Beagle vs Maltese: Which Suits Your Home?

Both breeds fall under 'small,' but the Maltese is small in a different sense than the Beagle. At 3 to 7 pounds and 7 to 9 inches, a full-grown Maltese can weigh less than a Beagle puppy. The Beagle, at 20 to 30 pounds and 13 to 15 inches, is a genuinely sturdy dog by comparison -- roughly four to five times the Maltese's weight at the high end.

The Beagle wants to move; the Maltese mostly doesn't. Exercise need rates high (4/5) for the Beagle against low (2/5) for the Maltese, which is happy with short walks and indoor play rather than long outings. If your ideal weekend involves hiking with your dog, the Beagle is the match. If it involves a dog curled up on the couch, the Maltese fits better.

This one flips cleanly. The Maltese needs serious coat upkeep -- grooming rated high (4/5) -- to keep its long white coat from matting and staining, but it sheds almost nothing (very low, 1/5). The Beagle is nearly the opposite: low grooming need (2/5) but moderate shedding (3/5). If you can't commit to regular brushing, the Beagle's coat is more forgiving; if shedding fur around the house bothers you more, the Maltese wins that trade.

The Maltese rates very high (5/5) for apartment living against the Beagle's moderate (3/5), consistent with its low exercise needs and small footprint. Barking favors the Maltese too, at moderate (3/5) versus the Beagle's high (4/5), though a moderate rating still means a Maltese will bark at doorbells and passersby. Alone tolerance ties at low (2/5) for both, so neither is a good match for an empty apartment all day.

The Maltese trains a bit more easily -- high (4/5) versus the Beagle's moderate (3/5) -- but both rate high (4/5) for first-time-owner suitability, so this isn't a dealbreaker either direction. The Beagle's lower trainability score comes from scent-driven independence rather than any lack of intelligence; it simply has its own agenda more often than the Maltese does. Either dog rewards a patient, consistent owner more than a naturally gifted one.

The Beagle is the stronger choice for a house full of kids and other pets: very high (5/5) with kids against the Maltese's moderate (3/5), and very high (5/5) with other dogs against the Maltese's high (4/5). The Maltese's small, delicate frame is the likely reason -- rough play from young children carries real injury risk for a 3-to-7-pound dog in a way it simply doesn't for a 20-to-30-pound one.

Lifespan ties exactly at 12 to 15 years for both breeds. They share risk of patellar luxation and ear infections, but the rest of their health profiles look quite different: the Beagle leans toward cancer, epilepsy, and pancreatitis, while the Maltese leans toward white shaker syndrome, hypoglycemia, and liver shunts -- conditions more specific to toy breeds. Dental disease and tear staining are also common enough in Maltese to plan for as routine maintenance, not emergencies.

Costs are close: $80 to $150 a month for the Beagle versus $100 to $180 for the Maltese, and first-year totals of $1,300 to $2,300 versus $1,400 to $2,300. Both rate a moderate (3/5) on the overall cost scale -- this is one of the more evenly matched pairings on price, with the Maltese's slightly higher numbers tied to its grooming needs rather than anything dramatic.