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

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 Maltese and Poodle 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.

Maltipoo vs Pomeranian: Visual Differences

At a Glance

Maltipoo Overview

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 generally 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 develop undesirable behaviors such as excessive barking or attention-seeking if not appropriately trained and mentally stimulated. These fun-loving dogs can be energetic, may lack impulse control, and can be too playful with young children, which may lead to accidental injury due to their small size. Therefore, as with all dog breeds, obedience training should start early, ideally at approximately 8 weeks.

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.

Exercise 🐕

Maltipoos are active like their Poodle parents, but they are small dogs, so they are fine with about 20 to 40 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 generally 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.

Pomeranian Overview

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 may show alert or protective behaviors toward 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 moderate-energy dogs, so they are interactive but not unbearably so. They can be easily distracted or have shorter attention spans, which can make training and sustained focus more challenging without consistent, positive reinforcement.

Training 🎾

Pomeranians are smart, but they are not as consistently responsive or focused as the Maltipoo tends to be. Therefore, it can sometimes 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 is typically necessary for all dogs 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.

Exercise 🐕

Exercise is important for the Pomeranian, just like for any other dog breed. However, they don’t need much — even slightly less than the Maltipoo. These dogs do well with about 20 to 30 minutes of exercise per day. This can be broken up into at least two sessions. A walk around the block can help meet their physical and mental stimulation needs, but additional enrichment and interaction are typically needed to support balanced behavior 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 positive reinforcement-based obedience training.

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 generally compact bodies. Their tails are long, and their legs may appear shorter in proportion to their body size, depending on coat styling and build.

Pomeranians are also small dogs, but their hair is a dense, double coat that gives them that fluffy appearance. The ears of a Pomeranian are small and erect, and their snouts protrude from their faces. They have dark, almond-shaped eyes, and their tails are usually upright or folded over the back. Their chests are typically hard to see due to all their hair.

Maltipoo vs Pomeranian: Which Breed Is Right for You?

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 a couple of individuals of each breed. Only then can you tell which one to bring home to join the family.

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