Shetland Sheepdog vs Maltese vs Japanese Spitz – Which one is a better dog breed for you?

"Find similarities and differences between Shetland Sheepdog vs Maltese vs Japanese Spitz" Compare Shetland Sheepdog and Maltese. Which is better: Shetland Sheepdog or Maltese or Japanese Spitz?

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

Name	Shetland Sheepdog	Maltese	Japanese Spitz
Origins	Scotland	Italy	Japan
All Dog Breeds By Country Of Origin
Group	Pastoral Dogs (Herding Dogs)	Companion Dogs	Companion Dogs
Popularity Rank	24	33	229
Reviews	5	2	4
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Other Names	Miniature Collie, Shetland Collie (obsolete), Dwarf Scotch Shepherd (obsolete), Toonie Dog (obsolete), Sheltie	Maltese Dog, Maltese lion dog	Nihon Supittsu
Breed Type	Purebred	Purebred	Purebred
AKC Group	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1911 as a Herding breed.	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1888 as a Toy breed.	Not recognized by the American Kennel Club.
FCI Group	Recognized by FCI in the Sheepdogs and Cattledogs (except Swiss Cattledogs) group, in the Sheepdogs section.	Recognized by FCI in the Companion and Toy Dogs group, in the Bichons and related breeds section.	Recognized by FCI in the Spitz and primitive types group, in the Asian Spitz and related breeds 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 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	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 American Canine Association, Inc.
Price	$800-$1000	$600-$800	$500-$800

General Appearance - Shetland Sheepdog vs Maltese vs Japanese Spitz

Size	Medium	Small	Small
Weight	14-27 pounds (6-12 kg)	6.5-9 pounds (3-4 kg)	11-20 pounds (5-10 kg)
Avg. Weight	20.5 pounds (9 kg)	6.7 pounds (3.5 kg)	15.5 pounds (7.5 kg)
Height	13-16 inches (33-41 cm)	Male: 8-10 inches (21-25 cm), Female: 8-9 inches (20-23 cm)	12-15 inches (30-38 cm)
Avg. Height	14.5 inches (37 cm)	Male: 9 inches (23 cm), Female: 8.5 inches (21.5 cm)	13.5 inches (34 cm)

Hair & Care - Shetland Sheepdog vs Maltese vs Japanese Spitz

Coat	Dense	Feathered	Thick
Colors	White Blue Merle Sable Tan Black	White	White
Grooming	Professional: This breed needs a lot of work to keep in good condition.	Average: The Maltese requires average grooming effort.	Advanced: The Japanese Spitz requires a lot of grooming.
Shedding Level	Shetland Sheepdogs shed moderately.	Malteses shed none to minimal.	Japanese Spitzs shed moderately.

Characteristics - Shetland Sheepdog vs Maltese vs Japanese Spitz

Temperament	Affectionate Gentle Lively Responsive Friendly Intelligent Playful	Active Easygoing Intelligent Responsive Docile Gentle Playful Sweet Tempered	Affectionate Proud Intelligent Companionable Playful Loyal
Intelligent Rank	Outstanding: Shetland Sheepdog is one of the brightest dog breeds.	Low to average: This canine intelligence is not the brightest one.	Average: Japanese Spitz's has average obedience intelligence.
Trainability	Shetland Sheepdogs are quite easy to train.	Malteses are quite easy to train.	Japanese Spitzs are quite easy to train.
Playfulness	Shetland Sheepdogs, like any other dog breed, like playing.	Malteses, like any other dog breed, like playing.	The Japanese Spitz is a highly playful breed.
Sensitivity Level	Shetland Sheepdogs don't like an irregular daily routine, noisy household and frequent guest visits.	They are a little bit more sensitive than other dog breeds.	Japanese Spitzs have an average emotional level and are not the most sensitive dog breed.
Affection Level	Shetland Sheepdogs are genuinely loyal, soft and gentle, loving and affectionate dogs toward their handlers.	Malteses are genuinely loyal, soft and gentle, loving and affectionate dogs toward their handlers.	Japanese Spitzs are genuinely loyal, soft and gentle, loving and affectionate dogs toward their handlers.
Social Needs	Shetland Sheepdogs are a social breed.	Malteses need a lot of social interaction.	Japanese Spitzs need a lot of social interaction.
Barking	High: The Shetland Sheepdog is a very vocal breed.	High: The Maltese is a very vocal breed.	High: The Japanese Spitz is a very vocal breed.
Watchdog Ability	Shetland Sheepdogs are good watchdogs.	Malteses are average watchdogs.	Japanese Spitzs are average watchdogs.
Territorial	Shetland Sheepdogs are extremely protective guard dogs.	Malteses strongly protect their territory.	Japanese Spitzs are extremely protective guard dogs.
Biting Potential	Low The Shetland Sheepdog has a low chance of biting somebody.	Low The Maltese has a low chance of biting somebody.	Low The Japanese Spitz has a low chance of biting somebody.
Mouthiness	Shetland Sheepdogs have a low tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.	Malteses have an average tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.	Japanese Spitzs have lower than average tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.
Impulse to Wander or Roam	Shetland Sheepdogs tend to escape less than other breeds.	Malteses are not the biggest explorers.	Japanese Spitzs tend to escape less than other breeds.
Prey Drive	Shetland Sheepdogs have an average prey drive, which means that they don't have a high impulse to chase and catch something like a cat or any other small aminals, but it might happen.	Malteses have a higher impulse to chase and catch something than other dog breeds.	Japanese Spitzs have low to an average impulse to chase and catch something like a cat or any other small aminals.
Apartment Friendly	Shetland Sheepdogs are not recommended for an apartment lifestyle.	Malteses are very apartment-friendly dogs.	Japanese Spitzs are very apartment-friendly dogs.
Adaptability	Shetland Sheepdogs adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.	Malteses adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.	Japanese Spitzs adapt well to lifestyle changes and different living environments.
Tolerates Being Left Alone	Shetland 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.	Malteses tend to have separation anxiety when their owners left them alone at home because they bond very closely with them.	Japanese Spitzs 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 - Shetland Sheepdog vs Maltese vs Japanese Spitz

