Morkie

Cuteness must be exponential because when you cross an adorable Yorkshire terrier with a loveable Maltese, you get a Morkie, which is ten times cuter than either of its parents. With its tiny size, its big, soulful eyes, and its long, silky coat, a Morkie resembles a stuffed animal magically come to life. Other names for this hybrid breed include Morkshire terrier, Yortese, Maltiyork, Malkie, Malki, and Yorkiemalt. Morkies are recognized by the American Canine Hybrid Club and the Designer Dogs Kennel Club.

Despite their small size, Morkies have big personalities. They’re fiercely loyal to the humans they love to the point of suffering severe separation anxiety when they’re parted from you. They’re so easy to fit into a purse, though, that there’s practically no reason not to take them with you everywhere you go. Morkies don’t shed a lot, so they’re considered hypoallergenic. If you or a family member suffers from allergies, this may be the hybrid dog for you.

Morkies are a separate hybrid breed from the Morkie poo. The Morkie poo is a hybrid dog descended from the Yorkie, Maltese, and Poodle breeds. The Morkie poo tends to be a bit smaller than the traditional Morkie, and the breed often exhibits a curly, frizzy coat like its poodle forbearer.

3 Pros And Cons Of Owning A Morkie

History Of The Breed

The morkie is a hybrid dog, crossed with the Yorkshire Terrier and the Maltese. It was first bred in the United States during the 1990s to be a companion dog, specifically a lapdog, and has become one of the most popular crossbreeds of today. The history of its parent breeds goes back a little further.

The Yorkshire terrier is the smallest of the terrier breeds and dates back to the mid-1800s in England. It wasn’t given its official name until 1874; it previously had been known as the Broken Hair Scotch Terrier and then the Toy Terrier. This breed was commonly used as a ratter dog, taken into mills and mines to control the rat population.

The Maltese has somewhat more of a mysterious origin. This breed is most commonly recognized as having come from Italy and, more specifically, the island of Malta. Although there is no evidence that the Maltese originated on the island, it is believed that it was brought there from southern Europe as an article of exotic trade 8000 years ago.

Size And Weight

Morkie puppies can weigh as little as 4 ounces when they are firstborn. Full-grown toy Morkies grow to a height between 6 and 8 inches and a weight between 4 to 8 pounds. Full-grown teacup Morkies are even smaller than that. In both the toy and the teacup variety of Morkie, males are slightly larger than females.

Common Health Issues

A healthy Morkie will typically live between 10 and 16 years. These adorable dogs are associated with a number of well-known health problems, though. Yorkshire terriers are particularly prone to collapsed trachea, and your Morkie may inherit this issue from its Yorkie parent. Symptoms of a collapsed trachea include chronic, intermittent bouts of coughing that exacerbate with activity or any type of stress. This condition may make your hybrid dog susceptible to respiratory allergies.

Small breeds like Yorkies and Maltese are also at higher risk than the general canine population for a condition called congenital portosystemic shunt, which is an abnormal connection between systemic circulation and circulation to the liver. Other health issues confronting Morkies include hypoglycemia and slipped knee joints (patella luxation). Teacup Morkies are affected more by adverse health conditions than toy Morkies because teacups are more inbred. Reputable breeders will invest in genetic testing for all the hybrid breeds they work with, so if you’re shopping for Morkie puppies, this is one more reason to confine your search to breeders you can trust.

Temperament

What Morkies lack in size, they make up for in energy. These dogs have an extremely playful temperament and will dash around your house or yard like mad every time you throw a ball. Their personality can be a bit feisty at times, and stubbornness is a behavior you have to watch out for. Consistent training is the best remedy for any willful character traits your dog may manifest.

Morkies want to be with the one they love. You can count on your Morkie to crawl up into your lap every time you sit down. Overly dependent behavior can be a personality issue with both parent breeds, which is a trait your Morkie may inherit. It may be tough to draw the line with your Morkie. He or she is so adorable! Indulging your pet completely, though, can lead to serious behavioral issues like separation anxiety down the line.

How To Take Care Of Morkies

Morkies are known to be smart but willful, and this means that training is likely to require a lot of time and patience. Other factors Morkie owners need to be aware of include the hybrid breed’s specific dietary, grooming, and exercise needs.

