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Dog Breeds

Maltipoo vs. Pomeranian: How Do They Compare? (With Pictures)

Rachael Gerkensmeyer
By Rachael GerkensmeyerUpdated on June 29, 2026
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Maltipoo vs. Pomeranian

The Maltipoo and the Pomeranian are both adorable, but they are not related in terms of breed, as the Maltipoo is a designer breed with Pomeranian and Maltese parents, and the Pomeranian is a purebred dog. However, they do have a few similarities, including the fact that they are small dogs that make great family pets. So, which pet should you get? The only way to decide is to learn about each breed so you can figure out which would best fit in with your household’s lifestyle.

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Maltipoo vs Pomeranian: Visual Differences

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At a Glance

Maltipoo

  • Average height (adult): 8–14 inches
  • Average weight (adult): 5–20 pounds
  • Lifespan: 10–15 years
  • Exercise: 30+ minutes a day
  • Grooming needs: Moderate to difficult
  • Family-friendly: Yes
  • Other pet-friendly: Often
  • Trainability: Easy

Pomeranian

  • Average height (adult): 8–11 inches
  • Average weight (adult): 3–8 pounds
  • Lifespan: 12–16 years
  • Exercise: 20+ minutes a day
  • Grooming needs: Moderate to difficult
  • Family-friendly: Yes
  • Other pet-friendly: Often
  • Trainability: Easy to moderate
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Maltipoo Overview

Image By: Olga Ovcharenko, Shutterstock

The Maltipoo is a joyful designer dog that can be socialized and obedience trained at an early age. For such a little canine, they have a big personality! Owners should expect goofiness, curiosity, intelligence, loyalty, and plenty of snuggles when spending time with a Maltipoo.

Personality / Character

Maltipoos are extremely intelligent dogs due in part to their Maltese and Poodle parents. These dogs are fun-loving, curious, sociable, and loyal to their human companions. They tend to be patient, and they like meeting new people in social situations. They don’t mind whether home life is lazy and relaxed or upbeat and chaotic as long as they get to be involved. Maltipoos are affectionate dogs that love to play and are always working to please their human counterparts.

Training 🎾

Maltipoos are smart dogs that take well to obedience training, which is good because they can be unruly otherwise. These fun-loving dogs can be overwhelming and get in the way without knowing obedience commands, and they can be too playful with young children and get themselves hurt, too. Therefore, like with all dog breeds, obedience training should start early—as soon as 8 weeks, if possible.

Obedience training helps ensure that a Maltipoo knows how to act and respond in social situations and how to stay out of trouble at home. It also helps them stay mentally fit because these dogs want to please their owners and like to solve problems.

Image Credit: marketlan, Shutterstock

Exercise 🐕

Maltipoos are active like their Poodle parents, but they are small dogs, so while they need more exercise than the Pomeranian, they are fine with about 30 to 45 minutes of exercise each day. This amount can be broken up into 15- or 20-minute sessions. A short walk around the neighborhood is an excellent source of exercise for the Maltipoo.

Suitable for:

Maltipoos are great family dogs. They love spending time with adults and children alike. They don’t need much exercise and can happily live in both house and apartment settings. They’re smart and tend to take well to obedience training, too.

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Pomeranian Overview

Image By: Natalia Fedosova, Shutterstock

Pomeranians are excitable dogs that enjoy a social life and love spending time with kids. These dogs are loving, affectionate, and even protective of their human family members. They are fluffy, adorable, and cuddly, especially at night and when the weather is bad outside.

Personality / Character

The Pomeranian is a delightful purebred dog breed. This dog enjoys being in social situations yet is protective of their family members at the same time. Not quite as laidback as the Maltipoo, the Pomeranian can be a big barker and communicator with their family members. These are considered medium-level activity dogs, so they are interactive but not unbearably so. They have a hard time focusing, though, which can make behaving a serious task for them.

Training 🎾

Pomeranians are smart, but they are not as responsive or focused as the Maltipoo tends to be. Therefore, it can take more time to obedience train a Pomeranian than it does a Maltipoo. Obedience training should start as soon as a Pomeranian goes home with their family for the first time, as early as 8 weeks.

However, ongoing training may be necessary to reinforce the behavior that an owner wants to see in their pet Pomeranian. These are agile dogs, despite their petite size and look, so they can do well with agility training, too.

Image By: Gorodenkoff, Shutterstock

Exercise 🐕

Exercise is important for the Pomeranian, just like for any other dog breed. However, they don’t need much — even less than the Maltipoo. These dogs do well with 20 or so minutes of exercise a day. This can be broken up into at least two sessions. A walk around the block is all that it takes to calm this breed down and get them to happily behave while spending time indoors.

Suitable for:

Pomeranians can work well with various household types. From families with children and young adults to couples and senior citizens, this dog breed should fit in just fine. They can get overexcited, though, so everyone in the household should understand the basics of obedience training.

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Maltipoo vs Pomeranian: Physical Differences

Maltipoos tend to have wavy or curly hair like their Poodle parents. They are usually white, beige, or tan in color, but they have been known to have brown or even reddish hair. They have wide, bright eyes, floppy ears, and stout bodies. Their tails are long, and their legs look short compared to their body mass.

Pomeranians are also small dogs, but their hair is straight and fluffy. The ears of a Pomeranian are short and erect, and their snouts protrude from their faces. They have "weepy" eyes and short, nub-like legs. Their tails are usually upright or folded over the back, and their chests are typically hard to see due to all their hair.

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Maltipoo vs Pomeranian: Which Breed Is Right for You?

Image Credit: Left: (OlgaOvcharenko, Shutterstock); Right: (Liliya Kulianionak, Shutterstock)

Both the Maltipoo and the Pomeranian are small, family-friendly dogs that are fun to spend time around. However, to figure out which breed is the best fit for your particular household situation, it is a good idea to spend time in person with each dog. Only then can you tell which one to bring home to join the family.

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Rachael Gerkensmeyer
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Rachael Gerkensmeyer

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