| Ladymom | 09-17-2008 09:17 AM |
Quote:
Originally Posted by Harley_chik
(Post 2242501)
I'm sure someone that has both breeds could be of more help, but I'll give my opinion. As far as size goes, if well bred, they should be about the same size. From what I've gathered here, Yorkies have a bit more of a terrier attitude. They're more spunky and can be more stubborn or mischievious. Keeping a Maltese sparkly white can be a chore, especially if the dog has a bad coat to begin with. Maltese also seem a little more prone to allergies and skin problems. One thing I really like about the Maltese breed is everyone's openess about top breeders. People have no problem telling you they have a Chrisman, Marcris, Rhapsody, etc. Maltese. It makes it so much easier to find a great breeder. Maltese don't seem to have as many orthepedic problems, but they do have the same liver issues as yorkies.
| You are right. Maltese, like Yorkies, should be under seven pounds, with 4-6 pounds preferred.
Maltese do have fewer cases of luxating patellas, too. The OFA ranks Yorkies #4 where as Maltese are only 42nd in number of reported cases.
Yorkies have far more liver shunts than Maltese. Yorkies are 36 times more likely to have a liver shunt than all other breeds combined. Irresponsible breeding because of the popularity of Yorkies is probably the #1 reason Yorkies are plagued with health problems today. Dr. Karen Tobias of the University of Tennessee found that the number of liver shunts in Yorkies has increased 11 times in the past 20 years. :( | 