Morkie (Maltese Yorkie mix)
What is a Morkie? Also known as Yorktese, Malkie, or Malki,Yorkiemalt, Morkshire Terrier, Morkie is a small hybrid dog cross-bred between two toy breeds: The Yorkshire Terrier and the Maltese. Although most characteristics of the Morkie will be inherited from both parent breeds, not all Morkie dogs will get the same physical traits and personalities. Morkies are bundles of lovable contradictions: highly playful but quite fragile; tiny in size but have an attitude; easily excited but very intelligent. If socialized early, Maltese and Yorkie mix dogs can do well with other pets. Since one of their parent breeds is a ratting dog, Morkies are likely to have hunting instincts toward the smaller critters. Morkie makes a great family pet and can also be an excellent watchdog. Morkies require a great amount of maintenance when it comes to grooming, exercise and attention.
Adorable and tiny, this crossbreed will easily get along with other people and pets with all its affection. Although they may have a loving personality, these little dogs are not all smooches and cuddles. Previous experience with tiny hybrid dogs may be a plus, as these dogs could portray some bullheadedness as they come. This is likely to cause other problems if they are not handled with much care.
Being so playful, Morkies will have a lot of fun with interactive dog toys and can also run outside a lot chasing a ball. They usually keep older children busy at home by playing and cuddling at night in their beds, which makes Morkies favorite dogs for the family. Maltese Yorkie mix dogs tend to form strong bonds with their owners and usually attach to the family very quickly. This attachment may later cause problems if the Morkie is to be left alone.
Morkies are highly fragile and can be easily hurt if not handled with care. Small kids are not recommended to play with these furry pups, as they can seriously get injured when recklessly playing. For families with elderly couples or older children, these awesome dogs can add some fluff to them. Being easy-going and adaptable Pooches, Morkies can be happy in a minuscule urban apartment or a big suburban yard. To keep this Maltese and Yorkie cross contented and well-exercised, a few walks per day are okay, making it ideal for urban apartment dwellers.
What does a Morkie look like?
Referred to as a Toy Terrier, Morkie's basic weight is 4 to 12 pounds once mature and stand 6 to 10 inches tall. They really love attention, and it's easy to carry them in a backpack, large pocket, or even a handbag.
They have a big attitude, are very playful, loyal and friendly dogs. Children need to be taught how to be gentle with them. Strangers will likely prompt a bevy of barking from the Morkies. Morkies cannot be left alone untended or ungroomed. They need a lot of daily brushings, attention, and frequent playtime and walks. Their hair grows constantly since they don't shed much, and so they will need several trips to the groomer. Morkie's weight can reach from 4 to 12 pounds once mature. Maltese Yorkie mix dog stands from 6 to 10 inches tall. They really love attention, and this small cross breed is easy to carry in a backpack, large pocket, or even a in a handbag.
Yorktese (another name for Morkie) has a big attitude, is very playful, loyal and affectionate in temperament. Children need to be taught how to be gentle with them. Strangers will likely prompt a bevy of barking from Morkies. Morkies cannot be left alone untended or ungroomed. Maltese Yorkie mix dogs need a lot of daily coat brushings, attention, and frequent playtime and walks. Morkie hair grows constantly since they don't shed much, and so they will need several trips to the groomer each year unless the owners choose to do the Morkie grooming at home.
Morkie is a cross-breed that gets its genetics from the Yorkshire Terrier and Maltese. Some are likely to get more from the Maltese and others from the Yorkshire Terrier, but there are those that will get a balance of the two breeds. Regardless of your Morkie's mix, she will have a soft coat, a big attitude, and long hair that keeps on growing. The only visible difference of your Morkie being more of Yorkshire Terrier or Maltese are the ears. If Morkie ears are erect, they come from the Maltese side of the family but if the ears flop over, the ears are more of Yorkie.
Life Expectancy of a Morkie
How long do Morkie dogs live? Depending on how well-fed and exercised your Morkie is, this crossbreed can live for 10-16 years. By ensuring your Morkie makes regular visits to the vet to ensure he's healthy, your Morkie will live a happy and fulfilled life.
Morkie Maintenance
Is Morkie the right dog for me? From grooming, attention, and exercise, Morkies are high-maintenance dogs in almost every way. On the bright side, they are not susceptible to many health problems. While they get most exercise by themselves, they still demand attention, need walks, and require frequent professional grooming.
