The Maltese standard is written in pounds: under 7, with 4 to 6 preferred. The Havanese standard is written in inches and never mentions weight, so its 7 to 13 pound range comes from VCA instead. Both toy-sized, but the Havanese runs heavier, two very different documents behind the numbers.
What each standard actually gives you
Both breeds have an official breed standard. They do not measure the same thing, which is the most useful fact on this page.
| Havanese | Maltese | |
|---|---|---|
| Weight, from the standard | None. The standard gives no weight at all | “Under 7 pounds, with from 4 to 6 pounds preferred” |
| Weight, non-standard source | VCA puts adults at 7 to 13 lb | Not needed. The standard supplies it |
| Height, from the standard | 9 to 10½ in ideal, 8½ to 11½ in acceptable | We publish no height figure for the Maltese |
| Proportion | Slightly longer than tall | Not published here |
| Coat | A corded coat is permitted by the standard | Single coat, no undercoat |
| Temperament, as written | No sourced wording we can quote | “Gentle-mannered and affectionate” |
Two figures, two different sources
A breed standard is the written description a breed’s own club maintains. Some fix pounds, some fix inches, and very few do both.
The Maltese standard hands you a weight outright: under 7 pounds, with 4 to 6 preferred. You can quote it and stop.
The Havanese standard does not mention weight anywhere. It gives height instead: 9 to 10½ inches ideal, 8½ to 11½ inches acceptable, and a body slightly longer than tall. So when you read that a Havanese weighs 7 to 13 pounds, that figure is VCA’s, a veterinary source, not a breed standard. It is a reasonable number, but it is not the same kind of number as the Maltese one. Comparing these breeds by weight means comparing a written clause against a reported range.
Neither figure predicts a puppy. Small breeds finish growing earlier than large ones, but no one can read an individual puppy’s adult weight off a photograph. Judge condition by feeling the ribs and looking for a waist rather than by the scale alone, which matters doubly on a coated dog.
Coat and grooming
This is where the two breeds part company, and the difference is in kind rather than amount.
The Maltese standard describes a single coat with no undercoat, which is an unusual coat among the small breeds we write about. It is a daily-brush coat, and a missed week shows.
The Havanese standard permits a corded coat, where the coat is allowed to separate into cords rather than being brushed out. That is a deliberate choice and a long commitment, and a corded dog takes a long time to dry. A brushed or trimmed coat is the alternative, and it is still a daily-brush coat.
Either way, both are standing-appointment dogs. If a recurring grooming budget is not something you want, neither is the breed to talk yourself into. Our toy breeds page sets out what the small coated breeds ask for.
Temperament, as the standards phrase it
The Maltese standard describes the breed as gentle-mannered and affectionate. That is the whole of what we will quote, because it is what the document says.
For the Havanese we have no sourced temperament wording, so we will not characterise the breed. Plenty of sites will. We would rather leave a visible gap than fill it with something we cannot trace.
In both cases, individual dogs vary enormously. A standard describes a breed as its club would like to see it judged, not the puppy in front of you.
Living with either one in Georgia
Dogs cool themselves mainly by panting, and both of these are small dogs under a lot of coat. In Lawrenceville that means air conditioning, shade, water, and walks at either end of the day. Humidity mats a long coat faster than new owners expect, so summer brushing is not optional here.
Use a harness rather than a neck collar. Tracheal collapse is associated with toy breeds, and a harness keeps the pressure off the windpipe. Neither breed appears among the short-muzzled breeds VCA names, which is worth knowing if heat tolerance is your main worry, but any specific question about a specific dog belongs with your veterinarian.
Which one suits you
- Do you want the adult weight written into the standard, or is a veterinary range enough?
- Is a dog under 7 pounds right for your household, or would 7 to 13 suit it better?
- Does a corded coat appeal to you, or is that a commitment you would rather not take on?
- Can you keep up the daily brushing and the groomer appointment for the life of the dog?
Those are yours to answer. Shih Tzu vs. Maltese puts the same Maltese clause against a heavier breed, and available puppies by breed shows what is in the showroom.
Common questions
Which is bigger, a Havanese or a Maltese?
On the figures available, the Havanese. Its standard gives no weight, but VCA puts adults at 7 to 13 pounds, while the Maltese standard caps the breed under 7 pounds with 4 to 6 preferred. Two different kinds of source.
Why does the Havanese standard have no weight?
Because it is written in inches. It sets 9 to 10½ inches as ideal and 8½ to 11½ as acceptable, and leaves weight out. Several standards on this site do the same, which is why pound figures for those breeds come from veterinary sources.
Which needs more grooming?
Both need a lot. The Maltese coat is single, with no undercoat; the Havanese may be corded, which is a bigger commitment again. Plan on daily brushing and a standing groomer appointment either way.
Is one of them better with children?
We will not rank them. The Maltese standard says gentle-mannered and affectionate; we have no sourced temperament wording for the Havanese. Both are small enough to be hurt by a fall, so supervision matters more than the breed name.
Come and meet them both
Every puppy here is health-checked by our on-staff veterinarian, raised in our family home nursery, and waiting to say hello.
1848 Old Norcross Rd, Lawrenceville, GA 30044
Mon–Sat 12:00–7:00 PM • Sun 2:00–6:00 PM
