Maltese vs Labrador Retriever vs Poodle – Which one is a better dog breed for you?

"Find similarities and differences between Maltese vs Labrador Retriever vs Poodle" Compare Maltese and Labrador Retriever. Which is better: Maltese or Labrador Retriever or Poodle?

General Appearance Hair & Care Characteristics Good With Health Factors Reproducibility Show differences only

Name	Maltese	Labrador Retriever	Poodle
Origins	Italy	England Canada	Germany France
All Dog Breeds By Country Of Origin
Group	Companion Dogs	Gun Dog	Companion Dogs
Popularity Rank	33	1	7
Reviews	0	3	7
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Other Names	Maltese Dog, Maltese lion dog	Labrador, Lab	French Poodle, Caniche, Barbone, Chien Canne, Grosse Pudel
Breed Type	Purebred	Purebred	Purebred
AKC Group	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1888 as a Toy breed.	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1917 as a Sporting breed.	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1887 as a Non-Sporting & Toy breed.
FCI Group	Recognized by FCI in the Companion and Toy Dogs group, in the Bichons and related breeds section.	Recognized by FCI in the Retrievers - Flushing Dogs - Water Dogs group, in the Retrievers section.	Recognized by FCI in the Companion and Toy Dogs group, in the Poodle section.
Breed Recognition	American Canine Registry American Kennel Club America's Pet Registry Canadian Kennel Club Dog Registry of America Inc. Federation Cynologique Internationale Kennel Club of Great Britain North American Purebred Registry, Inc. American Canine Association, Inc. Australian National Kennel Council Continental Kennel Club National Kennel Club New Zealand Kennel Club United Kennel Club	American Canine Registry American Kennel Club America's Pet Registry Canadian Kennel Club Dog Registry of America Inc. Federation Cynologique Internationale Kennel Club of Great Britain North American Purebred Registry, Inc. American Canine Association, Inc. Australian National Kennel Council Continental Kennel Club National Kennel Club New Zealand Kennel Club United Kennel Club Canadian Canine Registry	American Canine Registry American Kennel Club America's Pet Registry Canadian Kennel Club Dog Registry of America Inc. Federation Cynologique Internationale Kennel Club of Great Britain North American Purebred Registry, Inc. American Canine Association, Inc. Australian National Kennel Council Continental Kennel Club National Kennel Club New Zealand Kennel Club United Kennel Club Canadian Canine Registry
Price	$600-$800	$1000-$2000	$1000-$1500

General Appearance - Maltese vs Labrador Retriever vs Poodle

Size	Small	Large	Medium
Weight	6.5-9 pounds (3-4 kg)	Male: 60-75 pounds (27-34kg), Female: 55-70 pounds (25-32 kg)	Male: 45-70 pounds (20-32 kg), Female: 45-60 pounds (20-27 kg)
Avg. Weight	6.7 pounds (3.5 kg)	Male: 67.5 pounds (30.5 kg), Female: 62.5 pounds (28.5 kg)	Male: 57.5 pounds (26 kg), Female: 52.5 pounds (23.5 kg)
Height	Male: 8-10 inches (21-25 cm), Female: 8-9 inches (20-23 cm)	Male: 22-24 inches (56-61cm), Female: 21-23 inches (53-58 cm)	15 inches (38 cm) or more
Avg. Height	Male: 9 inches (23 cm), Female: 8.5 inches (21.5 cm)	Male: 23 inches (58.5 cm), Female: 22 inches (55.5 cm)	15 inches (38 cm) or more

Hair & Care - Maltese vs Labrador Retriever vs Poodle

Coat	Feathered	Dense Waterproof Hard Short	Curly
Colors	White	Yellow Chocolate Black	Apricot Brown Gray Silver White Fawn Blue Cream Red Beige Black
Grooming	Average: The Maltese requires average grooming effort.	Effortless: The Labrador Retriever requires minimal grooming.	Professional: This breed needs a lot of work to keep in good condition.
Shedding Level	Malteses shed none to minimal.	Labrador Retrievers shed moderately.	Poodles shed none to minimal.

