The Malshi: Maltese Shih Tzu mix

Malshi litters come through our shop alongside the Shih-Poo and Pomshi crosses we also place, and no two litters carry the same coats. One pup leans Maltese white, the sibling next to it wears Shih Tzu gold, and both go home to HDB flats the same month.

We have placed 30+ Shih Tzus and Shih Tzu mixes with Singapore families over 2+ years of operating, backed by 45 five-star Google reviews. What you see in any photo set is representative of what we place, not a fixed inventory list, so the honest answer on availability is always the current litter.

Message us on WhatsApp and we will tell you exactly which Malshi puppies are available now, what each one looks like, and what each one is like to handle. We describe each puppy individually, never by the label.

The Malshi is a deliberate cross first popularised in 1990s Australia, bred purely as a companion. Both parents are ancient lapdog breeds, so the cross doubles down on one job: being with people. It is not a registered breed; it is a first-generation cross with identified purebred parents, and that is exactly what you should expect a seller to show you.

Temperament-wise, the mix usually lands where owners hope it does: affectionate, companionable, gentler than a typical Shih Tzu, sturdier than a typical Maltese. PetMD's Malshi profile describes the same picture, a friendly people-oriented toy dog that does well with children and elderly owners when handling is supervised.

The catch in that devotion is a velcro tendency. A Malshi that is never left alone as a puppy becomes an adult that cannot be, so we tell buyers to build short alone-time blocks from week one. Honestly, that one habit prevents most of the separation-anxiety stories you read in forums.

Grooming is the bill that outlasts the purchase price, and we say so before we talk money. A Malshi grows hair, not fur: it sheds very little, which is the appealing half, and it mats relentlessly in Singapore humidity, which is the half nobody advertises.

The routine is daily brushing at home plus a professional groom every 4 to 6 weeks at $75 to $120 a session. That works out to about $900 to $1,400 a year, every year, for a dog that lives 12 to 14 years. We include the first professional groom with every puppy so the habit starts on schedule, and the full economics are in our guide to the real grooming cost in Singapore.

Between grooms, the light-coated face needs a daily wipe against tear staining, the drop ears get a weekly check, and most SG owners settle on the practical puppy cut rather than a long show coat. The groomer handles the rest on the 4-to-6-week cycle.

A crossbreed is not automatically healthier than its parents; a Malshi can inherit conditions from both sides. What matters is screening, so every puppy we place comes with a vet health check, vaccination records, a microchip, and breed identification of the parents.

The conditions worth knowing about are the small-dog usuals, covered in PetMD's Malshi health profile: patella luxation (a slipping kneecap), dental crowding in shorter-muzzled pups, tear-duct and eye care around prominent eyes, and ear infections under the drop ears. Lifespan runs roughly 12 to 14 years.

All three are HDB-legal, all three need the groomer, and all three are companion dogs first. The choice is really about predictability versus the in-between. If you want to compare the wider family of crosses, start with all the Shih Tzu mixes we place and work inward.

Our Malshi puppies are placed at $3,888 to $4,888 all-in, the same published band as our purebred Shih Tzus. A mix is a real crossbreed, not a marketing tier, so we do not charge a designer-label premium on top, and we refuse mini, imperial, and teacup size labels on any dog we place.

Market anchors for context, clearly attributed and not our prices: SG listings for small companion breeds run from about $2,388 nett at the low end to vague $3,000 to $7,000 ranges at the top. Our band sits in between, published, with everything itemised.