Breed comparisons
Shih Tzu vs Maltese
Sturdy lion dog or delicate lapdog: the difference between a Shih Tzu and a Maltese is about 3 kg of build, and it decides which Singapore flats each suits. The honest head-to-head from Curious Tails, an AVS licensed shop that sells one of the two and says so.
Shih Tzu or Maltese: which should you choose?
Choose the Shih Tzu if your flat has children or you want the sturdier, heavier companion (about 4 to 7.5 kg); choose the Maltese if a calm adult home wants the smallest, liveliest lapdog (usually under 4 kg). Both are HDB-approved, and both need daily brushing plus a professional groom every 4 to 6 weeks.
Two HDB-approved toys, one honest head-to-head
The two breeds at a glance
The Shih Tzu is a sturdy toy companion breed of Tibetan lineage, the "lion dog" (獅子狗), weighing about 4 to 7.5 kg at around 20 to 28 cm at the shoulder. The Maltese is a smaller Mediterranean companion breed, fine-boned and usually under 4 kg, with a solid white single-layer coat. Both sit on HDB's approved small-breed list, so in a Singapore flat the choice is about fit, not legality.
Our stake, declared up front: we are a Shih Tzu specialist shop, so one of these two is on our shelves and one is not. This page still names where the Maltese wins, because a wrong-fit sale comes back to us as a rehoming call. For the wider cross-shop across all seven HDB-approved toys, start at the hub where we compare the Shih Tzu against every rival at once.
Head-to-head basics
- Shih Tzu: about 4 to 7.5 kg, sturdy double coat
- Maltese: usually under 4 kg, silky single coat
- Both: HDB-approved toy companion breeds
- Both: hair not fur, low shedding, high grooming
- Both: bred as companions, dislike long hours alone
Side by side: the table that decides it
Overseas listicles compare these two with US kennel-club weight bands and no prices. Here is the same table with the Singapore rows filled in: HDB status, tropical heat, and the real grooming bill.
| Shih Tzu | Maltese | |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | About 4–7.5 kg, solid frame | Usually under 4 kg, fine-boned |
| Build | Sturdy; handles family life | Delicate; careful hands only |
| Coat | Double coat; mats behind the ears | Single white coat; tear stains |
| Temperament | Easygoing, outgoing, calm indoors | Livelier, velcro, more alert |
| Barking | Moderate; generally quieter | More vocal watchdog instinct |
| With kids | Our default for young children | Better with gentle adults |
| SG grooming cost | $75–120/session, every 4–6 wks | Same band, same cadence |
| Singapore heat | Flat face; real heat sensitivity | Longer muzzle; copes better |
| HDB status | Approved | Approved |
| Price at our shop | $3,888–$4,888 all-in, published | Not stocked; similar toy band elsewhere |
Sturdy vs delicate: the build difference that decides it
Weight difference is the honest core of this comparison. A Shih Tzu at 4 to 7.5 kg is a solid little dog that tolerates everyday family handling; a Maltese under 4 kg is the delicate velcro lapdog of the pair, and a jump off the sofa or a toddler's grab carries more injury risk on that finer frame. This is why we ask about children's ages before any breed talk gets serious.
The distinction we give buyers across the counter: the Shih Tzu is emphatically not a fragile lapdog. It is sturdier, more outgoing, and more of a character; the Maltese is softer, lighter, and happiest carried less and handled gently. Neither is a toy to be hauled around all day, and both deserve four feet on the floor most of it.
4–7.5 kg
Shih Tzu adult weight
<4 kg
Maltese, typically
20–28 cm
Shih Tzu shoulder height
2 of 2
HDB-approved
Temperament: easygoing lion dog vs lively lapdog
Shih Tzu character runs calm indoors, confident despite the size, and friendly with visitors; the stubborn streak shows up in training, not in temper. Maltese character runs livelier: quicker to play, quicker to follow you room to room, and quicker to announce the corridor.
That last point matters in a shared-wall HDB block. The Maltese carries the stronger watchdog instinct of the two and is typically the more vocal; the Shih Tzu is generally the quieter housemate, though training and routine shape barking more than breed does. Both are people-oriented companion breeds that cope poorly with long hours alone, so neither suits a flat that empties for ten hours a day.
Character in brief
- Shih Tzu: easygoing, calm indoors, amiable stubborn streak
- Maltese: playful and lively, stronger velcro tendency
- Barking: Maltese typically more alert and vocal
- Both: companion breeds, dislike being left all day
- First-time owners: both workable with patience
Grooming: two high-maintenance coats, one honest bill
Grooming is a dead heat, and the honest word for both coats is expensive. Each breed grows hair, not fur: low shedding, continuous growth, daily brushing, and a professional groom every 4 to 6 weeks at $75 to $120 a session in Singapore, roughly $900 to $1,400 a year, for life. Singapore grooming price surveys land in the same band we quote buyers weekly.
