Havanese vs Maltese: Honest Dog Breed Comparison

When comparing the Havanese vs Maltese, the main differences come down to build, coat color, and everyday resilience: while the Maltese is always pure white, more delicately built, and slightly more sensitive, the Havanese comes in a rainbow of colors, has a sturdier frame, and is often a hardier playmate. That makes the Havanese a great match for lively households with kids, while the gentle Maltese thrives in calmer homes with singles, couples, or seniors.

Why Is Choosing Between a Havanese and a Maltese Often So Tough?

If you're looking for a small, friendly companion dog that sheds very little and thrives in an apartment, you'll almost certainly find yourself weighing up the Havanese against the Maltese. At first glance, these two look like peas in a pod. That's no accident: both belong to FCI Group 9 (Companion and Toy Dogs) and share roots in the historic Bichon family.

Give both dogs a practical puppy cut, and if the Havanese happens to have a light cream or white coat, even experienced dog owners might struggle to tell them apart at the park. Yet each breed developed in completely different parts of the world over centuries—a history that still shapes their personalities, health, and what they need from you today.

The Maltese was treasured across the ancient Mediterranean as an elegant lapdog of the nobility, while the Havanese emerged in the Caribbean from European Bichon stock. In Cuba, it evolved into an agile, adaptable family dog well-suited to subtropical climates and bustling households. To figure out whether the Maltese or Havanese is the better match for your lifestyle, it pays to look past those button eyes and silky coats.

What Are the Visual Differences Between a Havanese and a Maltese?

Before diving into temperament, their physical traits offer clear clues. Standing in front of two full-coated adults, you can spot the difference right away in three areas: color, coat texture, and body proportions.

Coat Color and Hair Texture

Check the official FCI breed standard for the Maltese, and there is zero compromise: it must be pure white, though a faint ivory tint is permitted. Its coat is heavy, glossy, silky, and hangs straight to the floor like a mantle, without curls or waves. The Maltese also has no undercoat whatsoever.

The Havanese, by contrast, is a genetic treasure chest. According to the official FCI standard for the Havanese, a solid pure white coat is rare. Warm shades like fawn (ranging from light cream to reddish-brown), black, Havana brown, gray, or parti-color patches in every conceivable pattern are typical. Many puppies even shift shade during their first year of life—a quirk breeders often call the "lucky-dip effect." The outer coat is long (up to 18 centimeters), feels light and airy, and is usually wavy or curly at the ends. A light undercoat may be present, though it is often absent entirely.

Body Proportions and Size Compared

Both are toy breeds, but the Maltese—standing 21 to 25 centimeters tall with an ideal weight of 3 to 4 kilograms—is noticeably more delicate. Its fine bone structure requires care during play with larger dogs or young children. The Havanese measures 23 to 27 centimeters at the withers and generally weighs between 3 and 6 kilograms, boasting a more compact, muscular frame. Another giveaway is the tail: the Havanese carries its tail arched gracefully over its back, adorned with long, silky feathering.

Havanese vs. Maltese: How Do Their Temperaments Compare?

Both breeds were bred for a single purpose: to keep humans company, entertain them, and offer pure affection. You won't find a strong prey drive or protective instinct in either the Havanese breed profile or the Maltese profile. Even so, living with them feels distinctly different from day to day.

The Havanese: The Cheerful Entertainer

Breed enthusiasts often call the Havanese a little clown, and the title fits. Outgoing, curious, and eager to be center stage, this pup will happily repeat any quirky move that made you laugh. They typically greet strangers, visitors, and other dogs with open-hearted enthusiasm. In a busy home, their frustration tolerance is remarkably high: when kids race through the living room or guests drop by, the Havanese jumps straight into the action rather than tucking itself away.

The Maltese: The Gentle Little Shadow

Taking a closer look at the Maltese breed profile reveals a dog that is just as playful, but distinctly gentler and more sensitive at its core. While the Havanese spreads its love generously across the entire family, the Maltese tends to pick a primary favorite person. It loves sticking by your side, trailing you from room to room like a tiny white shadow. While welcoming to visitors, it may hold back slightly during the first few minutes compared to its Cuban cousin, valuing peaceful routines and calm surroundings.

Training, Barking, and Being Left Alone

Both breeds score top marks for trainability (5 out of 5). They learn remarkably fast thanks to their keen desire to please. Harsh words, impatience, or heavy-handed methods have no place with these sensitive souls and will only erode their confidence. Seasoned trainers know the biggest pitfall with toy dogs is owner inconsistency: letting bad habits slide because they look cute, or scooping them into your arms whenever another dog approaches, can quickly turn them into insecure, yappy barkers.

