shedding: Light and hypoallergenic. Maltese have plenty of hair to do cute hairstyles like bows, pony-tails, and braids! Their hair is easier on allergies. Shih Tzu’s have beautiful coats that can be kept long or trimmed into a teddy bear like haircut! The combination of these two breeds make for a beautiful and silky coat. (That needs a LOT of maintenance.)

Barking: Moderate. Malshi’s are alert, vocal, and full of personality

Experience Level: Suitable for first-time owners.

Children: Best with older children over 10 who have a lot of experience handling small breed dogs. 

Apartment Living: Well-suited for apartment living, Malshi’s do not require a lot of physical activity.

Other Pets: Gets along well with other animals, they tend to be the leader of the pack!

Training: Malshi’s are intelligent and responsive with consistency. 

Fun Facts!

• One of the oldest toy breeds, they were immortalized on Golden Age Greek ceramics as early as 500 B.C., and Aristotle described them as being “perfectly proportioned”.
• A Maltese named Lucky Diamond holds the world record for being the animal photographed with the most celebrities—363 in total, including stars like Betty White and Snoop Dogg.
• Their signature black “button” nose can actually turn pink if they don’t get enough sunlight, a phenomenon often called “winter nose”.
• Our manager at our Largo location has a 4 year old Maltese named Scout that she got from our Lakeland location after falling in love with his goofy personality!
• Shih Tzus are often called “Chrysanthemum-faced dogs” because of the way their hair grows. Unlike most dogs, the hair on a Shih Tzu’s face grows in every direction—including straight up from the bridge of the nose. This creates a “floral” explosion of fur that usually requires a ponytail (topknot) just so they can see their dinner bowl.
• For centuries, Shih Tzus were the exclusive property of Chinese royalty. They lived in palaces and were highly prized by the Ming and Qing dynasties. It’s rumored that the emperors used these little dogs as living foot warmers at the foot of their beds. Because they were considered sacred, they were rarely seen outside the palace walls until the 1930s