Morkie Exercise Requirements
Morkies strive to get an average amount of exercise by themselves, but a couple of short daily walks and a fair amount of playtime with bones, balls, and other toys should be included. Morkies can acquire destructive habits if left alone with no exercise.
Morkie variations are as follows
F1 - direct offsprings of a Yorkie and a Maltese.
F1B - offsprings of a Morkie and either a Yorkie or Maltese.
F2 - offsprings of two Morkie parents.
Most professional breeders offer either F1B or F1 Morkie puppies. The Morkie has a silky and long coat and is a combination of its Yorkie and Maltese parents' coat traits. If the Yorkie parent has a wiry coat (rarity), its offspring is likely to reflect that, and the hair may also be wiry. Also, most Yorkies are predisposed genetically to changing colors as they age. This is a trait that a Yorkie parent passes on to its offspring (Morkie).
Morkie Pedigree
The wariness that surrounds designer crossbreed dogs is that the offspring outcome of any crossbreeding isn't reliable, as you are not guaranteed what to get from each cross. A puppy is likely to favor the traits of one parent than the other, but it can also inherit negative health issues from both parent breeds. It cannot be an exact science for now. To be in a position of making any predictions in Morkies, it will take several generations. As such, ethical breeding is recommended where you get a healthy Morkie puppy from a reputable breeder that has high standards of crossbreeding.
But having come from impressive Yorkie and Maltese parents who are popular breeds with happy and long histories as pets in many families, you will not expect anything less from the Morkie. If ethically bred, the offspring produced inherits the best from both parents, creating a Morkie with a sweet temperament and lovely character.
Morkie Puppies
Following the small size of the Yorkie and Maltese parents, the litters will be as well small. Most healthy Morkie mothers usually give birth to a number of puppies ranging from 2 to 5. The littermates produced in the first generation Morkies can be quite different from each other as they are likely to favor either parent differently, and they will also inherit different traits from the parents. Uniform characteristics tend to appear in a certain litter when Morkies are mated to other Morkies in their second generation. Consistent Morkies usually take several generations in order to be consistent. This being the goal of all breeders, it takes a little much patience but it's worth it.
Although Morkie puppies can be incredibly adorable and cute, these little puppies can easily get killed or seriously hurt. Always avoid rolling excessively with them in bed or even hugging them tightly, as these little pups are quite fragile and it can lead to unexpected fatalities. Care should also be observed as these puppies grow since they don't grow to be as strong as other dog breeds. These pups are handled with gentle touches, and that's why they only need to be in the company of older children and adults who will take good care.
When your Morkie puppy is still young, ensure to socialize him early with other pets and people. This will help in building the social skills of your puppy, which prevents him from becoming timid or shy in adulthood. To enhance these skills more, you could also consider Puppy Kindergarten classes for your Morkie, as this will also prepare him for more learning in the future.
Size of Morkie doesn't vary much and most full grown Morkies weigh from 4 to 12 pounds with a height of 6 to 10 inches.
Morkie Diet
As little as they are, these pooches have great appetites. They are likely to add their weight from kibble but you, of course, don't have to let them do so! The safest course to follow is the serving order recommended by your veterinarian or the dog food manufacturer. Ensure to monitor Morkie's meals since they munch almost everything put in front of them.
You can feed your Morkie using pet food recommended for pets from your nearest store in order to meet all the dietary requirements for your Morkie, as these food contain all essential nutrients. Ensure to feed enough kibble to your Morkie based on its age from puppyhood to adulthood and other senior ages. To ensure your Morkie puppy gets a well-deserved diet, a little research will go a long way to assist you in this.
Due to the dental issues that the parent Maltese and Yorkie are prone to, dry kibble is the best meal for these pups. This prevents plaque buildup, cavities, gum infections, bad breath and tooth loss.
How to groom a Morkie
Since Morkies are crossbreed dogs, they don't have any defined color or style but their coats are usually long and soft. Typically the color of their coats could be:
Solid white
Black
Tan
The colors can also combine and this varies from one Morkies to another. With Morkie breeding, it's never easy to predict how each will be produced in each litter. This diversity of being unpredictable makes the entire phenomenon so charming for enthusiastic designer dog breeders. While the Yorkie and Maltese parent breeds have coats that are hypoallergenic, there's no guarantee that the Morkie offspring will not be allergic. To ensure a Morkie's hair will not give you sniffles, just spend some time with one before getting a Morkie for yourself.
