Maltese vs Newfoundland: Which Suits Your Home?

Another extreme scale gap: the Maltese sits at 3 to 7 pounds and 7 to 9 inches, while the Newfoundland runs 100 to 150 pounds and 26 to 28 inches. You're comparing a lap-sized companion to a dog that can outweigh a grown adult, and that difference shapes nearly everything else in this comparison, space, food, strength for walking, all of it.

The Newfoundland actually needs slightly more activity than you might expect from its size, a moderate 3 out of 5 against the Maltese's low 2 out of 5. Neither is a high-energy breed, but the Newfoundland's working-dog background, originally bred for water rescue, means it appreciates purposeful activity, even if it's not demanding in the way a sporting breed would be.

Grooming need ties at a high 4 out of 5 for both breeds, a genuine surprise given the size gap, since the Maltese's long silky coat and the Newfoundland's heavy double coat both require serious, regular upkeep. Shedding is where they split hard: the Maltese sheds almost nothing (1 out of 5), while the Newfoundland sheds at the maximum level (5 out of 5), releasing a startling amount of undercoat, especially seasonally.

The Maltese is about as apartment-friendly as a dog gets (5 out of 5); the Newfoundland is about as poorly suited as one gets (1 out of 5, the lowest possible score). Barking favors the Newfoundland slightly (2 out of 5 versus the Maltese's moderate 3), so at least the giant breed tends to be the quieter one, small comfort if you don't have room for it in the first place.

Both breeds tie at a high 4 out of 5 for trainability, and the Maltese holds a modest edge for first-time owners (4 out of 5 versus a still-solid 3 out of 5 for the Newfoundland). The Newfoundland's famously calm, patient temperament makes it easier to manage than its size would suggest, but a first-timer still has to reckon with handling that much dog day to day.

Newfoundlands are legendary for their gentleness with children, and the data backs it up: a 5 out of 5 with kids against the Maltese's moderate 3 out of 5. Everything else ties, both breeds score 4 out of 5 with other dogs and strangers, so the kid-friendliness gap is really the one standout difference in this whole category, and it's a substantial one for families weighing their options.

The Maltese lives considerably longer, 12 to 15 years against the Newfoundland's 9 to 10, a gap of roughly four to five years typical for a giant breed. The Newfoundland's health list centers on the heart, including subaortic stenosis and dilated cardiomyopathy alongside bloat and hip dysplasia, five conditions worth screening for closely. The Maltese's list runs longer at ten entries but skews toward less severe, small-breed issues.

The Newfoundland is significantly more expensive to keep: a very high 5 out of 5 cost rating and $150 to $310 monthly, against the Maltese's moderate 3 out of 5 and $100 to $180. First-year costs show the same gap, roughly $2,200 to $4,200 for the Newfoundland versus $1,400 to $2,300 for the Maltese, feeding a 100-plus-pound dog alone accounts for a big chunk of that.