Malchi dog: Chihuahua Maltese Poodle Mix

Height:	12-14 inches
Weight:	5-15 pounds
Lifespan:	12-15 years
Colors:	white, black, cream, brown
Suitable for:	Elderly people looking for a companion dog
Temperament:	Loving, loud, and full of heart

The Malchi, also called the Maltechi or Malachi, is a cross between the Maltese and the Chihuahua. Like his parent breeds, the Malchi is full of heart and has a loud voice. He is extremely caring and loving but will require a lot of early socialization and training to ensure that he mixes well with other animals or children. He makes a great companion dog and requires very little exercise, which makes the Maltechi a great companion for elderly couples and individuals.

This breed is a designer breed and is still relatively new, having only really been introduced in 2000. As such, a lot of the information about this breed is taken from his parent breeds.

The Malchi can suffer from small dog syndrome – he will think he is bigger than his diminutive size, which means that he might tend to try and bully other dogs, even those that are much larger than him.

Three Little-Known Facts About Malchi

Maltese Were Used as Trade Goods

• Although the Malchi is a new breed, its parent breeds are not. The Maltese were used as a trade good by Romans and Greeks. He was traded as a luxury good, primarily to wealthy women, and he became popular as the subject of poetry and paintings.
• Its use as a trade good meant that the Maltese quickly spread around the world, but it wasn’t until the late 19^th century that he became a recognized breed in the USA. Once recognized, however, the Maltese became a very popular breed, and remains so today.

Chihuahuas Were Believed to Be Spirit Guides

The Malchi is bred from the Maltese, which was believed to have healing powers, and the Chihuahua, which was widely regarded as being a spirit guide that prepared and protected the recently deceased on their journey to the afterlife. One of the crossbreed’s names is Malachi, who was a biblical prophet and one of the Twelve Minor Prophets. Even the name means Messenger.

Your Malchi Will Bark

• The Malchi is a combination of placid Maltese and fiery Chihuahua. Although your dog’s temperament will depend on which parent he gets the most attributes from, it is highly likely that he will bark.
• The Chihuahua might be small but he believes he is much bigger than his size and this does tend to pass on to the Malchi breed. As such, and despite his seemingly appropriate size, the Malchi is not considered a good apartment dog. Your neighbors are likely to complain about the constant yapping.

Temperament & Intelligence of the Malchi

• The Malchi might be a small dog, but he tends to forget that. He believes he is much larger and will let all other dogs know it. He gets this from his chihuahua heritage, which is also responsible for his loud-mouthed tendencies. The Maltese Chihuahua mix will bark to let you know of visitors, whether they are people, cats, other dogs, or even cars and bicycles in some cases. As such, the Malchi is not to everybody’s taste, but below the vocal exterior is a caring, loving, happy, and playful little dog.
• The small size of the Malchi, coupled with the minimal exercise requirements, make this breed a great companion dog, and it has become a popular breed with elderly people looking for company.
• Training is possible, but it will take consistency and a lot of effort because the chihuahua in your Malchi makes him headstrong and a little stubborn. With that said, the breed is popular at agility classes and for agility shows, so there is certainly potential.

Does This Breed Get Along with Other Pets?

Similarly, this crossbreed is better in a home with no other pets. With good training, it is possible to mix him with other animals, but his tendency to bark and the possibility that he will snap when angered make him unsuitable for living with cats. His dominant nature, combined with his somewhat small size, means that the Maltese Chihuahua cross is not suited to life with other dogs either.

Are These Dogs Good for Families?

• The Malchi has several traits that mean he is not considered suitable as a family pet. Your Malchi is a small dog and children tend to reach out and grab at ears and other body parts. This can scare your Malchi and make him defensive and potentially aggressive.
• This breed tends to be better suited to a quiet life because constant noise and movement will lead him to bark even more than usual. He may also tend to bark at night if he hears noises, and the ruckus will easily wake small children.