Maltese Dog Clippers & Grooming Kits

Maltese Haircuts & Grooming: Clippers, Blades & Kits

A Maltese has a long, silky single coat with no undercoat, and it tangles fast behind the ears, under the legs and around the face. Everything below is chosen for that coat: cordless and mains clipper sets supplied with a #10F finishing blade and two skip tooth body blades, plus the brushes, combs and scissors that keep a Maltese mat-free between grooms.

How to Groom a Maltese at Home

Groom in the right order and a Maltese is one of the easier small breeds to look after at home. Bath the dog, dry the coat completely, then brush it out until it is free of knots. Only then should a blade go near it. Skip tooth blades are built to feed longer hair into the cutter, but they will not cut cleanly through a knot, and clipping over a mat pulls the skin underneath.

Brush in sections with a slicker brush, working down to the skin, then follow with a metal comb. If the comb catches, the tangle is still there. The ears, armpits and backs of the legs are where a Maltese mats first, so check them twice.

When you clip, hold the blade flat and follow the contour of the body, running with the lie of the coat in short, overlapping passes. Leave the face, ears and feet until last and finish them with the #10F blade and a pair of bull nose safety scissors, whose rounded tip will not catch if your dog turns their head.

Browse our dog clippers and grooming accessories.

How Often Should You Clip a Maltese?

Brush every day if you can, and at least several times a week. Clip every six to eight weeks. A Maltese coat keeps growing, so the gap between clips decides how long the coat gets, and the brushing in between decides whether it stays clippable.

Between full clips, a quick tidy of the face, feet and sanitary area keeps your dog clean and comfortable, and takes a few minutes with the #10F blade.

Maltese Haircut Styles

Most Maltese haircuts come down to two decisions: how much length you leave on the body, and how you finish the face. The blades supplied in our Maltese clipper sets cover the common pet styles.

• Puppy cut — an even, short length all over, face included. The easiest style to keep mat-free. Use the #5 skip tooth blade, which leaves about 6mm.
• Teddy bear trim — a fuller body with the face rounded off with scissors. Use the #4 skip tooth blade, which leaves about 9.5mm.
• Longer pet trim — if you want more length than the #4 leaves, fit a metal comb guide over the #10F blade. Our four-pack of guides goes up to 13mm.
• Face, feet and sanitary tidy — no body clipping, just the areas that need it between full grooms. The #10F blade, at 1.5mm, is made for this.
• Full-length coat — the long, flowing look seen in the show ring is kept by brushing, not clipping. It takes daily work, which is why most pet Maltese are kept in one of the trims above.

Whichever length you choose, stay close to it from one groom to the next. Taking a matted coat from long to short in one session is hard on the dog.

Shop comb guides and A5 dog clipping blades.

What's in a Maltese Clipper Set?

Each of our four Maltese sets pairs a clipper with three A5 blades chosen for a fine, silky coat:

• #10F — 1.5mm. A close finishing blade for the face, feet and sanitary areas.
• #5 skip tooth — about 6mm. A shorter, lower-maintenance trim.
• #4 skip tooth — about 9.5mm. A fuller teddy bear or longer pet trim.

Skip tooth blades have wider-spaced teeth that feed longer hair into the cutter, which is why they suit a Maltese coat that has been properly brushed out first.

Metal comb guides are the alternative to skip tooth blades. They fit over the #10F blade and set how much hair is left behind, and are sold separately. Brushes, combs and scissors are sold separately too, so you can match them to your dog rather than paying twice for tools you already own.

Choosing Clippers for a Maltese

All four sets come with the same three blade lengths, so the choice is about the clipper:

• Cordless MAX — quiet running with low vibration, which makes it the one to choose for a nervous dog. Supplied with two rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, so one charges while you use the other, and a detachable snap-on, snap-off A5 blade system.
• Cordless PRO — a high-performance motor in a slim, ergonomic body for comfortable handling through a longer groom, with a detachable A5 blade system for quick blade changes.
• Cordless — built around the Masterclip MD Roamer, with two rechargeable lithium-ion batteries stored in the handset, around two hours' run time and around one hour to charge.
• Mains — built around the lightweight Masterclip Pedigree twin speed clipper, for owners who would rather not manage batteries at all.

The PRO and MAX sets are supplied with Japanese steel blades. Every set takes standard A5 blades, so you can add more lengths later without changing clipper.

See the full range of A5 dog clipping blades, and keep them cutting with our blade care and oil.

Brushes, Combs and Scissors for a Maltese

A silky coat with no undercoat tangles at the surface quickly, so the brush does most of the work in a Maltese groom.

• Slicker brush — the main tool. Fine pins lift and separate the coat. A small or medium flat head slicker is easier to control on a dog the size of a Maltese. A double-sided long pin and bristle slicker gives you two brushing surfaces in one.
• Metal grooming comb — the check after the brush. A combination comb, with wide and narrow teeth on one handle, opens a tangle with the wide end and finishes with the narrow.
• Bull nose safety scissors — for the face, ears and feet. Available right and left handed.

Shop brushes, combs and grooming accessories, right-handed scissors and left-handed scissors.

Also Suits Havanese, Shih Tzus and Other Silky-Coated Breeds

Nothing here is Maltese-only in a technical sense. The clippers and blades are chosen for a fine, silky, continuously growing coat on a small dog, so the same kit works on:

• Havanese
• Shih Tzus
• Yorkshire Terriers
• Maltipoos and other small crosses with a silky coat

See our Havanese, Shih Tzu and Yorkshire Terrier ranges, or browse all breeds.

Maltese Grooming Questions

How short should I clip my Maltese?

For a low-maintenance puppy cut, the #5 skip tooth blade leaves about 6mm. For a fuller teddy bear look, the #4 skip tooth leaves about 9.5mm. Shorter is easier to keep free of mats; longer needs more brushing.

How often should a Maltese be clipped?

Every six to eight weeks, with brushing daily or at least several times a week in between.

Do Maltese dogs shed?

Very little. A Maltese has a single coat with no undercoat, so it drops far less hair than most breeds. The coat keeps growing, though, which is why it needs regular brushing and clipping.

Which clipper is best for a nervous Maltese?

The Cordless MAX, which is designed for quiet running and low vibration. Keep sessions short, and brush the coat out beforehand so the clip itself is quick.

Do the clipper sets include a brush and scissors?

No. Each Maltese set includes the clipper and three A5 blades. Brushes, combs and scissors are sold separately.

Can I use comb guides instead of skip tooth blades?

Yes. Metal comb guides fit over the #10F blade and set the length left on the coat. They are sold separately.

How do I reduce tear stains on my Maltese?

Wipe gently around the eyes every day and keep the hair around them trimmed short with bull nose safety scissors. A trimmed face stays cleaner and drier.