Chinese Crested vs Maltese
Side by side
Chinese Crested
Maltese
Fully grown
10 months, both sexes4
Shedding
No sourced figure
Sheds through the year
Grooming
No sourced figure
Daily brushing
Exercise
A modest amount
Class
Lap dog
Lap dog
Which suits you
Size
The Chinese Crested is a little larger on average: about 4.5 kg (9.9 lb) as an adult, against 3.5 kg (7.7 lb) for the Maltese.
Temperament
They differ most on independence (Chinese Crested: keen to work with you; Maltese: cooperative, with its own ideas).
Alike
Both are rated the same on affection: a lap or leaning dog.
Neither is the better dog in general. Which suits you depends on your home, your days and the care you can give.
What they're like
Chinese Crested
Companion & toy · Toy
The breed is affectionate, alert and lively, and it forms close bonds with its household. It is gentle and playful at home, and often reserved with strangers.
Maltese
Companion & toy · Toy
In temperament the Maltese is gentle and affectionate, lively and playful, and quick to respond to its people.
Breed traits
Day to day
Chinese Crested
Maltese
Activity
Happy with modest walks
Happy with modest walks
Intelligence
Learns readily, likes games
Learns readily, likes games
Handler demand
Suits a first-time owner
Suits a first-time owner
With people
Chinese Crested
Maltese
Affection
A lap or leaning dog
A lap or leaning dog
Loyalty
Sticks close to its people
Sticks close to its people
Independence
Differs
Keen to work with you
Cooperative, with its own ideas
Around the home
Chinese Crested
Maltese
Sensitivity
Needs a calm, predictable home
Needs a calm, predictable home
Voice
Barks to alert, then settles
Barks to alert, then settles
Prey drive
Usually fine with small pets
Usually fine with small pets
Puppy growth
Reference curves · both sexes
Summary
Detail
The Chinese Crested grows to the heavier adult, about 4.5 kg against the Maltese's 3.5 kg.
Chinese Crested
Maltese
More comparisons
Compare the Chinese Crested with
Sources
- 1The Kennel Club. Chinese Crested breed page. ↑
- 2
- 3
- 4Hawthorne et al., 2004. Body-weight changes during growth in puppies of different breeds. Journal of Nutrition 134(8 Suppl): 2027S–2030S (WALTHAM). ↑
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8Morrill et al., 2022. Ancestry-inclusive dog genomics challenges popular breed stereotypes. Science 376: eabk0639 (Darwin's Ark). ↑
- 9Dogs Trust. Finding a good, responsible breeder. ↑
- 10American Kennel Club. Screening puppy buyers: how top breeders find the best homes. ↑
- 11
Parts of this page were written by AI ·