Maltese vs Neapolitan Mastiff vs Maremma Sheepdog – Which one is a better dog breed for you?

"Find similarities and differences between Maltese vs Neapolitan Mastiff vs Maremma Sheepdog" Compare Maltese and Neapolitan Mastiff. Which is better: Maltese or Neapolitan Mastiff or Maremma Sheepdog?

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

Name	Maltese	Neapolitan Mastiff	Maremma Sheepdog
Origins	Italy	Italy	Italy
All Dog Breeds By Country Of Origin
Group	Companion Dogs	Working Dogs	Pastoral Dogs (Herding Dogs)
Popularity Rank	33	107	398
Reviews	2	0	3
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Other Names	Maltese Dog, Maltese lion dog	Neo, Italian Bulldog, Italian Mastiff, Mastino Napoletano, Italian Molosso, Can39;E Presa	Cane da Pastore, Maremmano-Abruzzese, Pastore Abruzzese, Pastore Maremmano, Abruzzo Sheepdog, Abruzzese Sheepdog, Maremma, Maremmano
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 2004 as a Working breed.	Not recognized by the American Kennel Club.
FCI Group	Recognized by FCI in the Companion and Toy Dogs group, in the Bichons and related breeds section.	Recognized by FCI in the Pinscher and Schnauzer - Molossoid and Swiss Mountain and Cattledogs group, in the Molossian type section.	Recognized by FCI in the Sheepdogs and Cattledogs (except Swiss Cattledogs) group, in the Sheepdogs 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	No set	American Canine Registry America's Pet Registry Continental Kennel Club Dog Registry of America Inc. Federation Cynologique Internationale Kennel Club of Great Britain National Kennel Club New Zealand Kennel Club United Kennel Club
Price	$600-$800	$1500-$2000	$600-$800

General Appearance - Maltese vs Neapolitan Mastiff vs Maremma Sheepdog

Size	Small	Giant	Large
Weight	6.5-9 pounds (3-4 kg)	Male: 130-150 pounds (59-68 kg), Female: 100-120 pounds (45-54 kg)	Male: 80 - 95 pounds (36 - 43 kg), Female: 70 - 85 pounds (32 - 38 kg)
Avg. Weight	6.7 pounds (3.5 kg)	Male: 140 pounds (63.5 kg), Female: 110 pounds (49.5 kg)	Male: 85 pounds (38.5 kg), Female: 70 pounds (31.5 kg)
Height	Male: 8-10 inches (21-25 cm), Female: 8-9 inches (20-23 cm)	Male: 26-30 inches (65-75 cm), Female: 24-28 inches (60-70 cm)	24-29 inches (60-73 cm)
Avg. Height	Male: 9 inches (23 cm), Female: 8.5 inches (21.5 cm)	Male: 28 inches (70 cm), Female: 26 inches (65 cm)	26.5 inches (66.5 cm)

Hair & Care - Maltese vs Neapolitan Mastiff vs Maremma Sheepdog

Coat	Feathered	Dense	Rough Thick Double
Colors	White	Mahogany Blue Tawny Black	White Yellow
Grooming	Average: The Maltese requires average grooming effort.	Easy to groom: The Neapolitan Mastiff doesn't require a lot of grooming.	Average: The Maremma Sheepdog requires average grooming effort.
Shedding Level	Malteses shed none to minimal.	Neapolitan Mastiffs shed moderately.	Maremma Sheepdogs shed moderately.

Characteristics - Maltese vs Neapolitan Mastiff vs Maremma Sheepdog

Temperament	Active Easygoing Intelligent Responsive Docile Gentle Playful Sweet Tempered	Protective Fearless Stubborn Dominant Obedient Trainable	Alert Dignified Intelligent Determined Friendly Loyal
Intelligent Rank	Low to average: This canine intelligence is not the brightest one.	Low to average: This canine intelligence is not the brightest one.	Low to average: This canine intelligence is not the brightest one.
Trainability	Malteses are quite easy to train.	Neapolitan Mastiffs aren't famous for their trainability.	Maremma Sheepdogs are quite easy to train.
Playfulness	Malteses, like any other dog breed, like playing.	Neapolitan Mastiffs are not the most playful dog breed.	Maremma Sheepdogs, like any other dog breed, like playing.
Sensitivity Level	They are a little bit more sensitive than other dog breeds.	They are a little bit more sensitive than other dog breeds.	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.	Neapolitan Mastiffs are average dogs regarding their affection level.	Maremma Sheepdogs are genuinely loyal, soft and gentle, loving and affectionate dogs toward their handlers.
Social Needs	Malteses need a lot of social interaction.	Neapolitan Mastiffs need for social interaction is average.	Maremma Sheepdogs are a social breed.
Barking	High: The Maltese is a very vocal breed.	Low to Average: The Neapolitan Mastiff rarely barks.	Low to Average: The Maremma Sheepdog rarely barks.
Watchdog Ability	Malteses are average watchdogs.	Neapolitan Mastiffs are one of the best watchdogs.	Maremma Sheepdogs are good watchdogs.
Territorial	Malteses strongly protect their territory.	Neapolitan Mastiffs are extremely protective guard dogs.	Maremma Sheepdogs strongly protect their territory.
Biting Potential	Low The Maltese has a low chance of biting somebody.	Low The Neapolitan Mastiff has a low chance of biting somebody.	Low The Maremma Sheepdog has a low chance of biting somebody.
Mouthiness	Malteses have an average tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.	Neapolitan Mastiffs have lower than average tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.	Maremma Sheepdogs have lower than average tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.
Impulse to Wander or Roam	Malteses are not the biggest explorers.	Neapolitan Mastiffs are not the biggest explorers.	Maremma Sheepdogs are not the biggest explorers.
Prey Drive	Malteses have a higher impulse to chase and catch something than other dog breeds.	Neapolitan Mastiffs don't have an impulse to catch or chase small animals.	Maremma Sheepdogs don't have an impulse to catch or chase small animals.
Apartment Friendly	Malteses are very apartment-friendly dogs.	Neapolitan Mastiffs are not recommended for an apartment lifestyle.	Maremma Sheepdogs are not the best choice for an apartment lifestyle, but they don't mind being inside if you walk them several times every day.
Adaptability	Malteses adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.	Neapolitan Mastiffs don't adapt well to lifestyle changes and different living environments.	Maremma Sheepdogs adapt to lifestyle changes and different living environments quite okay usually.
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.	Just like every puppy, they are prone to panic, cry, bark, whine when they left alone by their owner.	Maremma Sheepdogs do best when a family member is at home during the day or if their workplace is dog-friendly so they can take the dog at work.
Fighting Dog	Not really In history, this breed was not really used for combat dog.	Yes In history, this breed was unfortunately used for combat dog.	Not really In history, this breed was not really used for combat dog.

