Bichon Frise vs Maltese: Which Suits Your Home?

The Maltese is the smaller of these two small breeds by a wide margin, just 3-7 lbs against the Bichon Frise's 12-18 lbs, with height also trailing at 7-9 inches versus 9-12 inches. A full-grown Maltese can weigh less than half of even a small Bichon, closer in scale to a large cat than to most dogs. Both are classified in the same small size class, but the practical experience of handling, carrying, and even choosing accessories differs meaningfully between a dog that might weigh 5 lbs and one that might weigh three times that.

Exercise need ties at low (2/5) for both breeds, and energy level ties at moderate (3/5) as well; these are two genuinely similar companion breeds when it comes to daily activity requirements, both satisfied with short walks and indoor play rather than demanding runs. Neither breed will push a sedentary owner toward more activity than they're already doing. Given how closely matched these two are on exercise, anyone choosing between them purely on activity level will find essentially no daylight between the Bichon and the Maltese; the decision will need to rest on other factors.

The Bichon Frise demands marginally more grooming, very high (5/5) versus the Maltese's still-substantial high (4/5), both needing frequent brushing to keep their long or curly coats from matting. Shedding actually ties at very low (1/5) for both breeds, making this one of the closer low-shed matchups on this site, a real plus for allergy-conscious households choosing between them. The Maltese's long, silky, white coat and the Bichon's dense curly coat both require real time investment, whether that's daily home brushing or a standing professional grooming appointment every few weeks.

Apartment suitability ties at very high (5/5) for both breeds, and barking also ties at moderate (3/5), two of the more evenly matched categories in this entire comparison. Alone tolerance ties too, both rated low (2/5), meaning neither breed handles long solo stretches particularly well despite their compact size and small space needs. For anyone specifically shopping for a small-space, low-energy companion, these two breeds present an unusually close match across nearly every apartment-relevant category, which shifts the real decision-making weight onto training, health, and household fit instead.

The Maltese edges ahead on trainability, high (4/5) versus the Bichon's moderate (3/5), while both breeds tie at high (4/5) for first-time-owner suitability. Despite its tiny size, the Maltese has a long history as a companion and show breed selectively bred for responsiveness to its owner, which shows up in how readily it takes to structured training. The Bichon remains an easy breed to live with day-to-day even without matching that trainability edge, since its motivation leans more toward affection-seeking than task-completion.

This is where a real gap opens up: the Bichon rates high (4/5) with kids versus the Maltese's moderate (3/5), reflecting the Maltese's smaller, more delicate frame and lower tolerance for the rough handling young children sometimes bring. Both breeds tie at high (4/5) with other dogs and high (4/5) friendliness to strangers. Families with young, boisterous children should weigh the Bichon's sturdier build and higher kid-friendliness rating carefully against the Maltese's more fragile 3-7 lb frame, which is more easily injured by an enthusiastic toddler than the larger Bichon.

The Bichon's 14-15 year lifespan edges out the Maltese's still-long 12-15 years. Health lists differ in character more than length: the Maltese's ten conditions include white shaker syndrome (a tremor disorder distinctive to small white breeds), hypoglycemia, tear staining, and liver shunts, alongside patellar luxation and dental disease. Hypoglycemia is a particular concern given the Maltese's tiny size, since small-bodied dogs can drop blood sugar quickly, especially as puppies. The Bichon's five-condition list is shorter and centers on more manageable issues like skin allergies and bladder stones rather than metabolic emergencies.

Costs run close between these two small breeds: both tie at moderate (3/5) on overall cost level, with monthly spending of $80-150 for the Bichon versus $100-180 for the Maltese, and first-year totals of $1,100-2,300 against $1,400-2,300. The Maltese's slightly higher costs likely reflect its longer, more specialized health-condition list and the veterinary attention some of those conditions, like hypoglycemia monitoring in puppyhood, can require. For budget purposes these two land close enough together that cost alone shouldn't be the deciding factor between them.