The failure modes differ even though the bill does not. The Shih Tzu's double coat mats, especially behind the ears, and needs the top knot or a trim to keep hair out of the eyes; the Maltese's solid white coat shows tear staining that needs near-daily face care. The puppy cut is the practical Singapore answer for both, and we walk the whole routine through in our guide to Shih Tzu grooming in Singapore. Every puppy we place comes with the first professional groom included.
The number that should decide first
Whichever breed you pick, budget the groomer before the puppy: daily brushing plus $900 to $1,400 a year at the salon is the real cost of either coat.
Singapore heat: the flat face question
Here is the honest point against our own breed. The Shih Tzu is brachycephalic: the short muzzle brings real heat sensitivity, and in Singapore's humidity that means early or late walks, aircon on the hottest afternoons, and a practical coat cut; you design the routine around the climate. Vet guidance on the Shih Tzu's shorter face covers the airway and eye profile in detail.
The Maltese, with its longer muzzle, simply copes better in the heat; it is not heatproof, but midday is less dangerous for it. If your schedule forces midday walks, that alone is a fair reason to pick the Maltese, and we will say so to your face before we quote a price.
Heat stress is an emergency
Heavy laboured breathing, bright-red gums, or collapse in a flat-faced dog means cool the dog and get to a vet immediately. This applies to any dog in the tropics, and to the Shih Tzu sooner.
Health and lifespan, honestly compared
Neither breed is the healthier pick; the profiles just differ. The Shih Tzu carries the brachycephalic set: the BOAS airway spectrum, prominent eyes prone to dry eye and corneal ulcers, and dental crowding in the short jaw. The Maltese trades those for patella luxation, dental disease, and tear-duct issues behind those famous stains.
Lifespans overlap: both breeds commonly reach 12 to 15 years, with Shih Tzu ranges quoted as wide as 10 to 16 [VERIFY against a vet source before launch]. Every puppy we place, whichever breed you end up with from whichever licensed shop, should come with a vet health check, vaccination records, and a microchip; ours do.
Health profiles, side by side
- Shih Tzu: BOAS spectrum, prominent eyes, dental crowding
- Maltese: patella luxation, dental disease, tear ducts
- Lifespan: both commonly 12–15 years
- Neither is the "healthy" choice; manage the profile
- Vet check, vaccinations, microchip: non-negotiable
Kids, elderly and the family question
Three household scenarios settle most of these conversations. A toddler family: the sturdier Shih Tzu is our honest default, because a 6 kg frame forgives clumsy affection better than a 3 kg one; supervised handling stays non-negotiable for both. A working couple out at sensible hours: either breed fits, so pick on character, calm housemate versus lively shadow.
A retiree or calm adult home: this is where the Maltese shines, a light, affectionate companion for gentle hands and quiet routines, though plenty of seniors love the Shih Tzu's laid-back lap company too. This is steps one to five of the same lifestyle-first matching we run for every buyer: grooming-readiness first, climate awareness, patience, living space, and only then the breed.
We match the dog to the flat and the hands in it, not to the photo you walked in with.
HDB rules: both approved, same paperwork
Both breeds appear on HDB's approved small-breed list, so keeping a dog in an HDB flat is legal with either. The same rulebook applies to each: one approved dog per flat, a mandatory AVS dog licence, and a fine of up to $4,000 for a non-approved dog. First-time owners also complete the AVS pet ownership course before licensing.
So legality is not the differentiator here; fit is. We handle the licensing paperwork at purchase for every puppy we place, and the full flat-owner rundown lives in our guide answering are Shih Tzus HDB approved.
| Rule | Shih Tzu | Maltese |
|---|---|---|
| On the HDB approved list | Yes | Yes |
| Dogs allowed per flat | One | One |
| AVS licence required | Yes | Yes |
| Fine for a non-approved dog | Up to $4,000 | Up to $4,000 |
Can't decide? The Malshi exists
The Maltese Shih Tzu mix, the Malshi, is what happens when buyers genuinely cannot choose, and locally it out-searches either "vs" term. A cross blends tendencies: often a middleweight between the two, frequently with a touch more muzzle than the purebred Shih Tzu. What it guarantees is nothing; a Malshi can land anywhere between its parents on size, coat, and character.