Good With - Maltese vs Neapolitan Mastiff vs Maremma Sheepdog

Stranger Friendly	Malteses are very stranger friendly dogs.	Neapolitan Mastiffs are not stranger friendly dogs.	Maremma Sheepdogs are average friendly towards strangers.
Child Friendly	Malteses are kid-friendly dogs.	Neapolitan Mastiffs are average friendly dogs towards children.	Maremma Sheepdogs are kid-friendly dogs.
Cat Friendly	Malteses are very cat-friendly dogs.	Neapolitan Mastiffs are average friendly towards cats.	Maremma Sheepdogs are cat-friendly dogs.
Dog Friendly	Malteses are very dog-friendly dogs.	Neapolitan Mastiffs are not dog-friendly.	Maremma Sheepdogs are average friendly towards other dogs.
Office Friendly	No Maltese is not the best dog breed for office environment.	No Neapolitan Mastiff is not the best dog breed for office environment.	No Maremma Sheepdog is not the best dog breed for office environment.
Senior Citizens Friendly	Malteses are usually recommended for elderly people.	Neapolitan Mastiffs are commonly okay with elderly people.	Maremma Sheepdogs are usually recommended for elderly people.
Pet Friendly	Malteses are one of the friendliest dog breeds.	Neapolitan Mastiffs are generally with other pets.	Maremma Sheepdogs 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 Neapolitan Mastiffs are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.	No Maremma Sheepdogs are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.
Service Dog	Not really This breed generally not used as a service dog.	Not really This breed generally not used as a service dog.	Not really This breed generally not used as a service dog.
Therapy Dog	Not really This breed generally not used as a therapy dog.	Not really This breed generally not used as a therapy dog.	Not really This breed generally not used as a 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.	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.	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.	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.	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.	Not really Neapolitan Mastiff breed usually doesn't like being on a boat.	Not really Maremma Sheepdog breed usually doesn't like 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.	Yes A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.	Yes A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.

Health Factors - Maltese vs Neapolitan Mastiff vs Maremma Sheepdog

Health Issues	The Maltese is a healthy breed, but there are certain health issues that you should check with your vet regularly.	Very healthy dog breed.	The Maremma Sheepdog 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	No set	Bloat Drug Sensitivity Hip Dysplasia Obesity Vaccination Sensitivity
Life Expectancy	15-18 years	8-10 years	11-13 years
Calculate dog years to human years by breed here
Hypoallergenic	Yes	No	No
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.	Neapolitan Mastiffs have an average energy level, so if you live a semi-active life, this breed can be a good choice for you.	Maremma Sheepdogs have an average energy level, so if you live a semi-active life, this breed can be a good choice for you.
Exercise Need	Malteses exercise need is very minimal.	Neapolitan Mastiffs exercise need is minimal.	Maremma Sheepdogs have an average exercise need.
Sleeping Need	Malteses sleep 12-14 hours a day as an average dog and they're not considered as a lazy breed.	Neapolitan Mastiffs sleep 12-14 hours a day as an average dog and they're not considered as a lazy breed.	Maremma Sheepdogs sleep 12-14 hours a day as an average dog and they're not considered as a lazy breed.
Avg. daily food consumption	Recommended daily amount: 1/4 to 1/2 cup of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.	5 to 6 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.	3 to 4 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.
Weight Gain Potential	Average.	High: The Neapolitan Mastiff breed has a strong tendency to overweight.	High: The Maremma Sheepdog breed has a strong tendency to overweight.
Weather & Climate	Prefers warm weather	Prefers warm weather	Tolerates warm and cold weather.
Stinkiness	Medium The Maltese has an average chance of bad smell.	High The Neapolitan Mastiff has a high chance of bad smell.	Medium The Maremma Sheepdog has an average chance of bad smell.
Drooling tendency	The Maltese is a perfect example for very low drooling tendency.	The Neapolitan Mastiff is a big drooler, so if you're disgusted by slobber spots on your clothes, you should choose a dog from another breed.	The Maremma Sheepdog is an average drooler.

Reproducibility - Maltese vs Neapolitan Mastiff vs Maremma Sheepdog

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	6-12 puppies	5-9 puppies
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