The back is level in topline, the ribs well sprung. The Maltese dog's chest is fairly deep, the loins taut, strong, and just slightly tucked up underneath. The Maltese dog has a long-haired plume carried gracefully over the back, its tip lying to the side over the quarter. Legs and Feet Legs are fine-boned and nicely feathered of the Maltese dog. Forelegs are straight, their pastern joints well knit and devoid of appreciable bend.
Hind legs are strong and moderately angulated at stifles and hocks.
The feet are small and round, with toe pads black. Scraggly hairs on the feet may be trimmed to give the Maltese dog a neater appearance. The Maltese dog coat is single, that is, without undercoat. It hangs long, flat, and silky over the sides of the body almost, if not quite, to the ground. The long head-hair of the Maltese dog may be tied up in a topknot or it may be left hanging.