Maltese vs.Yorkie
 

Hello,

This is my first post! My husband and I have been looking for a small dog. We were sold on a maltese but also really, really love the cuteness of a yorkie. Are they similar? We have been researching and I'd really just love to hear some feedback on what some think. I know this is a yorkie board but need honest opinions here :) We liked maltese for their white color, lap dog, gentle, best friend qualities BUT we are concerned there may be too much maintenance which goes alot with their coat, eyes, etc. Yorkies are so cute but we wonder if they will be too yippy, not as affectionate and I heard their coat can smell stronger. Help please? Thank you

I have had my little yorkie Knox for only a week. However, I too also couldn't decide between a yorkie or maltese. In the end I got my sweet little boy, and couldn't be happier. We live in the country and my husband said the white coat would be too much maintence. My sister is picking up a maltese puppy on Friday so I am anxious to see how he acts and the differences between him and my Knox. Good luck I hope you find some answers.

Well a yorkie is a Terrier so I would read about that too. Also you do have to take care of a yorkie coat too unless you cut the hair. And as far as being yippy my sister has 2 Maltese and her dogs are more yippy then my 3 Yorkies.

Aw bless they are both lovely breed's,I think you have to work with the coat which ever one you choose unless you have them clipped at the groomer's,Post pic's when you get your new fur baby.

I have a breeder friend that breeds Maltese's. Not all yorkies are yappy. As for coat, both can have a long coat that requires daily brushing and up keep. I have yet to find a yorkie that isn't somewhat affectionate. Not sure about the smelly that you are referring to. I would take a yorkie any day but then again, I am biased!:D

Yorkies are terriers, so they are very active and require exercise to remain healthy. Mine isn't a yapper, but many can be. It depends on the socialization you provide and training as well as the individual yorkie's personality and probably a good deal on where you live and the sort of distractions available to bark at. Yorkies are high maintenance and require regular grooming and generally once a week baths. Their coats can become oily looking if not bathed regularly. They require daily brushing and combing to keep mats out of their hair. Some coats mat more easily than other coats.
Their eyes do require being cleaned every day. They generally do not do that well by themselves, either. So, if you are an active family that will not be around that much or are unable to take the yorkie with you, then I would not recommend this breed for you. Also, it is true they can be an independent and stubborn breed. Some are much more difficult to train than others. Some are more affectionate than others. You never really know the personality of your yorkie when brought home as a puppy until later, so if you aren't dedicated to the breed itself and prepared to love the puppy no matter what the personality is like then I would not recommend a yorkie for you.

Hi everyone! Thank you for the responses. No matter what the breed is I will be keeping it in a puppy cut. I don't care for the long hair at all. The reason we are getting a smaller dog is so I can bring it out with me in the car, on errands and hopefully to work maybe sometimes. (I am a Nanny) We live on a lake and I do want my dog to be outside quite a bit when weather is appropriate. We live in New England. I worry that a maltese will get dirty easier. Especially when swimming with me in the lake. I am concerned about the tear staining as well. I am looking for a little buddy but one who can socialize with other dogs. I have been visiting and talking with several breeders over the phone. Each has their own opinion. I've never owned a dog only cats so I'm feeling a bit lost here.

Also, the breeder we are visiting has a friend who has asked her to sell some maltese-yorkie mixes. Would this be a better solution for us? Is a mixed breed a bad decision? Are there pro's and con's there as well? Thank you!

If you choose a mix breed you don't always get the best of both worlds, there is no way to really predict which traits your dog will inherit.

I don't think that mixed breed dogs are better or worse than those that are purebred, but I do however feel that the people who breed for a mix breed are something to be leery of. There is no way that somone breeding a mix is doing it to better the breed, there for, they are only breeding for personal gain, or money. I feel like you should have more reason to bring life into an already overpopulated pet world than just to line your pockets. You cannot make a better, healthier yorkie by crossing it with another breed. I think that both breeds have their goods and bads, but what ever you choose please make sure that you are choosing a reputable breeder that is in it to better the breed, these are the ones that we should be supporting. :)

Thank you. I agree. I have had a strong presence of animals in my life (grew up on a farm) but never a dog. I am trying to go about this the right way. I have already gotten some red flags sadly. I never realized there were some people out there who "should not" be breeding dogs.
The morkie's this woman has was "by accident". I'll find out more Friday when I go visit. Already she sounds wonderful to me and defintely someone who cares about what she does. I'm not into the kennel idea. I am looking for someone who has these dogs in their home. Under their feet, socialized and not part of a group of 30 as Ive seen already.