Stranger Friendly	Shetland Sheepdogs are not the most stranger friendly dogs.	Malteses are very stranger friendly dogs.	Japanese Spitzs are average friendly towards strangers.
Child Friendly	Shetland Sheepdogs are kid-friendly dogs.	Malteses are kid-friendly dogs.	Japanese Spitzs are very kid-friendly dogs.
Cat Friendly	Shetland Sheepdogs are very cat-friendly dogs.	Malteses are very cat-friendly dogs.	Japanese Spitzs are cat-friendly dogs.
Dog Friendly	Shetland Sheepdogs are dog-friendly dogs.	Malteses are very dog-friendly dogs.	Japanese Spitzs are dog-friendly dogs.
Office Friendly	No Shetland Sheepdog is not the best dog breed for office environment.	No Maltese is not the best dog breed for office environment.	No Japanese Spitz is not the best dog breed for office environment.
Senior Citizens Friendly	Shetland Sheepdogs are usually recommended for elderly people.	Malteses are usually recommended for elderly people.	Japanese Spitzs are one of the best breeds for elderly people.
Pet Friendly	Shetland Sheepdogs are one of the friendliest dog breeds.	Malteses are one of the friendliest dog breeds.	Japanese Spitzs are usually friendly towards other pets.
Good For First Time Owners	No Shetland Sheepdogs are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.	No Malteses are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.	Yes Japanese Spitzs are good for novice owners, due to their easy-going 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	Yes This breed makes a perfect 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 Shetland Sheepdog breed usually doesn't like being on a boat.	Not really Maltese breed usually doesn't like being on a boat.	Not really Japanese Spitz 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.	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 - Shetland Sheepdog vs Maltese vs Japanese Spitz

Health Issues	The Shetland Sheepdog is a healthy breed, but there are certain health issues that you should check with your vet regularly.	The Maltese is a healthy breed, but there are certain health issues that you should check with your vet regularly.	The Japanese Spitz is a healthy breed, but there are certain health issues that you should check with your vet regularly.
Health Problems	Cancer Cataracts Collie Eye Anomaly Drug Sensitivity Elbow Dysplasia Epilepsy Haemophilia Heart Problems Hip Dysplasia Hypothyroidism Patellar Luxation Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) Trichiasis Von Willebrand's Disease	Collapsed Trachea Hypoglycemia Patellar Luxation Portosystemic Liver Shunt Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) Reverse Sneezing White Dog Shaker Syndrome	Patellar Luxation Runny Eyes
Life Expectancy	12-14 years	15-18 years	10-16 years
Calculate dog years to human years by breed here
Hypoallergenic	No	Yes	No
Energy Level	Shetland Sheepdogs have a higher energy level than other dog breeds.	Malteses have an average energy level, so if you live a semi-active life, this breed can be a good choice for you.	Japanese Spitzs have an average energy level, so if you live a semi-active life, this breed can be a good choice for you.
Exercise Need	Shetland Sheepdogs have an average exercise need.	Malteses exercise need is very minimal.	Japanese Spitzs have an average exercise need.
Sleeping Need	Shetland Sheepdogs are quite energetic dogs and they don't spend to much time with sleeping.	Malteses sleep 12-14 hours a day as an average dog and they're not considered as a lazy breed.	Japanese Spitzs sleep 12-14 hours a day as an average dog and they're not considered as a lazy breed.
Avg. daily food consumption	2 to 3 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.	Recommended daily amount: 1/4 to 1/2 cup of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.	1/2 to 1 cup dry food a day.
Weight Gain Potential	Average.	Average.	Low to Average.
Weather & Climate	Prefers average to cold weather conditions The Shetland Sheepdog can adapt to well to cold weather conditions, some dogs even can be a good mountain dog.	Prefers warm weather	Prefers average to cold weather conditions The Japanese Spitz can adapt to well to cold weather conditions, some dogs even can be a good mountain dog.
Stinkiness	Medium The Shetland Sheepdog has an average chance of bad smell.	Medium The Maltese has an average chance of bad smell.	Medium The Japanese Spitz has an average chance of bad smell.
Drooling tendency	The Shetland Sheepdog is a perfect example for very low drooling tendency.	The Maltese is a perfect example for very low drooling tendency.	The Japanese Spitz is a perfect example for very low drooling tendency.

Reproducibility - Shetland Sheepdog vs Maltese vs Japanese Spitz

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	4-6 puppies	3-5 puppies	1-6 puppies
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