The Best Dog Food For Morkies

Because they are such tiny dogs, Morkies can put on weight quickly if they’re overfed. They should be fed high-quality kibble with a minimum protein content of 18% that’s specifically formulated for small dog breeds. The exact amount you feed your dog will depend upon your Morkie’s age, size, and activity levels, but divide feedings up into at least two meals a day to prevent hypoglycemia. Also, make sure your Morkie eats a meal ninety minutes or more before exercising so it doesn’t lose steam due to low blood sugar.

Morkie puppies need to be fed three or four times a day. The optimal food for these puppies is a kibble specially formulated for puppies with a minimum protein content of at least 22% that contains omega fatty acids to help keep his or her coat gorgeous and silky.

Maintenance And Grooming

Both Yorkshire terriers and Maltese are considered hypoallergenic breeds, so Morkies are considered hypoallergenic, too. Morkies have hair instead of fur, so they don’t shed a lot. They require a lot of grooming, though, because their hair can grow very long, and without regular brushing, it will develop gnarly knots and tangles.

Morkies should be bathed once a week with high-quality shampoo and conditioner. Special attention must be given to keeping your Morkie warm while his or her coat is drying, since these dogs dislike feeling cold. You’ll need to brush your pet’s teeth daily and trim his or her nails as necessary.

Once your Morkie is full-grown, you may want to initiate monthly visits to a groomer.

Training

Patient, consistent training is extremely important with Morkies. They’re intelligent enough to learn commands and tricks easily, but just hardheaded enough to insist upon learning on their own terms. Additionally, some Morkies inherit aggressiveness from their parent Yorkie line. Yorkshire terriers, you may remember, were originally bred to hunt rodents.

It’s important to start training your Morkie puppy as soon as you get him or her home. Like all dogs, Morkies respond best to positive reinforcement; in fact, if you try to use harsh training methods with them, they are likely to balk and become completely uncooperative.

Exercise

Morkies are very energetic, but their tiny size means that their activity needs can often be satisfied with a brisk trot around the block twice a day. Morkies also like to play, so make some time to join your pet in a spirited romp at least once a day.

Puppies

The look of first-generation Morkie puppies can be completely unpredictable since it’s impossible to predict whether Yorkshire terrier or Maltese genetics will dominate. Some breeders have begun mating Morkies to other Morkies to standardize the look of this breed. Litter sizes range between two and five pups. Morkie puppies are quite tiny when they’re born, only weighing a few ounces. Great care must be taken in handling these tiny, adorable creatures since they’re so fragile.

If you don’t want to go through the hassle of training a Morkie puppy, you may also be able to find a Morkie through one of the many Yorkie and Maltese rescue organizations nationwide. Adult Morkie rescue dogs make excellent pets.

Morkies And Children

Morkies and kids love each other. Nevertheless, it’s probably smart not to introduce a Morkie into a household where there are children younger than 10. Younger children, even when they’re on their best behavior, may play too roughly for a fragile Morkie and hurt the dog without intending to.

Dogs Similar To The Morkie

Maltipoos, Shih Tzus, and Bichons Frises share many traits in common with the Morkie.

• Maltipoos: Maltipoos and Morkies share a common Maltese ancestor. Maltipoos are larger than Morkies, though: They typically grow to be 8 to 14 inches tall and can weigh up to 20 pounds. Maltipoos also have silky, curly, or wavy coats that are very unlike a Morkie’s coat.
• Shih Tzus: Shi Tzus are also larger than Morkies. They were bred to be companion dogs, so like Morkies, they have a hard time being separated from the human they love.
• Bichon Frises: Like the Morkie, the Bichon Frise has hair instead of fur. This adorable puffball of a dog is very easy to train and was frequently found performing tricks in European circuses throughout the 18th and 19th centuries.

Famous Morkies

Famous celebrities love their Morkies! Emmy Rossum, Hilary Duff, and even Drake are all proud Morkie owners and document their pets’ adventures on Instagram. Miley Cyrus was a Morkie owner, too, once upon a time, but sadly, Miley’s Lila came to a tragic end when Miley’s bigger dog, Ziggy, accidentally stepped on her.