Adopting a Maltipoo in London: rescues, costs and health

The count under the short answer is live: it shows every Maltipoo listed with us in London and within about 35 miles. If it shows none, that is the honest picture, not a fault. Rescues often list small doodles simply as poodle crosses, so our London poodle and doodle page is worth watching too.

The name joins its parent breeds, the Maltese and the Poodle, the way The Royal Kennel Club says crossbreed nicknames usually do. It says crossbreeds often mix their parents' traits, which makes it "difficult to predict" a puppy's size, coat and temperament. With an adult rescue dog, the rescue already knows them.

Maltipoos share most of their questions with other doodles, so our Cockapoo and Cavapoo guide is worth reading too.

We found no UK source on why Maltipoos in particular are given up. Doodle Trust speaks for doodles in general: "many of the myths that made them popular are the same reasons so many end up abandoned", and many are "Velcro dogs who want to be with you, not left alone". On allergies, it is blunt: "No dog is allergy friendly" (Doodle Trust), and a doodle may shed little or a great deal.

A rescue fee pays towards vet work already done: Doodle Trust says its dogs get vaccinations, microchipping and neutering in foster care before they are matched, and All Dogs Matter that its fee covers first vaccinations, microchipping, neutering and four weeks' insurance.

A bought puppy should already be microchipped by its breeder, as UK law requires by 8 weeks, but neutering and further vaccinations usually come on top of the £400 to £3,000 Blue Cross gives for a puppy. Budget for grooming either way: PDSA says a Maltese coat needs grooming every day, and Dogs Trust that Poodles need regular grooming.

We found no UK charity, Royal Kennel Club or vet research page on the Maltipoo itself, so we can only point to its parents. The Royal Kennel Club's crossbreed guide says breeders of a cross should consider the health tests for both breeds, and a rescue dog's parents may never have been tested, so ask what the rescue's vet has found.

• The Maltese side. PDSA lists luxating patellas (kneecaps that slip out of place), dental problems, heart disease, Chiari malformation and syringomyelia (CM/SM, a painful neurological condition), cataracts and entropion (inward-turning eyelids).
• The Poodle side. PDSA lists conditions Poodles can be prone to, including luxating patellas, progressive retinal atrophy (gradual sight loss), epilepsy and Addison's disease, and The Royal Kennel Club asks Toy Poodle breeders for a progressive retinal atrophy DNA test, with eye and hip testing as best practice.
• Knees and teeth. Slipping kneecaps appear on both lists, so ask whether a vet has checked the dog's knees, and when its teeth were last looked at.

Both parents are small dogs. The Royal Kennel Club lists a flat as big enough for a Toy Poodle, and PDSA says up to half an hour of exercise a day usually suits a Maltese. Being left alone is the bigger London question: DoodleAid's application asks how long you would leave the dog and how often, so tell the rescue honestly how the dog's day would be covered.

No rescue sells a Maltipoo. You apply, the rescue decides which of its dogs would suit your home, and the adoption fee goes towards the vet work. Every Maltipoo on our London Maltipoo page is adopted that way. Puppies are rare in rescue, so be open to an adult.

If you decide to buy, ask the breeder which health tests both parents had. Dogs Trust suggests asking your vet about a pre-purchase consultation on likely health conditions and rough costs, and The Royal Kennel Club runs a "Find a puppy" service. Treat "hypoallergenic" claims in adverts with caution, and report a suspected scam to Report Fraud, which replaced Action Fraud.