We place Malshi puppies as honest crossbreeds, with the same vet health check, vaccinations, and microchip as every purebred, and the full picture lives in our guide to the Malshi. One caveat before you take the middle road: the mix is not a shortcut past the grooming bill. That coat still needs the brush and the salon.
Malshi in brief
- Maltese x Shih Tzu cross, most-searched mix locally
- Blends tendencies; guarantees nothing
- Same grooming bill as either parent
- We place Malshi puppies, vet-checked and chipped
- A crossbreed, not a "teacup" size label
Price in Singapore: what each honestly costs
Our Shih Tzu puppies are $3,888 to $4,888 all-in, published, no "PM for price". All-in means the 30-item starter kit ($533 itemized), free home delivery and playpen setup, a free AVS-certified training lesson, the first professional groom, and licensing handled at purchase. Maltese pricing from licensed Singapore shops runs a similar toy-breed band; whoever you buy from, verify the shop on the AVS public registry before money moves.
The longer arithmetic is identical for both breeds: lifetime cost is grooming-led. Purchase price is one year of salon visits, roughly, and the salon keeps invoicing for twelve more.
$3,888
Our all-in pricing from
$533
Starter kit, 30 items
30+
Shih Tzu placed
45
Five-star reviews
Our verdict: the if/then decision matrix
Two years of matching puppies to Singaporean families compresses this whole page into one honest table. Find your household on the left; the right column is what we would tell you at the Balestier counter.
We'd rather talk you out of the wrong breed than sell you the wrong dog.
| If you... | Then choose... |
|---|---|
| Have young children in the flat | Shih Tzu, on sturdiness |
| Want the heavier, sturdier, more characterful dog | Shih Tzu |
| Want the smallest, lightest lapdog possible | Maltese |
| Run a calm adult or retiree home | Maltese, or either |
| Cannot avoid midday walks in the heat | Maltese, on the muzzle |
| Want the quieter housemate for a shared-wall block | Shih Tzu, typically |
| Truly cannot choose | Consider the Malshi, honestly |
| Are not ready for daily brushing and the grooming budget | Neither, yet |
Keep comparing
Frequently asked questions
Which is better for an HDB flat, a Shih Tzu or a Maltese?
Both are HDB-approved, so either is legal. The Shih Tzu is the sturdier pick for family flats with children; the Maltese suits calm adult homes that want the smallest, lightest companion. Grooming cost and effort are nearly identical for both.
Which barks more, a Shih Tzu or a Maltese?
Typically the Maltese, which carries a stronger alert watchdog instinct and announces the corridor more readily. The Shih Tzu is generally the quieter of the two. Training, routine, and how long the dog is left alone shape barking as much as breed.
Is a Shih Tzu or a Maltese easier to groom?
Neither is easy. Both need daily brushing and a professional groom every 4 to 6 weeks, at about $75 to $120 a session in Singapore, roughly $900 to $1,400 a year. The failure modes differ: the Shih Tzu double coat mats, the Maltese white coat tear-stains.
Which is better with young children?
The Shih Tzu, on build. Its 4 to 7.5 kg frame tolerates everyday family handling better than the fine-boned Maltese, which is usually under 4 kg and easier to hurt. Supervised handling around toddlers is non-negotiable with either breed.
What is a Maltese Shih Tzu mix called?
The Malshi. It is the most-searched Shih Tzu mix in Singapore, and we place Malshi puppies as honest crossbreeds with a vet health check, vaccinations, and microchip. A mix blends tendencies but guarantees nothing, and it still needs the full grooming budget.
How much does a Shih Tzu cost in Singapore compared to a Maltese?
Our Shih Tzu puppies are $3,888 to $4,888 all-in, published, including the starter kit, delivery and setup, a training lesson, the first groom, and licensing. Maltese prices from licensed Singapore shops sit in a similar toy-breed band; always verify the seller on the AVS registry.
Do Shih Tzus struggle in Singapore heat more than Maltese?
Yes. The Shih Tzu is flat-faced, so its shorter airway gives it less heat tolerance than the longer-muzzled Maltese. Plan early or late walks, aircon on hot afternoons, and a practical puppy cut. The Maltese copes better but is not heatproof.
Meet your Shih Tzu
Come say hello at Balestier
2 Balestier Road #01-701, Singapore 320002 · Weekdays 12pm–6pm · Weekends 10am–6pm. Or message us first: tell us about your home and routine, and we'll tell you honestly if a Shih Tzu fits.
Still weighing the coat?
Either breed means daily brushing and a $75 to $120 groom every 4 to 6 weeks, about $900 to $1,400 a year. Read the grooming reality first, then message us.
Read the grooming guide