Maltese tops list of South Australia’s most popular dog breeds, registration data shows
Dog ownership is up, but there has not been much change in the top 10 most popular dogs. See which pooches are our favourites – and why we love them.
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Maltese is the state’s most popular dog breed for the third year running but a pet expert has predicted that another European pooch is snapping at their tails.
Dog and Cat Management Board registration data shows there has been no new entries in the list of the top 10 most popular dog breeds among SA owners, with Maltese topping the ranks ahead of the Australian kelpie and labrador.
The only ranking change was the border collie jumping ahead of the Staffordshire bull terrier into fourth place.
Among the state’s registered pets there are also some rarities registered, including Canadian eskimo dogs, Spanish mastiffs and Peruvian hairless dogs.
For cats, Japanese bobtail, oriental longhair and oriental bicolour were among the more unusual breeds.
Dr Mark Reeve, Tea Tree Gully Veterinary Hospital vet and columnist for The Advertiser, said the Maltese were a great companion pet, being relatively small with a “happy and outgoing” disposition, and they were “particularly cute as puppies”.
“They’re quite robust, there aren’t many specific health problems that we see in them,” he said.
He also said Maltese “tend to survive pretty well”, usually living up to 14 years of age.
But Dr Reeve also forecast there would be a surge in registrations of French bulldogs.
“French bulldogs are incredibly popular. Some weeks it feels like every second new puppy is a French bulldog,” he said, noting that oodles and oodle-crosses were also becoming highly sought after.
Dr Reeve said the top 10 listed largely accorded with what he saw at his clinic, which had recorded a boost in business due to the “pandemic pets” boom in animal ownership.
The clinic’s trainee nurse Lauren Simpson said her Maltese cross was “so playful and loyal”.
“They’re such lapdogs and always come to you for a cuddle and when you’re feeling down,” she said.
But an RSPCA spokeswoman said “a lot of people don’t appreciate the grooming they need”.
“We see quite a few Maltese and Maltese-cross dogs at our shelters with badly matted coats,” she said.
“If you make grooming a positive experience from when the dog is a puppy, then they are much easier to groom and should even enjoy it.”
Northern suburbs Maltese breeder Edna Simmons said the mini mutts were usually “devoted to their owners” and made for excellent watchdogs, but agreed they need daily grooming and frequent baths.
“Although diminutive in size, the Maltese is without fear, the heart of a lion in a 3.5kg body,” Ms Simmons said.
“Maltese are also gentle, trusting and affectionate yet vigorous, lively and playful and coexist well with other animals.”
Board data shows a more than 3 per cent increase in dog ownership to 302,475 registered dogs since 2018-19.
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