• Watchfulness: Both breeds make alert little watchdogs. They'll speak up when the doorbell rings or an odd sound echoes in the hallway. With gentle, early training, you can guide this watchdog instinct so it never turns into nuisance barking.
• Separation anxiety: This is the biggest hurdle for both breeds. As true companion dogs, both Maltese and Havanese suffer greatly if left alone for hours without preparation. Being alone must be taught in tiny increments from puppyhood—literally seconds at first. Ideally, adult dogs of either breed shouldn't be left alone for more than 4 hours at a stretch on a regular basis.

Grooming, Exercise, and Daily Care: Which Requires More Work?

A common misconception when weighing a Maltese against a Havanese involves shedding. Neither breed has a seasonal coat blow, meaning shedding is minimal (1 out of 5). This makes them an attractive option for people sensitive to pet dander—though you should always spend time with the breeder's dogs first, since dog allergies are triggered by proteins in saliva and skin dander, not the coat itself.

The Reality of Coat Care

Hair that doesn't shed keeps growing, which pushes grooming demands high for both breeds (4 out of 5). Without daily brushing and combing, fine coat mats within days, especially under the armpits, behind the ears, and along the inner thighs. These mats pull painfully on the skin and block airflow, paving the way for hot spots and skin infections.

Head to head, the Maltese asks for that extra touch of dedication:

1. The white coat: After an autumn stroll through damp woods, a low-riding white Maltese often resembles a wet mop. You will find yourself rinsing paws and bellies far more frequently than you would with a darker Havanese, which naturally hides dust and dirt.
2. Tear staining: Many Maltese are prone to reddish-brown tear stains under their eyes from tear overflow. That delicate eye area needs daily wiping with a damp, soft cloth and gentle drying to keep stains and irritation at bay.
3. Visits to the groomer: To keep life simple, most owners opt to have their dog clipped into a manageable puppy cut every 6 to 8 weeks at the salon.

Space Requirements and Daily Activity

Both the Havanese and Maltese score a perfect 5 out of 5 for city and apartment living. Neither needs a sprawling yard, and both settle happily into an apartment—provided you have an elevator or don't mind carrying them on stairs to protect their delicate joints and backs.

Don't mistake their small size for laziness, though (energy level 3 out of 5). Neither is a couch potato content with a quick walk around the block. Both thrive on 1 to 1.5 hours of fresh air and exploration every day, split across several outings. The Havanese usually shows a sportier side: it excels at mini-agility, fetch, trick training, or scent games. The Maltese enjoys learning tricks too and will happily join you on relaxed hikes, but on freezing cold or rainy days, it may steer you back toward the front door much sooner. Because neither breed carries a thick, insulating undercoat, a well-fitted winter coat is a must for chilly outings.

Health and Life Expectancy in Both Breeds

First, the reassuring news: neither the Havanese nor the Maltese belongs to the flat-faced (brachycephalic) breeds bred to extremes. Both possess normal muzzles, breathe freely, and enjoy impressive longevities. The Havanese lives an average of 13 to 15 years, while the Maltese reaches a very similar 12 to 15 years. Still, there are common vulnerabilities you should know about before welcoming one home.

Common Health Issues in Toy Breeds

• Patellar luxation: Both breeds carry an elevated risk of a slipping kneecap (patellar luxation). You might spot your dog skipping or hopping on three legs for a couple of strides before walking normally again. Reputable breed clubs make screening parent dogs for patellar luxation mandatory before breeding.
• Dental challenges: Small jaws mean crowded teeth. In puppies, baby canines sometimes fail to fall out naturally (retained deciduous teeth) and must be extracted by a vet to prevent misalignments. Adults are also prone to tartar buildup, so starting a daily teeth-cleaning routine early saves costly dental cleanings under anesthesia down the road.
• Eye conditions: Conscientious Havanese breeders screen for hereditary eye diseases such as cataracts and Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA). In the Maltese, blocked tear ducts or irritation from stray hairs rubbing the cornea are more frequent concerns.
• The dangers of "teacup" Maltese: Watch out for online sellers advertising "teacup" or "mini" Maltese bred to weigh under 2 kilograms. Vets strongly warn against this extreme breeding, as these tiny dogs frequently suffer from open fontanelles, hydrocephalus (water on the brain), heart defects, and life-threatening hypoglycemia.

How Much Do Havanese and Maltese Puppies Cost to Buy and Keep?

A puppy from a responsible, health-tested breeding program comes with a fair price tag. For healthy Havanese puppies, you can expect to pay between 1,800 and 3,000 Euro. A well-bred Maltese puppy commands a similar price of roughly 1,500 to 3,000 Euro.