Characteristics - Maltese vs Labrador Retriever vs Poodle

Temperament	Active Easygoing Intelligent Responsive Docile Gentle Playful Sweet Tempered	Affectionate Cheerful Friendly Intelligent Loyal Playful Social Alert Energetic Gentle Loving Going Responsive	Active Faithful Intelligent Alert Instinctual Trainable
Intelligent Rank	Low to average: This canine intelligence is not the brightest one.	Outstanding: Labrador Retriever is one of the brightest dog breeds.	Outstanding: Poodle is one of the brightest dog breeds.
Trainability	Malteses are quite easy to train.	Labrador Retrievers are very easy to train.	Poodles are easy to train.
Playfulness	Malteses, like any other dog breed, like playing.	The Labrador Retriever is a highly playful breed.	The Poodle is a playful breed.
Sensitivity Level	They are a little bit more sensitive than other dog breeds.	Labrador Retrievers don't like an irregular daily routine, noisy household and frequent guest visits.	They are a little bit more sensitive than other dog breeds.
Affection Level	Malteses are genuinely loyal, soft and gentle, loving and affectionate dogs toward their handlers.	Labrador Retrievers may seem unfriendly sometimes due to their independence.	Poodles are genuinely loyal, soft and gentle, loving and affectionate dogs toward their handlers.
Social Needs	Malteses need a lot of social interaction.	Labrador Retrievers need a lot of social interaction.	Poodles need a lot of social interaction.
Barking	High: The Maltese is a very vocal breed.	Average: The Labrador Retriever barks occasionally.	Average to high: The Poodle is a vocal breed.
Watchdog Ability	Malteses are average watchdogs.	Labrador Retrievers are average watchdogs.	Poodles are good watchdogs.
Territorial	Malteses strongly protect their territory.	Labrador Retrievers are average defenders.	Poodles strongly protect their territory.
Biting Potential	Low The Maltese has a low chance of biting somebody.	Moderate The Labrador Retriever has an average chance of biting somebody.	Low The Poodle has a low chance of biting somebody.
Mouthiness	Malteses have an average tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.	Labrador Retrievers have a strong tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.	Poodles have a higher than average tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.
Impulse to Wander or Roam	Malteses are not the biggest explorers.	Labrador Retrievers have average wanderlust potential.	Poodles have average wanderlust potential.
Prey Drive	Malteses have a higher impulse to chase and catch something than other dog breeds.	Labrador Retrievers have low to an average impulse to chase and catch something like a cat or any other small aminals.	Poodles have low to an average impulse to chase and catch something like a cat or any other small aminals.
Apartment Friendly	Malteses are very apartment-friendly dogs.	Labrador Retrievers are not recommended for an apartment lifestyle.	Poodles are very apartment-friendly dogs.
Adaptability	Malteses adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.	Labrador Retrievers adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.	Poodles adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.
Tolerates Being Left Alone	Malteses tend to have separation anxiety when their owners left them alone at home because they bond very closely with them.	Labrador Retrievers tend to have separation anxiety when their owners left them alone at home because they bond very closely with them.	Poodles tend to have separation anxiety when their owners left them alone at home because they bond very closely with them.
Fighting Dog	Not really In history, this breed was not really used for combat dog.	Not really In history, this breed was not really used for combat dog.	Not really In history, this breed was not really used for combat dog.

