The 3 Best Dog Crates for a Maltese – Reviews, Recommendations & Tips

Maltese dogs are some of the friendliest and most affectionate lap dogs you can find. They have a gentle demeanor and a charming personality, making them excellent companions! However, if you plan to bring a Maltese puppy home, you’ll need a dog crate.

Their dog crates should be made of high quality materials that’s durable enough to prevent any mishaps or escapes. While it may be stressful looking for the best crate, we’ve got you covered. Fortunately, here are the 3 best crates for the Maltese. 

Size of the Maltese Matters

Before purchasing your dog crate, it’s recommended that you buy the crate size for an adult, fully grown Maltese. Fortunately, these dogs don’t grow as much as say, a German Shepherd, so it’s hard to pick the wrong size crate.

Gender	Height	Weight
Male	8-10 inches	7-9 lbs
Female	8-9 inches	6-9 lbs

Keep in mind, these numbers are for the average purebred Maltese. Depending on the dog, it can still vary. If you want to gauge how big your dog may be, I’d suggest looking at the parents if possible.

Crate Size Recommendation for a Maltese

The recommended size for a Maltese is a 24 inch dog crate. It’s one of the smallest sizes you can get for dog crates and some companies don’t even offer sizes that small.

The size difference between a puppy and adult Maltese isn’t too drastic. If you think you’d want to get a even smaller crate (22 inches), then it may be okay, depending on your dog.

However, the most popular crate size choice for Maltese owners is the 24 inch.

Top Picks: Best Maltese Dog Crates

There are a ton of great dog crates on the internet. Fortunately, we’ve found the top three (in our opinion). Based on quality, price, reliability, brand and durability – these are the best crates for a Maltese.

#1 – MidWest Homes iCrate

The Midwest Homes iCrate takes the top spot for various reasons. Not only are they very reliable and sturdy, but also because it’s priced at a great price. They’re definitely our favorite crate for the Maltese. 

We recommend the iCrate for nearly all dog breeds for good reason. Let’s explore why tens of thousands of happy customers on Amazon have given this crate a positive rating!

Best Features

The Midwest Homes iCrate does an excellent job with dog safety. As fragile as Maltese dogs are, we think this is a very important factor when picking our top choice.

The frame of the crate is coated with a 100% non-toxic electro finish. It’s in satin black so it looks sleek and nice sitting in your living room. For Maltese puppies that occasionally chew on their crates, a non toxic coating is perfect.

The Maltese isn’t the most hyperactive or energetic dog. However, having rounded edges is a huge plus. There’s been a lot of problems with cheap crates without refined corners. Rounded edges minimizes injuries from entering and exiting the crate.

Midwest Homes chose to use a dual slide bolt latch to secure the door(s) of the crate. It’s not the most advanced lock, but it works. There’s almost no chance a Maltese will break through slide bolt latches. 

A nice little feature of this crate is the standard divider panel. This panel allows you to adjust the space of your crate. It’s perfect for dogs that grow quickly or if you have multiple Maltese pups that need to be separated in a larger crate. 

If you plan to travel with your dog, the collapsible design is nice to have. In under a minute, fold up the iCrate for storage or transportation. It’s that easy!

Having a removable plastic tray is a must. Fortunately, the iCrate does come with one to make cleaning up easy. Slide the tray out, clean it up and slide it back in – hassle free!

I want to note that it does come with a double door option, but it’s not necessary for such a small crate. Still, it provides multiple entry points for your dog. 

The Cons

There’s not much we dislike about the Midwest Homes iCrate. They’re our top pick for a reason. However, if we had to point out the downsides, we would have liked thicker wires on the frame.

There’s almost no chance a Maltese will be able to chew out of their standard crate wires. This is usually a bigger problem with larger, more aggressive dogs. Certainly not the Maltese. 

If you want to learn more about the Midwest Homes iCrate, you can start by checking it out at Amazon.

What Maltese Owners Are Saying

Daisy purchased the 24 inch Midwest Homes iCrate for her 7 – 8 pound Maltese and says it’s a “perfect fit.” Her dog can comfortably move around and lay spread out.

She loves the double doors because it’s convenient when moving the crate around. There’s more options to place the dog crate with two doors.

Michelle purchased a 24 inch for her Maltese too. Her favorite feature of the crate is the removable handle, which makes it super convenient for her to carry it around. She also says that it’s “incredibly easy to collapse.” Much easier than anything she’s used in the past. 

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#2 – Amazon Basics Dog Crate

The Amazon Basic Dog Crate is made by none other than the e-commerce giant, Amazon. If one of the biggest companies in the world is getting into the dog crates business, you know they’re important.

And like you would expect from the reputable company, the Amazon Basics dog crate is one of the best crates money can buy. Not only is the crate priced fairly, but also ultra-durable and has all the features we love.

We had to give the Midwest Homes the slight nod only because they’re been on the market for longer with more reviews. Otherwise, this is right up there with it.

Best Features

The Amazon Basics crate is very similar to the Midwest Homes iCrate. They’re different in minor cosmetics – but virtually the same. With that said, they also use a dual slide bolt lock to secure your Maltese. Simple, effective and safe.

This dog crate also has a two door option, which we love. It provides easier access to your Maltese and whatever is put in the crate. However, it’s a small crate so this won’t be a huge problem. But double doors allow more flexibility when deciding where to put your dog crate in the house.

There’s also a removably plastic tray, where you’ll be able to clean up after your Maltese very quickly. Slide out the tray, clean it up, slide it back in and secure it with a latch.

One feature that we absolutely love is the standard divider panel. It’s great for adjusting the space of your crate as your Maltese grows. It’s not as useful for small dogs, such as the Maltese, but can still be useful.

