The Best Dog Crate for a Maltese (2026 Guide)

Written by the team at Impact Dog Crates. We build dog crates for a living, which means our days are spent around trainers, breeders, working dogs and anxious rescues. Learn more about us here.

A Maltese treats the couch as a throne and your shadow as a full-time job. The AKC calls the breed “playful, charming, and adaptable toy companions” with a “show-stopping, floor-length coat,” and any Maltese owner can add the rest: he weighs about as much as a bag of flour, he follows you from room to room, and he is not thrilled when a door closes between you. That mix makes crate shopping a little unusual. The dog is tiny, the white coat takes real care, and the smallest crate we make is still bigger than he needs. Here’s how we think about size (including how to make a roomy crate feel snug), what each material does for a small dog who worries, and how to build a crate routine a Maltese will actually settle into.

How Big of a Crate Does a Maltese Need?

The smallest one we make, and we’ll be upfront that it’s still roomy. The 24” (Small) on Impact’s Collapsible Dog Crate is the smallest size in the lineup, and the product page lists Maltese by name at that size, alongside other toy and small breeds like Pomeranians, Yorkshire Terriers, and Shih Tzu. The same page lists the 24” for dogs 10 lbs and up, though, and a full-grown Maltese is usually somewhere between 4 and 7 lbs. So he will have extra floor. That’s a problem you can solve, because a crate that’s a bit big is easy to make snug, and a crate that’s too small can’t be fixed. The High Anxiety Crate and the Stationary Dog Crate both start at 30” (Medium), which is more crate still.

Your own dog beats any breed label, so measure from the floor to the top of his shoulders and from his nose to the base of his tail, then add a few inches to each so the crate feels like a den instead of a box. Our guide to measuring your dog for a crate shows how. With a Maltese the numbers will come in well under the 24” interior, which tells you something useful: you’re choosing the crate for the dog’s habits, not his dimensions. We’ll cover how to shrink the space below.

Real owners of small dogs describe it well. One Maltese owner wrote that the crates “give me such peace of mind,” and another keeps a 2 yr old Maltese and a bichon puppy in a crate they call an “incredibly sturdy well made crate.” If your Maltese is a puppy or on the tiny end, send our team his measurements, age, and habits before you order, and they’ll help you land on the right size.

Impact’s Stationary Dog Crate in white, shown front on.

Wire, Plastic, Soft-Sided, or Aluminum: What Actually Holds Up for a Maltese?

A Maltese doesn’t have the weight or the jaws to bend much of anything, which is why people assume any crate will do. The test isn’t strength. It’s what a worried, determined little dog does with his claws, his teeth, and a gap that looks too small for him, and what a long white coat does when it meets a rough edge.

Not every Maltese will test a crate. Plenty are gentle and happy to nap wherever you are. But the ones who fret can surprise you, and our reviews from small-dog owners show it: one has a 19 pound dog who “had beaten 4-5 crates in the last year,” and another’s “tiny chihuahua can't get out” of the same crate that holds her medium-size escape artist. None of them are bad dogs. They’re small, worried dogs in crates that weren’t built for them.

That’s where the Collapsible Dog Crate earns the difference in price with aluminum panel construction, in the 24” size that suits a small dog, and where the High Anxiety Crate is the step up for a Maltese who panics. The Stationary Dog Crate is the permanent-at-home option, and like the High Anxiety it starts at 30”. It’s a real jump in price over a wire crate, and it’s a crate you buy once instead of replacing.

Why Do Maltese Follow You Everywhere and Fret When You Leave?

Because they were bred to be close. VCA Animal Hospitals describes Maltese as “small companion dogs known for a long white coat, gentle temperament, and strong attachment to their owners.” That attachment is the sweetest thing about the breed, and it’s also why a closed crate door can feel like a very big deal. Owners describe velcro dogs who pace, whine, or bark the moment the room empties. It’s not stubbornness, it’s a companion dog missing his person. Our guide to reducing stress for anxious dogs covers the routine and safe-space side, and if your dog is hurting himself to get out, that’s a conversation for your vet or a certified behaviorist.

Are Maltese Easy to Crate Train?

Usually, with a gentle pace. A Maltese wants to be where you are, which works in your favor: make the crate a place where good things happen, keep it near the family, and he’ll follow the treats in. What slows people down is the velcro streak and house-training. Plenty of small-breed owners will tell you house-training takes time and a steady schedule, so don’t read a few accidents as a character flaw. Take him out often, reward the moment he goes outside, and keep the early crate sessions short and calm.

A Maltese settled on the rug beside the crate.

What Should You Plan Around With a Maltese’s Coat, Size, and a Roomy Crate?

Three things are worth building into the setup: making a roomy crate feel snug, caring for that white coat, and handling a very small body gently.

Make the roomy crate feel snug. Since even the 24” is bigger than he needs, shrink the floor space with the Puppy Divider, which adjusts as a pup grows, works with all Impact crate models, and helps create the right-sized space for training at home. Use it to close off the extra floor so he has room to stand, turn around, and lie down, and not much more. Then add a soft bed and a blanket he can burrow into, and place the crate somewhere he can see and hear you. A snug crate also helps with house-training, because most dogs avoid soiling the place they sleep, and a spare corner of floor invites accidents.

