I don't have any advice as to which breed is better but I can tell you what my experience has been with young children and a Yorkie. I have a 2 1/2 year old son and a 9 month old baby girl. My puppy is almost 14 weeks and we've had him since he was 8 weeks old. I purposely got one that was fairly sure to get a little bigger, in the 7-10 pound range, because of having young children. My son is very good with Max, they chase each other around and wrestle on the floor. Carson knows not to hit Max or throw things at him. Becca tends to grab Max's fur and doesn't yet know how to "pet" him but Max is very good with her, doesn't bite or jump on her. He visits with her for awhile but soon moves on as he gets tired of the fur grabbing and head bonking. :)

Potty training Max has been a little rough to start off with but this past week has been great. I was using the crate training, then I wasn't and now we're back to it. It's working out really well this time around. It's really nice because when things get a little out of control or I need a break, I can put Max in his crate and know that he's safe and not getting in to trouble around the house.

Good luck in your decision! You'll be happy whichever breed you choose!

Hard question
 

I love both. I would say both are equally yappy or not. My yorkie doesn't yap at all... however I have had puppies of both and you never know. My mom has one maltese... yappy ... the other silent!

There is something so special about both... it has to be you. The absolutely only 2 negatives I can find... is yorkies sometimes have a terrier smell... so they can't go long w/o baths... but maltese... never do and from the very beginning maltese hate to poop in their crates... I mean EARLY on... but maltese are much more stubborn house breakers!

That being said... my yorkie's hair is so much easier to care for than the maltese my mom and I think my yorkie just has the best personality... she is a sweet heart through and through... so... basically

6 in one hand 1/2dozen in the other!

Actually, the standard for both Yorkies and Maltese calls for them to be 4-7 pounds full grown so there should be no size difference between the breeds if they are bred properly.

Of course there are supersized Maltese out there from backyard breeders and pet shops. Maltese also have just as much problem as Yorkies do with unscrupulous breeders trying to breed the super tiny "teacup" ones.

One thing I wouldn't advise is trying to get a Maltese or Yorkie that will be considerably larger than the standard. A reputable breeder strives to produce puppies who are as close to the breed standard as possible. They start with good quality dogs, screen for genetic problems inherent to the breed and do the necessary health testing beforehand. This is the type of breeder you want to get your puppy from.

If you decide that a larger 10-15 pound dog is more appropriate for your family, please find a breed that is supposed to be that size and get a puppy from a reputable breeder.

What about a silky terrier? They look quite a bit like yorkies and are a little larger. Shih tzus are also a little bigger and are supposed to make better "family" pets.

Thank you to all of you for all your input and suggestions. My husband and I are really set on either a Maltese or Yorkie, and are interested in the 5ish pound size as I want to take him with me as often as possible. I also am not really interested in most other breeds, especially because of my allergies. Since I don't have kids yet I figured the puppy won't be a puppy anymore by the time it has to deal with a toddler in the house and I think that with a baby having a dog at home from birth, and my supervision, s/he will learn early on to be as careful as possible--unlike a child visitor who wouldn't know better. Still, I realize this is ideal thinking :) My concern about "yappiness" seems clarified in that it's more the independent dog than the breed. This seems somewhat true for housebreaking, too?
As far as family-friendly, I just wanted to get people's experiences about these breeds being around kids because a few people have mentioned to me that they know Yorkies to be more short-tempered with kids (not that I'd necessarily blame them--with the hair pulling and head-bopping and all!) ;)
Thanks again for all your wisdom!

Are you sure that yorkies and maltese won't set off your allergies? They are not hypoallergenic, they just don't shed as much, and have hair instead of fur, so many people's allergies are still affected by their presence. Also, the other breeds that have been mentioned, the Bichon and the Havanese do not shed either, but they would still be slightly sturdier for a family home.

I agree. There is no dog that is truly hypoallergenic. I'd also worry that even if the dog doesn't bother your allergies, your "someday" baby may have allergies since he or she would be more likely to. Allergies are one of the top five reasons dogs are turned over to rescue.

Have you made a list of the reasons you want a Yorkie or Maltese? Personality and suitability to the family is much more important than looks. Often people choose this breed because they are so gorgeous (no prejudice here!:D ) without considering the more important factors.

If you do decide to get either breed, I would really urge you to get one that is on the higher end of the standard size-wise. A five pound Yorkie or Maltese is just not a good idea with small children.

Agreed here. If you have dander allergies, any dog even "hypo allergenic" ones will still affect your allergies.

If you don't mind taking medications they aren't "as" bad, but still I know some people don't like to do this.