You can also fold up this crate in less than a minute because of the crate’s foldable design. It’s the perfect feature for easy transportation and storage.

The Cons

Because the Amazon Basics dog crate is almost identical to the Midwest Homes iCrate, there’s not much downside to this crate as well. Of course, having thicker wires on the frames is the obvious “con,” but it’s unlikely a Maltese will be able to chew through it.

If you picked the Amazon Basics dog crate instead of our top choice, we wouldn’t blame you at all. For more information about the Amazon Basics dog crate, check it out at Amazon.

What Maltese Owners are Saying

Pam went with a larger 36 inch dog crate for her Maltese. She loved how it was “easy to set up” and had enough room for her Maltese, small bed and water dish.

She makes good use of the collapsible design feature as she travels a lot. Pam also suggests using a cover to give your Maltese a darker den. 5 Stars, highly recommended.

Renee bought this for her mom, who has a Maltese. She said it was just perfect for house training her dog. She agrees with us that the Amazon Basics crate is the best bang for the buck…”great price and easy to assemble.”

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#3 – New World Metal Dog Crate

The New World just made our top three Maltese crates list for many reasons. Mostly because it’s a fantastic dog crate at a fantastic price. You’ll be able to save a few bucks, but it does lack some features we love. 

Still, there are thousands of happy customers when it comes to the New World metal dog crate. It’s still a great dog crate. Let’s see why this deserves a place on our list.

Best Features

The New World metal dog crate is certainly an excellent dog crate. It’s made with top quality metal, so expect a lightweight and sturdy dog crate. For owners that move their crates around a lot, you’ll appreciate this.

This crate also uses the dual slide bolt latches to keep your Maltese safe and secure in the crate. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel when it’s so effective. Nearly all of the top crates use this too.

The New World dog crate has a removable plastic tray. Cleaning up after your Maltese will be easier than ever. It securely slides in and out of the bottom for better functionality.

Like the other two options, the New World crate also comes with a collapsible / foldable design. If you don’t want to have a crate in the living room while guests are over or travel frequently with your Maltese pup, then this is nice.

This does have a double doors option. Though it’s better for larger dogs in larger crates, it can still be a useful feature. For a few extra bucks, it might be a good idea.

The Cons

The one thing that the New World dog crate is lacking is the standard divider panel. We love this feature because it allows you to do so much more. 

For example, you can adjust the size of the crate according to the growth of your Maltese. You can also opt for a bigger crate and put two Maltese pups in the crate with a divider panel separating the two. 

But just because it doesn’t have one doesn’t mean it doesn’t deserve to be on this list. If you really want the New World crate and still want a panel, you can purchase a compatible panel from Midwest Homes.

Having thicker wiring for the cage is something we would like to see. But as we mentioned, there’s almost no chance your Maltese will break through this. To learn more about the New World dog crate, you can check it out at Amazon.

What Maltese Owners are Saying

Ms. Toya says she bought the 24 inch New World crate for her eight week old Maltese. Not only can she fit his bed in there, but it’s also fairly comfortable. She says you really can’t beat this crate for the prtice.

Jimmy also purchased the double door 24 inch crate for his 12 pound Maltese. He highly recommends the double doors because it makes the crate versatile as it can be placed alongside a wall on either side.

Tonya says it’s easy to set up and take down, even by himself. He went with the larger 30 inch for his 15 lb Maltese and it seems to be holding up well so far.

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Bonus Review: Midwest Homes Crate Cover

Why is a crate cover necessary for your Maltese? Because Maltese dogs are social and people-oriented dogs, they’re likely to develop separation anxiety. However, a crate cover can help with this.

Crate covers can provide an extra layer of comfort and security for your Maltese. Covers are meant to hide all the distractions in the dog’s surrounding environment. Dog crates are supposed to be your dog’s safe space and a crate cover will maximize this.

Don’t take our word for it – ssk your local vet. It’s recommended by most veterinarians for dogs that experience anxiety.

Best Features

Though it’s made by Midwest Homes, it’s compatible with nearly any standard dog crate (of the same dimensions). It’s compatible with all the crates recommended on this list.

There’s 5 flaps that cover all the sides except for the bottom. To secure the flaps to the slide of the crate, the cover uses hook and loop tabs. It’ll do its job holding up and its unlikely your Maltese will be able to get to it.

The Midwest Homes crate cover is made with high quality 100% polyester material. When it gets a little too dirty, just toss it in any standard washer. 

The best part is that it comes with a full one-year warranty!

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Benefits of Crate Training a Maltese

There are a ton of useful and wonderful benefits to crate training your Maltese. Though some people may think it’s cruel – it’s not. In fact, most veterinarians (including mine) recommends using dog crates for various reasons well explore.

The most useful benefit of crate training a Maltese is housebreaking. By housebreaking (or housetraining), I mean teaching your Maltese where it’s okay to “go potty.” 

Dogs by nature do not soil the place where they sleep. By essentially turning the crate into their main living space, they’ll try their best to control their bladder and bowel. There will be accidents, so make sure you’re able to clean up quickly.

Dog crates can also provide a “safe haven” for your Maltese. No matter how people-oriented and social a Maltese may be, most of them enjoy their own quiet and private space from time to time. 

Not only do crates reduce anxiety and stress in puppies, but it’s a great place for them to take naps away from all the distractions. I’d highly suggest getting a crate cover as well.

It’s also a great idea to put some of your Maltese’s chew toys in the crate. A teething dog can learn that only toys in his or her crate are okay to chew! It’s a great way to keep their teething in check.

These are just some of the many awesome benefits of using a dog crate for your Maltese. If you want to learn more about these benefits, you can check this out.

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Have you used any of these dog crates for your Maltese? If so, let us know what you think in the comments section below. And if you have other crates you think are perfect for the Maltese, leave a link below!