While that might sound steep for such a small pup, it reflects the genuine care invested by ethical breeders: genetic testing of the parents, official knee and eye certifications, premium nutrition, veterinary pregnancy care, vaccinations, microchips, and weeks of dedicated early socialization in a home environment. Because toy litters often yield only 3 to 4 puppies, fixed breeding costs are spread across just a few pups.

Ongoing Monthly Expenses

Day to day, both breeds are relatively economical to feed thanks to their small size. Still, you should budget for the following monthly expenses:

• Quality food & chews: A dog weighing 3 to 6 kilograms eats modest portions, so prioritizing top-quality, meat-rich food without sugar is easy on the wallet. Budget around 30 to 50 Euro per month.
• Groomer visits & supplies: If you don't clip the coat yourself, salon visits every 6 to 8 weeks will cost between 50 and 80 Euro, averaging about 30 to 50 Euro monthly.
• Vet care & pet insurance: Under the German veterinary fee schedule (Gebührenordnung für Tierärzte (GOT)), veterinary treatments have risen in price. Repairing a luxating patella or handling an intensive dental cleaning costs almost as much for a 4-kilogram Maltese as it does for a Labrador. Comprehensive pet health or surgical insurance (roughly 25 to 60 Euro a month) is smart protection for both breeds.
• Dog tax & liability insurance: Depending on where you live, plan for an extra 10 to 20 Euro per month.

Which Breed Fits Your Lifestyle Best?

Still torn between the two? A candid look at your day-to-day life will usually point you toward the right answer:

Families with Children

The Havanese takes the lead here (child-friendliness 5/5 versus 3/5 for the Maltese). Its slightly sturdier frame forgives the occasional clumsy toddler move, and it loves joining in games of fetch and backyard tag. The dainty Maltese is better suited to families with older, school-age kids who understand that a 3-kilogram pup is fragile and needs dedicated quiet space.

Singles, Couples, and Seniors

The Maltese shines in quiet homes with 1 or 2 adults. It loves being the center of attention, relishes long cuddle sessions on the sofa, and matches its pace seamlessly to retired owners. An active senior or a work-from-home professional will also do wonderfully with a Havanese, provided they're ready to meet its slightly higher need for mental engagement.

First-Time Dog Owners

Both are stellar picks for beginners. But if you're training a puppy for the very first time and want an easygoing, weatherproof companion, the Havanese has a slight edge. It tends to bounce back from environmental surprises with a touch more resilience than the delicate Maltese.

Active Owners and Dog Sports Fans

If you're eager to try beginner agility, hoopers, or trick training alongside your daily walks, the energetic, work-loving nature of the Havanese makes it the stronger contender.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you cross a Havanese with a Maltese?

Yes, crosses between the two are sometimes marketed as "Havachon" or "Havatese" mixes. Because both parent breeds already share very similar personalities and coats, mixing them offers no health or temperament advantages over a well-bred, purebred puppy. Unregistered mixed litters are also frequently produced by backyard breeders who skip vital health testing on the parents.

Do Havanese and Maltese really not shed at all?

No mammal with hair is completely non-shedding. Just like humans, both breeds lose small amounts of hair daily as part of a normal cycle. However, because they don't go through seasonal coat blows and lack a heavy undercoat, loose strands get caught in the long outer coat and come out during daily brushing rather than settling all over your furniture.

Which breed handles being alone better?

Neither breed handles isolation well; both have spent centuries bred purely for companionship. Because the Maltese tends to bond so intensely with one person, it can be slightly more susceptible to separation distress than the Havanese. If you work full-time away from home and can't bring your dog along or arrange daycare, neither breed is a good match.

Are Havanese and Maltese easy to housebreak?

Toy puppies have tiny bladders and need frequent bathroom trips—initially every 2 hours, as well as after every nap, meal, and play session. Because both breeds are sharp and eager to learn, they grasp the concept quickly, though their small anatomy means it can still take 5 to 6 months before house-training is entirely reliable.

Finding Your Perfect Companion

There is no clear-cut winner between the Havanese and the Maltese—both are joyful, devoted companions that bring tremendous warmth to any home. The colorful Havanese wins hearts with its sturdy, playful nature, making it ideal for families and active households, while the refined Maltese charms anyone seeking a gentle, intensely devoted soulmate for a calmer life.

Once you've made your choice, finding a responsible breeder who values health and temperament above quick sales is essential. On HonestDog, you'll find a transparent platform connecting you exclusively with vetted, conscientious breeders. Take your time browsing litters, get to know breeders directly, and bring home the four-legged companion that truly fits your life.