Whatever the coat style your Morkie may have, they need to groomed regularly. To keep their coat free from tangling and matting, frequent brushing in a week is a requirement. The silky and non-shedding fur of the Maltese and Yorkie needs immense care, and this isn't different from the Morkie's coat. In addition to these, you can use a vet-recommended conditioner and shampoo to bath the dog once a month to keep the skin and coat of your Morkie healthy. Avoid frequent bathing as it could damage the natural oils on the dog's skin that keeps the coat lush.
Morkie dogs require a lot of maintenance as they will most likely have long hair, a seemingly perpetual attention demand, and a lot of energy to be burned. Ears, eyes, and teeth should be washed, brushed, and monitored frequently 2 or 3 times weekly. As Morkies are relatively hypoallergenic and tend not to shed much, they will just require a few trips to the groomer annually.
While Yorkie Maltese mix dog grooming can be expensive at dog grooming salons, some owners choose to groom Morkie at home. In order to successfully groom a Morkie in the comfort of your home it is important to have the grooming tools necessary to accomplish a professional looking haircut. Morkie's coat keeps on growing and in order to keep the dog's hair neat and well groomed, the dog will need to be trimmed once every couple of months. See a complete Morkie grooming tutorial video provided below and you may find that you really enjoy grooming your pet at home.
Morkie temperament
Despite their small size, Morkies are playful, happy-go-lucky animals. Their miniature bodies do hold immense character and spirit. They love playing and running around fetching balls and toys or even hightailing in the backyard with elderly children. Although little kids are well-behaved and disciplined, they have a tendency of playing recklessly and are likely to inadvertently harm the fragile, little Morkies when having fun with them. As such, they are well suited for elderly people in the family. Morkies also get along well with other cats and dogs in the house, so long as they are socialized early. But larger dogs are fond of playing rough and need to be avoided playing with tiny Morkies to prevent them from being injured.
Underneath their feistiness and playfulness, these cuddle bugs have a tendency of strongly bonding with their family, and will always want to be by your side. Since there's a thin line between an overly dependent behavior and loving affection, ensure to teach your little Morkie to relax in your absence. Endeavor not to indulge yourself in their clingy behavioral needs, as this may cause separation anxiety when you are not around.
While apartment dwellers will be comfortable living with these little dogs, the excessive barking behaviors of Morkies could create an uncomfortable environment for your neighbors. They actually Yapp until someone comes to give them company at home. Therefore, before acquiring this little hybrid dog, ensure you always have someone at home to give the Morkie some company or take your Morkie with you wherever you go.
Morkies are loyal, playful and full of moxie. They can't be told they are small dogs, and the stubbornness will actually belie size. These dogs are highly energetic and very social, and must be socialized and trained very early with plenty of patience as well as a very gentle hand; harsh methods and yelling will not work.
Morkie exercise requirements
Morkies strive to get an average amount of exercise by themselves, but a couple of short daily walks and a fair amount of playtime with bones, balls, and other toys should be included. Morkies can acquire destructive habits if left alone with no exercise.
From grooming, attention, and exercise, Morkies are high-maintenance dogs in almost every way. On the bright side, they are not susceptible to many health problems. While Maltese Yorkie cross dogs get most exercise by themselves, they still demand attention, need walks, and require frequent professional grooming.
Morkie training
Morkies are bright and a little bit stubborn, making them fairly easy to train. Although their hardheadedness could harden the training process, their intelligence enhances the effortless learning of new commands and tricks. When training your Morkie, you should be gentle and patient. You should make your Morkie's training sessions fun, happy and offer yummy rewards as you praise him for obedience.
Being very intelligent and easy to train, it is essential to train Morkie dogs and teach them proper manners. A Morkie that is untrained is likely to cause destruction in your home. Avoid giving them excessive exercise as many repetitions could be harmful to their health. Although they are good learners, Morkies can show stubbornness. Maltese Yorkshire Terrier mix dogs can be taught many commands and tricks. Start by teaching a Yorktese dog simple commands such as:
- Come
- Quiet
- Down
- Stand
- Sit
Training techniques that use positive methods of praising and rewarding get your Morkie pretty quickly trained, and the results will be impressive.
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