I have only had Leilah for 2 1/2 weeks but she has proven to be an amazingly sweet yorkie. She enjoys sitting with me but loves to roam around freely by herself as well. She definitely has her spurts of endless energy followed by hard naps, but she's just a pup. I worried about the yappy thing a bit since none of my other animals have ever been yappy but so far she's been fairly good about that. She growls when she's playing and excited with an occasional squeal/bark but never any endless chatter. She was really really really :) easy to train to use the litter box. She hasn't had any accidents since the first day we brought her home! She sleeps wonderfully in her crate with the attached xpen so that she has free movement to her water/food bowl and litter box. I made this adjustment after a few nights of waking up to let her pee and now she sleeps through the night, gets up to do her business and then goes back to sleep...no whining or anything. I haven't really done much training other than "sit" but she is taking well to that. I know each dog is different regardless of breed so you really have to make a leap of faith and just love whatever you bring home! I can't imagine life without her even if she turned out to be a difficult yappy brat! lol

I love my Yorkie and probably will always have one or two in my household. She is not yappy at all in fact I have a Jack-a-poo who is very yappy and my Yorkie looks at her sometimes as to say what in the heck are you barking at!!

I have a Yorkie and 3 Morkies, and all are equally wonderful.

I understand you not wanting the upkeep of a pure white dog as I felt the same way. The color on the mixes can vary widely, and even Yorkies vary with some being lighter and others darker.

Good luck in your search!

I love my Yorkie, yes they are high maintance. Between the brushing, walking, playing, feeding, cleaning, grooming..etc etc, but I wouldn't have it any other way! My yorkie isn't a yapper, but he is very aleart esp when DH isn't home he is VERY aware of what is outside~

If you dont want to deal with the hair why wouldnt you get a breed with short hair, but still small in size? Maybe even a little more stronger, not as breakable like a yorkie. I say that bc of their luxating patella and collapsed trachea issues..

My friend has a Maltese and that was the breed I was planning to get at first, I couldn't find one during that time, so I looked at yorkies and ended up getting my boy Bailey, I would not trade him for anything, he is the sweetest most loving little guy and he never barks in my house, he barks in the car in his seat and when he is out playing with other dogs, I think that is pretty normal, my friends Maltese barks at everything. You will find all dogs are different and special in their own way, If I get another dog it will be another yorkie. Good luck in your search! :)

:thumbup::thumbup: Also Yorkies don't care to much for swimming. But I'm sure their are a few that do. I would get a little bigger dog but still small.

:thumbup: True. I have seen some Yorkies LOVE water... Mine does not~ but he does love going on the boat. I think if you are going to be really active try to get a dog breed that enjoys those activites. B/C you will have a 50/50 chance with a yorkie.

My first and 'forever' dog was a maltese named Casper. He was a great dog and traveling companion and died at the ripe old age of 14.

I now have a little yorkie named Lucy so I'll tell you the differences I see:

Both are great dogs. Casper was a little easier to housetrain than Lucy and a little more independent - not quite as needy. (He was larger too).

Casper barked more than Lucy does though. Both are equally affectionate and stick to their human's like glue.

Casper was never mean or nippy . . . but not all that friendly with strangers. He was a one-person dog and could care less if some stranger on the street gave him a pat on the head.

Lucy is a little more eager for attention from strangers.

Lucy is not quite as eager to please me as Casper was - perhaps a little more stubborn?

Both coats are easy enough to maintain - IF you don't mind a puppy cut. Casper was a white dog - but he wasn't a 'down and dirty' dog or a digger so . . . not that hard to keep clean.

It IS harder to hide the puppy tear-stains on a maltese.

I think you can't go wrong with either breed - both are great companion dogs.

If you can't decide, you really ought to be around a few of each to see which breed, in general, that you click with.

I've had three of each, and even though dogs are individuals, I can tell you my experience. Years ago, I had two Maltese, and they lived to old age. They are very loving, gentle dogs. Very laid back, friendly. When they passed, I didn't get another for a while because of work responsibilities.

Fourteen years ago, I got another Maltese. She is very much like the first two. When she was about a year old, I decided to get another dog so that she could have a companion while we were at work during the day. I assumed any toy dog would do, and found a Yorkie that was also a year old that needed rehoming.

I had no idea what I was "in for" with a terrier, but boy did I learn fast. They are totally different. Their personality is much stronger than a Maltese. They are much more dominant, but at times can be far on the other side and be more submissive and sweeter than the Maltese. Almost like a split personality. It is like they know how they need to be to get what they want. Very smart and manipulative. (Lukily the dominance thing with a Maltese doesn't cause a problem, because mine doesn't have a dominant bone in her body and has absolutely no interest in bossing anyone or anything around).

I also find them to be better company than the Maltese, always trying to interact with their humans, and they are more amusing and comical at times.

My first Yorkie died at the age of three from an enlarged heart / heart failure, and I immediately got another Yorkie, not a laid-back Maltese. The second one lasted 11 years and died from a heart attack, and I now have my third.

Having had both, I have a clear preference. I will always have a Yorkie, and I'm sure that I will never get another Maltese. I like the strong personality, the spunk, the drive that the average Maltese doesn't have. It's a terrier thing.

You may not click with a dog with a strong personality and prefer one that is more laid back (Maltese). You just need to know what is right for *you*.

