Comparison: Coton de Tuléar and Maltese

Coton de Tuléar and Maltese are marked as similar in our database. The table compares only the data we have on the breeds.

	Coton de Tuléar	Maltese
FCI group	9. Companion and Toy Dogs	9. Companion and Toy Dogs
Country of origin	Madagascar	Malta
Category	Small	Very small (toy)
Height at withers	23–28 cm	21–25 cm
Weight	3.5–6 kg	3–4 kg
Life span	–	12–15 years
Recognition features	White coat with the texture of cotton Round dark eyes and a lively, intelligent expression Tail carried gaily curved over the back on the move	Long, silky pure white coat to the ground Black nose and dark round eyes Small dog up to 3 kg with a tail curled over the back
Coat	Very soft and supple, cotton-textured, never hard or rough; dense, profuse and can be very slightly wavy. Ground colour white; slight shadings of light grey or red-roan (lemon) permitted on the ears, tolerated elsewhere only if the white impression is kept.	Long, silky, straight coat, white.
Purpose	A small companion dog.	An ancient Mediterranean lap dog favoured by classical nobility; bred purely as a companion.

Breed page: Coton de Tuléar · Breed page: Maltese

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The information is indicative. Texts are based on available sources and may contain inaccuracies; for binding details (e.g. for breeding or shows) use the official breed standard.