Maltese vs Shih Tzu: Which Tiny White Dog Wins?

At a Glance

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The Question Everyone Asks

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Both are ancient, long-haired white toy breeds from aristocratic bloodlines. Both need serious grooming. Both will sit in your lap for hours. They look similar enough that people mix them up constantly. But underneath the flowing coats, these are very different dogs.

The Key Difference: Attachment Style

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Maltese are Velcro dogs. They bond to one person intensely and want to be touching that person at all times. If you’re sitting, a Maltese is on your lap. If you’re walking, it’s following your heels. If you leave for three hours, it acts like you’ve been gone for three years. Separation anxiety is not just possible — it’s likely.

Shih Tzus are friendly but independent. They were bred to be palace companions in Tibet and China — their job was to sit regally and accept admiration from everyone who passed. They’re affectionate, but they’re also content to curl up on a cushion across the room. They’re less likely to develop separation anxiety and more likely to greet strangers with equal enthusiasm.

Practical implication: If you want a dog who’s obsessed with you specifically → Maltese. If you want a friendly dog who loves everyone equally → Shih Tzu.

Where They Differ

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Grooming: Both Are Work, But Different Work

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The Maltese single coat mats less aggressively. The Shih Tzu double coat tangles faster and needs more thorough brushing. Both are high-maintenance — if you’re not willing to brush daily or pay a groomer, get a short-haired breed.

Fragility: Maltese Are More Delicate

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At 4–7 pounds, a Maltese is genuinely fragile. A fall from a couch can break a bone. Toddlers who don’t understand gentle handling can cause serious injury. Shih Tzus at 9–16 pounds are sturdier — better suited to homes with children, though supervision is still required with very young kids.

Personality: People-Pleaser vs Court Jester

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Maltese are eager to please — they genuinely want to make you happy and respond well to training. Shih Tzus are more independent thinkers with a playful, slightly mischievous streak. A Shih Tzu will learn commands, then decide whether it feels like performing them today.

Side by Side

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The coats make them look like cousins. The way they attach to a person, and how breakable they are, is the actual choice.

Size. A Maltese is 4–7 pounds. A Shih Tzu is 9–16. That gap is the difference between a dog a toddler can injure by falling on, and a dog who is still small but has a body. Both are lap dogs. Only one is a teacup.

Lifespan. Maltese are listed at 12–15 years, and plenty of small dogs outlive that. Shih Tzus are 10–16. These are long-lived breeds if the teeth, the eyes, and the coat are maintained. They are not indestructible because they are cute.

Shedding. Both are low-shed and show up on Hypoallergenic Dogs. The Maltese has a single silky coat that mats less aggressively. The Shih Tzu has a double coat that tangles faster. Low shed means hair that grows, not a dog you can ignore. Daily brushing or a standing groomer appointment is the breed.

Energy. A Maltese is moderate: bursts, then your lap, and distress if the lap leaves. A Shih Tzu is low to moderate: a few indoor laps, then a cushion, including a cushion across the room. Neither is a hiking breed. The Maltese has more motor and more anxiety when the motor has nowhere to go.

Trainability. Maltese want to please and do well with kind, short lessons. Shih Tzus understand the cue and then decide whether the cue deserves them today. That independence is charming until house manners are still a debate at eight months. Harsh corrections shut both of them down. They are companion dogs, not obedience robots.

Health risks. Maltese: slipping kneecaps, crowded teeth, eye disease including PRA and cataracts, collapsed trachea if you use a collar, and an occasional liver shunt. The breed guide’s non-negotiable is a harness. Shih Tzus: dental disease as the constant bill, prominent eyes that ulcer and dry out, and a coat that becomes a health problem when it mats. The Shih Tzu is the sturdier skeleton. The Maltese is one fall off the couch away from a fracture.

Cost. Maltese puppies on this page run $1,500–$3,500. Shih Tzus run $1,200–$3,000. Grooming will rival the purchase price over a few years. The Shih Tzu guide budgets $400–$800 a year for a groomer. A Maltese in a pet clip is the same category of bill.

Living With Each

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Apartment. Both are built for it. Small, no yard required, indoor exercise is a real portion of the day. The Maltese is the louder apartment dog and the one more likely to rehearse separation anxiety when you leave for work. The Shih Tzu is quieter and more willing to nap while you are gone, and the breed guide still says a full workday alone is how behavior problems start. Four to six hours is the Shih Tzu’s grudging maximum, not a lifestyle. Best Apartment Dogs keeps both, with the coat and the alone-time warnings attached. If the building’s problem is noise, also read Small Dogs That Don’t Bark — the Shih Tzu is closer to that list than the Maltese.

Kids. Shih Tzu, with supervision. They are sturdy enough for gentle children and not sturdy enough for rough ones. A Maltese is an older-kid dog or an adult-only dog. At 4–7 pounds, being dropped, sat on, or “hugged” is an injury. Neither belongs in a toddler house as the child’s dog. A Havanese is the sturdier small white alternative if kids are the reason you are shopping this pair.

First-time owner. Either can be a first dog for someone who will brush teeth, keep a groomer, and teach manners while the dog is still cute enough to get away with murder. The Maltese surprises people with the attachment: this is a shadow, and three hours alone can look like grief. The Shih Tzu surprises people with the stubbornness and the coat. If you wanted a first dog who is also low-maintenance, you are in the wrong comparison. The first-time guide is full of dogs whose grooming plan is a brush, not a career.

Active household. A mismatch for both if “active” means miles. A Maltese will do a short walk and a play burst and then be done, and will want to come along for the company. A Shih Tzu will do less and be happier about it. An active house that is gone all weekend hiking, with the dog parked at home, fails the Maltese harder. These are dogs for people who are around.

When neither fits. Toddlers. A coat you will not maintain. A full-time office and no walker. A wish for a watchdog — the Shih Tzu is a poor one, and the Maltese alerts on everything, which is not the same as guarding. A wish for a jog partner. If you want tiny and you want opinions at full volume, the neighboring argument is Chihuahua vs Pomeranian, and those two are not quieter.

What Ownership Actually Costs

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The puppy is a one-time number. The coat and the teeth are forever.

Skip “teacup” Maltese. That is a runt sold as a feature, and the health bills erase the cuteness. Skip pet-store Shih Tzus with no parental eye or patella paperwork. A puppy cut on either breed is the practical haircut. Show coats are a hobby that involves hair ties and a personality you may not have. Pet insurance is reasonable for any toy dog whose knees and eyes are part of the breed description.

Guides: Maltese and Shih Tzu.

Which Should You Get?

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Get a Maltese if: you want a devoted shadow who lives for your attention, you’re okay with serious attachment, and you prefer a slightly easier coat (single vs double).

Get a Shih Tzu if: you want a sturdier dog who’s better with kids, you prefer a more easygoing companion who loves everyone, and you don’t mind a dog with a mind of its own.

The Truth

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Both are wonderful companions with 1,000+ years of making humans happy. Read our full guides: Maltese and Shih Tzu.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Sources

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• AKC Maltese Breed Standard | AKC Shih Tzu Breed Standard
• McMillan et al. (2024), Scientific Reports — small-breed lifespan data
• Puppy pricing based on 2025–2026 US breeder market data