what dog is better a maltese or a shi tzu and why?

Question

my father is thinking of buying my sisters and i a dog..we like maltese better because i believe they are the cutest and playful.they have a big problem and that is the tearing stains which looks ugly on a dog.....but my friend have a shi tzu and she says they are a lot better than the maltese..we cant decide which one we want and we only have 3 or 4 weeks to decided because my dad wants to buy it for my sister's birthday...can you help.

Answer 1

Look at the pros and cons they are listed below.
Maltese
http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/reviews/maltese.html
Shih tzu
http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/reviews/shihtzu.html

Go to there breed clubs for more info to help you decide.
Maltese
http://www.pacificrimmalteseclub.org/
Shih tzu
http://clubs.akc.org/astc/

Answer 2

A lot of care goes into both breeds with the hair. My mother owned a Maltese, he was a very sweet dog. She named him Button because she said his eyes and nose looked like buttons in all that white. The only thing I have to say about them is that, and I mean no offense to any maltese owner, they seem a little retarded. Please don't take offese to this, I have talked to other owners and they said the same thing. One reason I say this is that when you have slick floors it doesn't matter how many times the dog does this it will happen every time, the dog will make a turn and run right into the wall, everytime. Maltese are very laid back dogs, they do not bark much, they are very sweet, and lovable.

Shi tzu's are ok, they bark way too much, can be over protective, and very tempermental. All the shi tzu's I have ever met have been very annoying. They are cute dogs, don't get me wrong, and it may be that the people that owned the particular dogs I saw did not know how to train their dogs to be less aggressive. If you can find the right temperment then they are great dogs.

If you have the option, look at the parents, see how they react to strangers, and to their owners, that sometimes (not all the time), helps to see about how the puppy will turn out. Also, watch the puppies play, don't just go for the cutiest one, find the one that matches you. Or if you are patient, sit with the puppies, and see if one "picks" you.

Get the dog that you want, they will both have their problems. If you get the one that you want, and not one that you "settled for" the cons won't matter as much.

Again these is just my personal opinions, and I do not mean to offend anyone by my personal opinions.

Answer 3

this is a hard but if I were you I would get a shi tzu. Even though those two dogs are SO playful and cute, a maltese has tearing stains, like you said but it will be complicated
If you are willing to get a maltese to get rid of the tear stain:

A teaspoon of white cider vinegar can be added to your dogs drinking water to control new tear stains. It may take a while for your dog to "decide" to drink this water so start with a little less and gradually increase the amount of vinegar. Vinegar works much like TUMS in that it can changes the pH of the drinking water. Changing the pH of your dog slightly will do wonders in the tear stain war and help eliminate bacteria and deep stain color and prevent yeast build up and is best used as a prevention once you have the tear stains removed or nearly removed. This will help for the future of the tear stains and make them a minimum occurrence.

Answer 4

I have had 3 Maltese

They do not shed, tear stains can be controlled with vinegar water to drink and the use of a boric acid solution mixed with warm water for an eye wash.

The Maltese represents history, they were found in Cleopatra's tomb. They were the dog of the Kings Quarters. They would sleep at the heads of the women and the fleas would jump onto the white dogs.. then the ladies of the court would pick the fleas off and bathe the little dogs in scented baths with them.. "that is the story".

You shampoo and condition their hair with human shampoo products. They are cute in a puppy cut and absolutely stunningly beautiful in their long coats.

They are sturdy dogs and pretty low maintenence as they don't seem to get sickly like other small breeds.

The Maltese were used in the orient as house "watch" dogs. They have very keen hearing. Upon hearing a noise they would bark alerting the Chow-chow who would be outside the homes.

Now, for the main reason to get a Maltese... they give "Angel Kisses".

A Maltese will become your heart

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR CHOICE GIRLS...

Answer 5

both dogs have the same issues. i find shih tzu's have more trouble because of their squished in face. if you have done your research and know to keep the eye area clean with a warm damp cloth, and just know this is the dog for you, convince your dad to get the maltese by all means! if you don't get the dog you want you will always wonder. good luck.

Answer 6

i honestly prefer a maltese. maltese tend to be shy around 'uknown people' but being with its owner it seems to be a lot happier and more playfull.
the shiz tzu can yap/bark a lot, but they are not as "shy" than the maltese. the shiz tzu are very protective too. (so is the maltese in some cases)

Answer 7

although i've never had a maltese, i have a shih tzu right now and i adore her!! her only setbacks are: she barks at the UPS man and she sheds (not indiividual hairs, but like little clumps of hair). i don't really mind though because she is loyal, cuddly and adorable. go for the shih tzu

Answer 8

ive never owned a maltese but i do have three shih tzus! theyre great and they dont shed! there very playful and friendly too..

Answer 9

Shitzu's tend to be more temperamental and snippy. Maltese are more laid back and family dogs. Maltese bark less also.

Answer 10

hmmmmmm i am not sure which one is better
I have a maltese cross shi tzu she is really cute.