Difference Between Maltese and Bichon

Maltese vs Bichon

Maltese and bichon are small toy dogs with a lot of interest about them. Sometimes they are considered as two dog breeds while one of them is actually referred as a collection of breeds. There are many interesting characteristics to be explored about the two, and this article discusses the exhibited differences in addition.


Maltese is a small toy breed originated in the Central Mediterranean region. Their body is compact, and square shaped with a length that is equal to the height. Their bodyweight ranges from 2.3 to 5.4 kilograms. They have a slightly round skull and a small nose. Their ears are long and are covered by the very long hair. Maltese dogs have very dark lovable eyes, surrounded by heavily pigmented eyelids. They do not have an undercoat, but the only coat is very long and silky, giving them an adorable look. Usually, they are pure white in colour, but pale ivory tinge is also present. They are lively and playful companion animals and have about 12 – 14 years of a lifespan.


Bichon is a group of dog breeds in the non-sporting category. There are seven bichon breeds known as Maltese, Bichon Frise, Coton de Tulear, Bolognese, Havanese, Lowchen, and Bolonka. However, the breed Bichon Frise is known as Bichon in North America; hence, the bichon could mean either the particular dog breed or the group of breeds. Bichons being a collection of breeds, their characteristics vary among themselves, especially in their appearance with the coat and the nature of the fur. However, all the bichon breeds share some interesting characteristics other than being dogs.

They all have lovely dark eyes, dropped ears, and short snouts; yet their characteristically curled tail over the back of the body is also common for all the bichon breeds. All the bichon breeds are lightweight swift runners with great playfulness. However, their friendliness and the companionship make them best friends of the owners. They do not require a large space, which makes them very useful for the city dwellers or people with small spaces to live. The longevity of more than 15 years is considered as another big advantage about bichon breeds.

Maltese vs Bichon

• Maltese is a breed of dog, whereas bichon is a group of seven dog breeds.

• Maltese is an accepted dog breed by all the recognized kennel clubs in the world, whereas not all the bichon breeds are regarded as standard breeds by all the kennel clubs of the world.

• Maltese has been originated in the Central Mediterranean region, but bichons have different countries of origin.

• The coat is long and silky in Maltese, but bichons have long coats with either silky or curly fur depending on the breed.

• Only the pure white coat with very few black spots is present in standard Maltese dogs, whereas the coat colourations of the bichon breeds could be variable with the different breeds.