Coat and staining. The same VCA page says, “Daily brushing prevents matting and maintains coat condition,” and “The eye area should be cleaned regularly to reduce staining of the fur.” A white coat shows everything, so choose bedding that goes in the wash easily, change it often, and keep the crate dry. A quick brush before crate time keeps tangles from getting pressed into the bedding. If tear staining is a struggle, ask your groomer or vet.

A very small body. VCA also notes, “Their small size makes them sensitive to rough handling.” Keep the crate on the floor, not on a surface he would have to leap down from, lift him with two hands, and teach kids to let him walk in on his own. If he seems sore after a jump or limps, call your vet.

Should You Buy the Adult-Size Crate for a Maltese Puppy?

Yes, and you won’t need a second one. A Maltese puppy barely outgrows a crate, so there’s no reason to buy a puppy-sized crate and then another. The catch is the opposite of a big breed: the smallest crate is roomy even for an adult, so for a puppy it’s a lot of floor. That’s where the divider above earns its keep, so you can set the space to his size now and open it up as he grows. Keep early crate time short. Our guide to how long a dog can stay in a crate says crate time for puppies 8 to 10 weeks old should be limited to “around 30-60 minutes at a time.” If your puppy is very small, talk to our team about sizing before you order.

How to Crate Train a Maltese, Step by Step

The fundamentals are the same for every breed, and our walkthrough on what crate training involves covers them in detail. With a Maltese it’s about closeness, a gentle pace, and a potty schedule.

1. Make it snug and soft, and put it where the family is. A bed and a blanket he can tuck into, with the extra floor closed off, in a room where he can hear you. A velcro dog does better when the crate isn’t a banishment.
2. Leave the door open and let him walk in on his own. Toss a few tiny treats toward the back and feed meals inside. Reward the walk in, and skip lifting him in.
3. Close the door for a few seconds while you sit right next to it. Build from seconds to minutes. Keep hellos and goodbyes boring so leaving doesn’t feel like an event.
4. Take him out before crate time and right after. A predictable potty routine does more for house-training than anything else, and it keeps the crate from becoming the place accidents happen.
5. Step out of sight for short stretches, and watch the first ones on a camera. You want to see whether he settles or spirals. Our guide to how long a dog can stay in a crate says healthy adults can manage “around 4-6 hours, and certainly not more than 8 hours,” and a small dog who needs frequent breaks belongs at the short end of that range.
6. If you see real panic, call your vet or a certified behaviorist. Torn nails, injured teeth, soiled bedding from stress, or a dog hurting himself to get out needs more than a crate. The crate’s job is to keep him safe while you work on it.

Which Impact Crate Is Right for a Maltese?

It comes down to what your dog actually does. A calm Maltese who rides along to the groomer, the vet, or a hotel does well in the Collapsible Dog Crate, which folds flat and comes in the 24” size that is the best match for a small dog. A Maltese with real separation anxiety, or a history of escaping or hurting himself on crate doors, belongs in the High Anxiety Crate, which is backed by a Lifetime Dog Damage Guarantee. Its smallest size is 30”, so use the divider, soft bedding, and a tight potty schedule. The Stationary Dog Crate is the permanent-at-home option, but it starts at 30” as well, so it’s a lot of crate for most Maltese.

A Maltese Needs a Crate That Feels Like a Snug Corner of Home and Holds Up if He Worries

A Maltese is a small, sweet, people-loving dog who wants to be near you, and the crate for him has to feel like a soft place to land and be built to hold if he panics. Measure him, start at the 24”, ask our team if he’s on the tiny side, shrink the space until it feels like a den, and keep his coat clean and dry. Match the build to what he actually does, not what he weighs, and give him a potty break and a little attention before crate time. Do all of that and you’ve bought a crate for the life of the dog.

What Other Dog Owners Are Saying

Frequently Asked Questions

How big of a crate does a Maltese need?
Start with the smallest size. The Collapsible Dog Crate’s 24” (24.5”L x 18.5”W x 23”H) is its smallest and the size where the product page lists Maltese, though it’s roomy for a 4 to 7 lb dog. The High Anxiety Crate and Stationary Dog Crate start at 30”. Measure your dog, and send our team his measurements if he’s very small.

Is the 24” crate too big for a Maltese?
It can be roomy, since it’s the smallest size we make. Close off the extra floor with the Puppy Divider, add a soft bed and a blanket, and it becomes a snug den instead of a big box.

Can a Maltese use a wire crate?
It isn’t a good fit for a Maltese who paws, chews, or panics. Wire flexes, and bent rods can leave gaps that catch a toenail, a tooth, or a mouthful of long coat.

Are Maltese hard to house-train?
Many owners find it takes patience. A snug crate, a steady potty schedule, and a reward the moment he goes outside all help, and it’s worth a call to your vet if accidents continue.

Which Impact crate is best for a Maltese with separation anxiety?
The High Anxiety Crate, which is built for dogs who escape or hurt themselves. Its smallest size is 30”, so add the divider and soft bedding to make it feel snug.