Development
Maltipoo growth from puppy to adult
By Nelson and Kim, AVS licensed pet shop owners · Updated 13 July 2026
What are the Maltipoo growth stages?
Homecoming at 9 weeks palm-sized; the visible growth spurt from months 3 to 5; near-adult frame by 8 to 12 months; and the adult coat arriving through the first year, often lighter than the puppy fluff. Adolescence overlaps from 6 to 18 months, and the settled adult emerges in year two.
Weeks 9 to 16: the sponge phase
Your puppy arrives at nine weeks with the vaccination course mid-stream and a brain wide open: this is when toilet routines, alone-time conditioning, handling practice and gentle socialisation write themselves in almost effortlessly. Physically it is all wobble and nap, eighteen-plus hours of sleep against short eruptions of play.
Growth is steady rather than dramatic yet; the frame is banking for the spurt ahead. Three measured meals a day fuel it, per the feeding guide.
Months 3 to 8: the spurt and the teeth
Months three to five deliver the visible transformation: legs lengthen, the adult outline appears, and a maltipoo 4 months old already previews its grown shape. Teething runs alongside, peaking around month four, with the chew-toy economy from the biting guide in full swing.
By month six the frame is most of the way there, meals drop to two a day, and the first hints of adolescence appear right on cue.
Months 8 to 24: coat, hormones, completion
The frame finishes between 8 and 12 months, at 2 to 4kg for the toys we place, and the size guide’s parents-over-labels rule is proven right about now. The coat change overlaps: puppy fluff yields to the adult coat, often a shade lighter, and the matting guide’s danger-window advice earns its keep.
Hormonal adolescence runs 6 to 18 months with its regressions and re-tests, sterilisation typically lands from month seven, and somewhere in the second year the settled adult quietly replaces the teenager. That dog, calm on a lap with opinions about the door chime, is the one you keep for the next dozen-plus years.
The timeline
- Week 9: homecoming, palm-sized
- Months 3-5: the visible growth spurt
- Month ~4: teething peak
- Months 8-12: adult frame, coat changing
- Months 6-18: adolescence overlaps
- Year 2: the settled adult arrives
Frequently asked questions
When does a Maltipoo stop growing?
Frame by 8 to 12 months; coat and character keep maturing into year two. After the first birthday, size changes should be waistline, not skeleton.
How big is a Maltipoo at 4 months?
Roughly half to two-thirds of adult weight for most toys, with the adult outline visible. The parents remain the best final-size predictor.
How many puppies in a Maltipoo litter?
Small litters are the norm, commonly two to four for toy mothers, which is part of why availability moves fast here.
My 7-month-old seems done growing. Normal?
Very: toys finish early. What follows is filling out slightly and the coat completing; adolescent behaviour has further to run than the skeleton.
At what age is a Maltipoo full grown?
The frame finishes between 8 and 12 months, at 2 to 4kg for the toys we place, though the coat and character keep maturing into the second year. After the first birthday, changes should be waistline, not skeleton.
When does the puppy coat change to the adult coat?
Somewhere between 8 and 12 months the puppy fluff hands over to the adult coat, often a shade lighter, and the two textures tangle daily for a few weeks. That overlap is the matting danger window, so double the brushing through it.
Meet your Maltipoo
Come say hello at Balestier
2 Balestier Road #01-701, Singapore 320002 · Weekdays 12pm–6pm · Weekends 10am–6pm. Or message us first: tell us about your home and routine, and we'll tell you honestly if a Maltipoo fits.
Watch a stage in person
The gallery usually spans 9 to 12 weeks; come see the sponge phase live.
Read the size guide