Good With - Maltese vs Labrador Retriever vs Poodle

Stranger Friendly	Malteses are very stranger friendly dogs.	Labrador Retrievers are very stranger friendly dogs.	Poodles are stranger friendly dogs.
Child Friendly	Malteses are kid-friendly dogs.	Labrador Retrievers are very kid-friendly dogs.	Poodles are very kid-friendly dogs.
Cat Friendly	Malteses are very cat-friendly dogs.	Labrador Retrievers are cat-friendly dogs.	Poodles are cat-friendly dogs.
Dog Friendly	Malteses are very dog-friendly dogs.	Labrador Retrievers are very dog-friendly dogs.	Poodles are dog-friendly dogs.
Office Friendly	No Maltese is not the best dog breed for office environment.	No Labrador Retriever is not the best dog breed for office environment.	No Poodle is not the best dog breed for office environment.
Senior Citizens Friendly	Malteses are usually recommended for elderly people.	Labrador Retrievers are one of the best breeds for elderly people.	Poodles are one of the best breeds for elderly people.
Pet Friendly	Malteses are one of the friendliest dog breeds.	Labrador Retrievers are usually friendly towards other pets.	Poodles are usually friendly towards other pets.
Good For First Time Owners	No Malteses are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.	No Labrador Retrievers are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.	No Poodles are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.
Service Dog	Not really This breed generally not used as a service dog.	Yes This breed makes good as a service dog.	Yes This breed makes good as a service dog.
Therapy Dog	Not really This breed generally not used as a therapy dog.	Yes This breed makes a perfect therapy dog.	Yes This breed makes a perfect therapy dog.
Detection Dog or Sniffer Dog	Not really A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses (mostly its smell) to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones.	Yes A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses (mostly its smell) to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones.	Not really A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses (mostly its smell) to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones.
Search and Rescue Dog (SAR)	Not really The use of dogs in search and rescue (SAR) is a valuable component in wilderness tracking, natural disasters, mass casualty events, and in locating missing people.	Yes The use of dogs in search and rescue (SAR) is a valuable component in wilderness tracking, natural disasters, mass casualty events, and in locating missing people.	Not really The use of dogs in search and rescue (SAR) is a valuable component in wilderness tracking, natural disasters, mass casualty events, and in locating missing people.
Boat Dog	Not really Maltese breed usually doesn't like being on a boat.	Yes Labrador Retriever breed usually likes being on a boat.	Yes Poodle breed usually likes being on a boat.
Cart Pulling or Drafting Dog	Not really A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.	Not really A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.	Not really A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.

Health Factors - Maltese vs Labrador Retriever vs Poodle

Health Issues	The Maltese is a healthy breed, but there are certain health issues that you should check with your vet regularly.	The Labrador Retriever is a healthy breed, but there are certain health issues that you should check with your vet regularly.	The Poodle is a healthy breed, but there are certain health issues that you should check with your vet regularly.
Health Problems	Collapsed Trachea Hypoglycemia Patellar Luxation Portosystemic Liver Shunt Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) Reverse Sneezing White Dog Shaker Syndrome	Acute Moist Dermatitis Bloat Cataracts Cold Tail Ear Infections Elbow Dysplasia Epilepsy Hip Dysplasia Myopathy Osteochondrosis Dissecans Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) Tricuspid Valve Dysplasia	Addison's Disease Allergies Bloat Canine Atrial Septal Defect (asd) Cataracts Cushing's Syndrome Ear Infections Epilepsy Hip Dysplasia Hypothyroidism Legg-perthes Disease Neonatal Encephalopathy (news) Optic Nerve Hypoplasia Patellar Luxation Premature Graying Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) Runny Eyes Sebaceous Adenitis Von Willebrand's Disease
Life Expectancy	15-18 years	10-12 years	12-15 years
Calculate dog years to human years by breed here
Hypoallergenic	Yes	No	Yes
Energy Level	Malteses have an average energy level, so if you live a semi-active life, this breed can be a good choice for you.	Labrador Retrievers are high energy dogs.	Poodles have a higher energy level than other dog breeds.
Exercise Need	Malteses exercise need is very minimal.	Labrador Retrievers need a lot of exercises.	Poodles need quite a lot of exercise.
Sleeping Need	Malteses sleep 12-14 hours a day as an average dog and they're not considered as a lazy breed.	Labrador Retrievers don't need too much sleep.	Poodles are quite energetic dogs and they don't spend to much time with sleeping.
Avg. daily food consumption	Recommended daily amount: 1/4 to 1/2 cup of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.	Recommended daily amount: 2.5 to 3 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.	2 to 3 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.
Weight Gain Potential	Average.	High: The Labrador Retriever breed has a strong tendency to overweight.	Average to High.
Weather & Climate	Prefers warm weather	Tolerates warm and cold weather.	Tolerates warm and cold weather.
Stinkiness	Medium The Maltese has an average chance of bad smell.	High The Labrador Retriever has a high chance of bad smell.	Medium The Poodle has an average chance of bad smell.
Drooling tendency	The Maltese is a perfect example for very low drooling tendency.	The Labrador Retriever is an average drooler.	The Poodle is a perfect example for very low drooling tendency.

Reproducibility - Maltese vs Labrador Retriever vs Poodle

Gestation Length	60-64 days	60-64 days	60-64 days
How often can the have a litter?	Once a year. More frequent breeding is not healthy.	Once a year. More frequent breeding is not healthy.	Once a year. More frequent breeding is not healthy.
Litter Size	3-5 puppies	5-10 puppies	2-4 puppies
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