Coton de Tulear vs Maltese
Side by side
Coton de Tulear
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
Companion
Lap dog
Which suits you
Size
The Coton de Tulear is larger on average: about 4.6 kg (10 lb) as an adult, against 3.5 kg (7.7 lb) for the Maltese.
Lifespan
In UK vet records the Coton de Tulear lives longer: a median of 14.2 years, against 13.1 for the Maltese.
Temperament
They differ most on independence (Coton de Tulear: keen to work with you; Maltese: cooperative, with its own ideas) and on sensitivity (Coton de Tulear: average; Maltese: needs a calm, predictable home).
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
Coton de Tulear
Companion & toy · Toy
Cotons are lively, playful and affectionate, like to stay close to their people, and are usually friendly towards strangers and other animals. They have a reputation for clowning.
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
Coton de Tulear
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
Coton de Tulear
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
Coton de Tulear
Maltese
Sensitivity
Differs
Average
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 Coton de Tulear grows to the heavier adult, about 4.8 kg against the Maltese's 3.5 kg.
Coton de Tulear
Maltese
More comparisons
Compare the Coton de Tulear with
Sources
- 1
- 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
- 6Morrill et al., 2022. Ancestry-inclusive dog genomics challenges popular breed stereotypes. Science 376: eabk0639 (Darwin's Ark). ↑
- 7Dogs Trust. Finding a good, responsible breeder. ↑
- 8American Kennel Club. Screening puppy buyers: how top breeders find the best homes. ↑
- 9
Parts of this page were written by AI ·