The Moodle, often referred to as Maltipoo is a dog breed crossed from the Maltese (Melitaie) with a Toy or a Miniature Poodle. Designer breeds much like Moodle have become very popular over the past 10 to 20 years. As with many designer or cross-breed dogs, it is often claimed these dogs are hypoallergenic, have less genetic disorders, carry the best characteristics of the parent breeds. However, this is not entirely accurate, mixed breed dogs do not always full-fill this hope. Therefore, special care should be taken when selecting breeders and puppies.

To better understand the characteristics of the Moodle, first we should examine the parent breeds. Let’s look at the Maltese, little is known about the exact origin of the Maltese breed, despite the name having a close resemblance to the island of Malta, the breed most likely didn’t originate there. Maltese and several small “Bichon” type dogs have been around the Mediterranean for thousands of years. Weighing just over 3kg, Maltese are best described as gentle, active, fearless, affectionate and intelligent. The striking white long coat of the Maltese requires regular care. Maltese are known to be hypoallergenic, they do not shed much.

The Poodle, also a non-shedding dog comes in a variety of sizes. With four sizes to chose from, Poodles come in Standard, Medium, Miniature and Toy varieties. The height of the sizes are as follows; Standard Poodle – 45cm to 60cm, Medium Poodle – 35cm to 45cm, Miniature Poodle – 28cm to 35cm, Toy Poodle – 24cm to 28cm. Widley believed to have been developed in Germany, the Poodle was bred specifically as water retrievers. Since Poodles are coated in hair, not fur, they do not shed. This makes Poodles a very popular hypoallergenic dog breed. Poodles are believed to be one of the smartest dog breeds in the world, according to the best selling book by neuropsychologist Stanley Coren, PhD, The Intelligence of Dogs, they are the second smartest dog!

Thanks to both Maltese and Poodle parents, Moodles should not shed, making them more suited for people with allergies. Moodles are known to be very intelligent, their kind and laidback nature makes them an extremely popular breed. Moodles are quite small, which makes them fragile. It is important to teach kids how to be gentle with these small dogs during play time. Moodles are also quite easy going, which makes them ideal companions for other animals in the house.

Moodles are comfortable living in any environment, they are happy as long as they are with their companions. Because of the small size, Moodle are definitely not a guard dog. They do have a tendency to bark at strangers and noises, early training and socialising will help to minimise these issues. Moodles are the perfect lap dog, they are cute and loving. Moodles typically comes in White, Cream, Silver, Black or a mix of all four colours.

Photos by Arabella Brown,  Xuan Nguyen, noelle, Josh Rocklage on Unsplash