I have a Maltese and am getting my Yorkie this afternoon.
My Malt breaks the rules when it comes to the typical Malt personality. He is super high strung, very yappy and not very calm at all. Don't get me wrong, I love him to bits and pieces but he is a handful. The white coat is something to keep in mind.. the upkeep is a chore. Also depending on the coat type, Malts can get tons of mats. My Malt has a cottony coat and he mats just walking around. One of the biggest problems I have with him is that he likes to just hang out on his pee pad after he's gone potty so he gets yellow stained paws, so I have to wash his feet at least twice a week. He doesn't go outside very often so I don't really worry about the rest of him getting dirty. But a lot of Malts have tear staining and that is a huge problem and very hard to get rid of once they have it. One of my tips is to use stainless steel bowls and filtered water.. it makes a difference in the amount of staining my Malt had. And as to the doggy smell, I can't speak for Yorkies yet, but my Malt does smell a little doggy after a long walk outside when it's hot out. He gets kind of a sweaty smell to him if he hasn't had a bath in a while. So any dog, even a Malt, will stink without regular bathing. I'd recommend trying to spend a little bit of time with both kinds of breeds by visiting some breeders.. that will give you an idea of their personalities. Good luck with your decision!
