Quick answer
Which is the easier overall choice?
The Maltese, for most people - easier to train, friendlier with strangers and other dogs, and better suited to first-time owners. The Chow fits someone who specifically wants a larger, more independent, low-energy dog and doesn't mind a slower training process.
Chow Chow or Maltese? On paper they differ most on shedding, and on the scales Chow Chow is the heavier at 45–70 lbs. Here is how the two compare on everything that shapes an ordinary week.
This is for someone already down to Chow Chow and Maltese and deciding between them. For this pair the decision usually turns on shedding and good for first-time owners, so those are covered first and in most detail. Anyone choosing from a flat has a clear answer here: Maltese rates 5/5 against 4/5. The focus throughout is on daily consequences rather than breed background.
Between Chow Chow and Maltese, shedding is what separates them, and Maltese is the lower-effort dog of the two to keep.
Choose Chow Chow if the dog will be alone during the working day and you want a dog that is more watchful with visitors.
Choose Maltese if you are in a flat or a smaller home, this is your first dog and you do not want a standing grooming appointment.
| Feature | chow chow | maltese | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Size class | medium | small | Equal |
| Weight | 45–70 lbs | 3–7 lbs | Equal |
| Height | 17–20 in | 7–9 in | Equal |
| Lifespan | 9–15 years | 12–15 years | maltese |
| Exercise need | Low (2/5) | Low (2/5) | Equal |
| Grooming need | Very high (5/5) | High (4/5) | maltese |
| Shedding | High (4/5) | Very low (1/5) | maltese |
| Energy level | Low (2/5) | Moderate (3/5) | Equal |
| Barking | Moderate (3/5) | Moderate (3/5) | Equal |
| Apartment suitability | High (4/5) | Very high (5/5) | maltese |
| Good for first-time owners | Low (2/5) | High (4/5) | maltese |
| Tolerates being alone | Moderate (3/5) | Low (2/5) | chow chow |
| Trainability | Low (2/5) | High (4/5) | maltese |
| Good with kids | Moderate (3/5) | Moderate (3/5) | Equal |
| Good with other dogs | Low (2/5) | High (4/5) | maltese |
| Friendly to strangers | Low (2/5) | High (4/5) | maltese |
| Cost level | High (4/5) | Moderate (3/5) | maltese |
| Coat | Thick double coat | Long, silky, white | Equal |
| Origin | China | Malta | Equal |
| Typical monthly cost | $120–$250 | $100–$180 | Equal |
| Typical first-year cost | $1,600–$3,000 | $1,400–$2,300 | Equal |
Few match-ups on this site have a bigger size gap than this one. A Maltese weighs 3 to 7 pounds and stands 7 to 9 inches tall - a toy breed you could carry in one arm. A Chow Chow weighs 45 to 70 pounds, ten times as much at the top end, and stands 17 to 20 inches. This is as much a comparison of scale as of breed traits.
Surprisingly evenly matched here - both breeds rate low (2/5) for exercise need, and energy level is close too, low (2/5) for the Chow against moderate (3/5) for the Maltese. Neither is going to ask you for a daily run. The Maltese's extra energy tends to show up as short, lively bursts around the house rather than any real demand for outdoor exercise.
Both coats need real attention - very high (5/5) for the Chow, high (4/5) for the Maltese - but shedding is nowhere close: high (4/5) for the Chow's double coat versus very low (1/5) for the Maltese's single coat. If loose hair around the house is your concern rather than brushing time itself, the Maltese is the clear winner.
Both score well for apartment living - Chow at high (4/5), Maltese at very high (5/5) - and barking sits at moderate (3/5) for each. The bigger difference is being left alone: the Chow tolerates it at a moderate 3/5, the Maltese only at low (2/5), a small-dog trait worth knowing before you commit to long workdays away from home.
The Maltese rates high (4/5) on trainability and first-time-owner suitability; the Chow rates low (2/5) on both. That tracks with temperament - gentle, affectionate, lively for the Maltese against independent, reserved, dignified for the Chow. A Maltese responds to consistent, patient training much more readily.
Kids are a tie at moderate (3/5) for both breeds, but the Maltese pulls ahead with other dogs (4/5 vs 2/5) and strangers (4/5 vs 2/5). A Chow's reserved nature means it needs more structured introductions in either setting; a Maltese tends to warm up faster on its own.
The Maltese outlives the Chow on average - 12 to 15 years versus 9 to 15 - though the Chow's range technically reaches the same ceiling. Notably, their health lists don't overlap much: the Chow's risks run toward hip and elbow dysplasia, glaucoma, bloat and diabetes, while the Maltese's run toward patellar luxation, white shaker syndrome, hypoglycemia and liver shunts.
The Chow costs more to keep on both measures - $120-$250 monthly against $100-$180 for the Maltese, and $1,600-$3,000 versus $1,400-$2,300 in year one. Given the size difference, food costs alone would predict some of this gap, but grooming demand is likely doing more of the work given how close their coat-care ratings actually are.
Chow Chow weighs 45–70 lbs and lives 9–15 years; Maltese weighs 3–7 lbs and lives 12–15 years. The two diverge most on shedding, good for first-time owners and trainability and 2 other rated axes. They are level on barking, exercise need and good with kids, so those cannot decide it. The table below marks a winner only where one breed is genuinely easier for a typical owner; size and origin are facts rather than merits and stay level. Ratings come from one source applied to both breeds, so they are meaningful against each other rather than as absolute scores.
Enormously - a Chow can weigh up to 70 lbs, roughly ten times a Maltese's upper weight of 7 lbs, and stands more than twice as tall.
Neither needs little - Chow rates very high (5/5), Maltese high (4/5) - but the Maltese sheds far less (very low, 1/5, versus high, 4/5), which cuts down on cleanup even if brushing time is similar.
Yes - it rates high (4/5) for first-time-owner suitability and trainability, against low (2/5) for the Chow on both counts.
Not directly on these lists - the Chow's risks (hip dysplasia, glaucoma, bloat, diabetes) and the Maltese's (patellar luxation, hypoglycemia, liver shunts, white shaker syndrome) don't overlap in name.
The Maltese - $100-$180 monthly against $120-$250 for the Chow, and roughly a few hundred dollars less over the first year.
The Maltese, typically 12-15 years, against the Chow's wider 9-15 year range.
The Maltese rates high (4/5) on both; the Chow rates low (2/5) on both, reflecting its more reserved, one-household temperament.
The Maltese, for most people - easier to train, friendlier with strangers and other dogs, and better suited to first-time owners. The Chow fits someone who specifically wants a larger, more independent, low-energy dog and doesn't mind a slower training process.
$120-$250 for a Chow Chow versus $100-$180 for a Maltese - not huge, but consistent across both monthly and first-year totals.
Both are low-exercise breeds (2/5 each), making this one of the rare measures where size doesn't create a big gap.
The Maltese, at 12-15 years, versus the Chow's 9-15 - though the ranges overlap at the top end.
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Health information here is general and is not veterinary advice. If your dog shows pain, sudden behaviour change, or worsening symptoms, consult a licensed veterinarian.
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