That being said, none of my dogs, of either breed, were noisy or yappy. It's all in how you raise them. And out of the six I had, the three Yorkie's coats were so much easier to maintain than the Maltese. The Maltese all tended to mat a lot more, once the Yorkies got their adult coats, mats were rare.

Thank you thank you for all replies. They are helping very much. I'm really leaning towards a yorkie at this point. I really think it just all depends on the dog as many of you have said. Also I just think its imperative to find a good breeder. Someone who is going to pick that little baby up and make them feel loved seems like such an important part of this. I don't know how some of these places with several dogs can devote time to each puppy.

As for the swimming :) I'd love for the dog to enjoy water but not a big deal if they don't. As I said we live on a lake and the grandparents have their dachshund who they put on our jetski and he goes around the lake. Yes that would be cool but not necessary ;)

I am finding a greater amount of people near me who are breeding yorkie's compared to Maltese. Maltese are just so few are far up here in New England. My search was originally for a full grown maltese at 4 pounds. But Im also realizing they change their looks significantly from puppy to adulthood in my opinion. I want a dog who keeps their puppy "look".

I only have a yorkie, named Sugar.
She never barked until the 7th months, she has a total change of personality, from quiet to yappy which I have no idea why. Anyway I still love her so much, it's like a human baby, even they are naughty you will still love them from the bottom of your heart.
I wouldn't worry much about the personality, I only worry about hawks and coyotes..
Please stay in YT if you decided to get a Yorkie! :)

My yorkie is a bit larger at 12lbs but he's a perfect companion. He's always up for traveling with me/family, loves hanging his head out the window of the car, loves every dog he meets, will run at the dog park for hours, he's very motivated and learns super fast, he loves going swimming and will actually dive/jump right in the pool! LOL. Jackson would die to live on a lake but we live in the "country" on 3 acres of land and he just loves it. And even though he's got a ton of energy, he also loves to come home and crash on my lap while I'm watching TV. So while I wouldn't call him a "lap dog" he's definitely a mama's boy and my best friend :animal-pa I say yorkie but maybe I'm biased! :p

-just wanted to mention I agree with spending time with different breeds. Since I really don't know anyone with either breed I am trying to visit with different breeders. We met with 2 maltese breeders last weekend and then some yorkie's this weekend.

I've had a "mutt", a Westie, and now a Yorkie, Sadie, who is four years old. I personally don't feel that Sadie is high maintenance at all. Of course, she has to be brushed and combed every day and bathed once a week - but it really isn't all that time consuming. I groom her about once a month. She doesn't shed anymore than human's do - which is a plus. She's potty pad trained - with the occasional accident.

As far as liking water - she jumps right into my pool with no hesitation if I'm in there. She's just so cute when she's swimming!!!!!

She isn't yappy but definitely barks when the UPS truck, mail truck, or garbage trucks are coming down the street - LOL - she absolutely HATES them!

She is also extremely lovable, affectionate and loves sleeping in bed with me.
At first, it was really strange to have a dog who constantly wanted to be with me no matter what I was doing - but it certainly grows on you.

They are just a terrific breed!!

Maltese vs. Yorkie
 

15 years ago I couldn't decide and went with the Maltese. She suddenly developed a hear condition and we had to let her go. I loved her but she was not perfect. She was nervous and hard to house break. She did finally get it. My son now has a Maltese who was easy to house break and is much calmer. She required a lot of maintenance, groomer etc. I used special pads to keep her eyes clean. She was a wonderful pet.

I am now looking for a Yorkie. I decided to make a change. I am in the process of visiting breeders that I got from this site. So far I have seen wonderful dogs. There is no easy answer. Some is in the breeding, some is probably just luck. My son was given the dog, never saw the parents and certainly didn't do the background checking I am going through.

Both of these dogs require a lot of maintenance and attention for the long haul. My Maltese was in excellent health until the end and ran all over the house until she wore herself out. She also was pretty yappy if someone rang the bell or came over but isn't that what a dog is supposed to do??

Maltese Site
 

Thank you! Ive been checking out that site as well :)

my boyfriend and i have one of both he has a 11 year old Maltese that i have known since he was a baby and he is a good dog he mats very easily and he is very yappie. however he will not use the potty in the house he has to go outside he refuses to do it. now that he is old he has arthritis (he was badly breed and the last of his line)but as a younger dog he was very very healthy he is getting mean he only likes me and my boyfriend and if someone new comes over to the house we have to lock him up we now have to shave him nearly bald because he keeps getting skin infections from the 1/2 inch matted fur

my Yorkie is a year old. he is also very very protective but he loves to meet other people and have them pet him he will go chase a person to get one more pet. he was very hard to potty train and now if we do not let him out he will potty on the kitchen potty pad(not a big deal but i wish he would hold it like two more seconds) we never have problems with his coat he has never had a mat not one in a year i brush him out every night unlike our Maltese he is not so healthy he has allergies and is very pron to hypoglycemia even at a year old he also dominates the house hold he is second only to me
this is just my dogs there is a Maltese forum called maltesetalk you should ask them the same question we all love our yorkies