To the OP -- I'm not trying to be negative :) Just wanted to give you something to think about :). I bought my first yorkie poo thinking he was hypo allergenic and I found out he most certainly isn't, along w/my other babies :)

I think Maltese are darling, but Yorkies simply melt my heart! My boy is the affectionate one all the time, my female is affectionate on her time. She barks, he rarely barks. I think a lot depends on the individual dog.
If I was planning on starting a family and had the room, I think I would get a lab or a golden retriever. They are big and hearty, and great with kids. My Yorkeis ARE my kids.

I have kids, lots of them ranging from 2.5 to 18yrs old.. I have 5 kids and 5 dogs. 2 labs, 1 boston terrier and 2 yorkies. I was up in the air on whether I wanted a yorkie or maltese just like you. After researching It seemed to me that they were so similiar that my deciding factor was eye stains.. much easier to keep a yorkies face looking nice then a maltese... probably a weird deciding factor but just the same that is what I made my decision on.

Now as far as kids and dogs, regardless of which you decide on don't plan on them being dogs for your kids... if thats what your looking for then you need to go with much more kid friendly dogs which imo are retrievers.. hands down. If you have allergies obviously they are not an option for you. My yorkies are MY dogs, my older children are allowed to interact with them (10, 15, 18) but my little ones aren't. They are always supervised or in their ex pen, not just because of my little ones but because of the big dogs as well. If they are out running about the room my youngest son knows he can't walk in the room, its against my rules because even though he is good with the dogs accidents happen and I he could trip and fall on one of them which could be fatal, they are now 3.2lbs and 2.4lbs respectively. I did not intend on my oldest one to be so tiny but even if she ended up 7lbs I would handle things the same way.

Ok, probably way more info then you asked for but I know you were looking for true opinions on the breed and kids so I think I gave you mine :) I don't feel as though telling you that neither is a good choice is any help for anyone. I would have been extremely irritated if people were telling me that I shouldn't get the breed that I was looking for just because I had or was planning on having children.

I also have both and both have plus and minus'. The Maltese is a perfect lap dog... but ours never wants to do anything else. It may be just this dog but she was never very playful and seems to have bad problems with arthirits, since she was fairly young.My Yorkie is very playful though. She was difficult to house train, but so was my Yorkie, in fact the Yorkie has been much harder. They are both too fragile to be around young kids without close supervision. They are both very loving and sweet and both are yappy, neither more annoying than the other. I love both breeds and would have both again.

Thank you, Jackie. You're right :) And I absolutely expect this to be my dog as I've been wanting one for many years, and have no intention of leaving my dog unsupervised with young children. Still, they will be in the same household and I was curious about people's experiences with Yorkies, Maltese, and children. I know it is considered less than ideal, but like you (and one other person who posted earlier), I think there are many families with toy breeds and young children--so my question was more about whether one is better rather than "IF" to get one, because I do plan to get one within the next few weeks--and as yet am not even pregnant (that I know of), so it seems silly to not get a dog I've been wanting for years when I can't even know for certain if I will have kids at some point (although I certainly hope to) who may be clumsy with small dogs (and I would do my best to protect both).

Please don't rush to get a puppy in just a few weeks. It can take awhile to find a reputable breeder and even longer as many have waiting lists for puppies, especially if you are looking for a female.

Getting a well bred puppy from a good breeder is extremely important, even more so if this dog will be around small children. Puppies from pet stores/puppy mills and many backyard breeders are not handled enough by humans early on and can have socialization problems later on. You also want to make sure you get a puppy from a good breeder, one who is breeding for the lovely temperament each of these two breeds have or you could end up with a nasty dog. It is buyer beware when buying either breed as there are a lot of scammers out there.

This forum is a wonderful source for locating a good Yorkie breeder. If you decide to get a Maltese, please join Spoiled Maltese and we can help you find a reputable breeder.

http://spoiledmaltese.com/forum/inde...se.com/forum/#

Here's a good overview of both breeds. You will see that they share almost all the same pros and cons:

http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/reviews/maltese.html

http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/rev...eterriers.html

They both have the same warning:

Yorkshire Terriers/Maltese are NOT suited to children, no matter how well-meaning the child. Children cannot help being clumsy, and that a child meant well is little solace to a Yorkshire Terrier who has been accidentally stepped on, sat on, rolled on, squeezed, or dropped onto the patio. Most Yorkshire Terriers feel overwhelmed by the loud voices and quick movements that children can't help making -- and stress and fearfulness (even defensive biting) may be the result.

I second this. I was a little shocked by your plans to get a dog in a month, much less a week. If you've waited this long, you might as well wait a little longer for a quality dog from a quality breeder, and not from a nasty puppy mill or backyard breeder. It will make all the difference in the world in the temperament of your pet. Good luck, whatever you decide.