By: Guest Contributor
Tiny and adorable, the Morkie is an affectionate crossbreed who loves people and will get along with all of your other pets. By combining two popular breeds, the Yorkshire Terrier and the Maltese, breeders managed to create a beautiful dog with a loving personality.
These petite balls of fluff are not all cuddles and smooches though. A Morkie can be as bullheaded as they come, so previous experience with small breed dogs might be beneficial. These little dogs can cause big problems if you aren’t careful.
Morkies are also playful and will run to chase a ball for quite some time or find fun in interactive dog toys. They will surely keep older children in the home busy playing and then cuddle up in their beds at night to sleep.
So it’s no wonder why these tiny pooches are one of the favorite family dogs! The Morkie attaches to his family quickly and tend to form strong bonds with their pawrents.
While heartwarming and cute, his love for the family can create a problem when he needs to be left alone. These pups will become so attached to their families that they won’t be able to handle time on their own, so training them early and often in a must.
Morkies are Fragile
Due to their small size, Morkies are fragile and can be hurt easily if you’re not being careful with them. This crossbreed does best with families without small kids, who can seriously injure this furry baby in careless playing.
They are best suited to families with mature children or even elderly couples looking to add a little fluff to their lives. As an adaptable and easy going pooch, a Morkie can be happy with a big yard in the suburbs or in a minuscule city apartment. A few, short walks each day will keep this Yorkie and Maltese cross content and well-exercised. That’s good news for urban dwellers. They can keep their pup in their apartment without fear of denying them the space they need to say happy and healthy.
Before the 1980s, what are now designer dogs were simply considered to be adorable mutts. However, after the Labradoodle became a worldwide phenomenon, more and more breeders turned to crossbreeding to create new and improved dogs.
Morkie Health Concerns
Their goal was to minimize the potential for hereditary canine diseases and develop breeds with unique yet desirable traits. Naturally, the sudden influx of countless mixed breed dogs that were now touted as designer breeds made it hard for anyone to pinpoint the origin of a specific hybrid. It was anarchy for a while there.
At best, we can only estimate when and where a designer dog breed was first made. The same goes for the cute Morkie! These pups popped up so suddenly and in such an abundance that it’s almost impossible to determine where it all began.
Originating in the United States, the Morkie was bred to be a well-loved lapdog. The main objective for breeders was to create a small-sized dog, with low-shedding coat, and adorable teddy bear looks.
One look is all it takes to see that the undertaking was more than successful, as the cuteness of these pooches will melt you in a puddle in no time. These dogs are designed to be loved and failing to fall for them requires significant effort and a stone cold heart.
Gaining Popularity
Although it is unclear when first Morkie was created, this hybrid breed has been gaining popularity for the last 20 years. Despite the fact that these fluffy dogs have been around for quite some time, they are still not officially recognized as a breed.
Of course, this doesn’t stop people from wanting this feisty teddy bear look alike as their perfectly lap-sized pet! Official breed recognition is overrated. Cuteness trumps all.
While “Morkie” is definitely the most used name for this designer dog breed, you may also come across names like Yorktese or Morkshire Terrier. Even names such as Maltiyork, Malkie, Malki, Yorkiemalt or Yortese have been mentioned a few times. They’re not as catchy, but some people seem to prefer them. So if you are ever confused by those alternative names, rest assured that all of them are Morkies.
The Morkie was developed by breeding a Maltese to a Yorkshire Terrier. This breeding resulted in a crossbreed that we call the Morkie. While both of the parent breeds are recognized with kennel clubs across the world, their hybrid offspring has yet to become an official breed.
The main reason for the wariness around designer dogs breeds such as Morkie is that the breeding results simply are not reliable. With each cross, you don’t know what you’re going to get. A puppy might take after one breed more than the other, or inherit health issues from both breeds. It’s not an exact science just yet. It will take a few generations of Morkies before these things can become predictable.
Ethical Breeding is Key
This is why ethical breeding is so important with this style of designer dog. By getting your Morkie from a reputable breeder, you know that you’re getting a healthy pup that meets the highest crossbreed standards. Furthermore, true Morkie enthusiasts have hopes of developing their own purebred dogs that will be recognized by prestigious registries such as the American Kennel Club and Canadian Kennel Club.
Of course, this process takes time and work. So don’t expect anything even resembling an official pedigree when you buy a Morkie puppy! The best a reputable breeder can offer is a certification from some of the smaller canine organizations that recognize designer dogs, which isn’t exactly the same thing.
Take a Look at Genetic History
However, paper or not, you can be sure that your new pet comes from impressive ancestors. Both the Maltese and the Yorkie are popular breeds with long and happy histories as family pets.
In fact, some claim that the Maltese is the oldest European toy breed to still exist today! With parents such as these, Morkie has a bright future ahead. If bred ethically, this mix will inherit the best from both worlds and have a lovely character and sweet temperament- all bundled in one really cute package!
We’re excited to see how this breed develops because they are sure to be popular. It’s practically impossible not to fall in love with a Morkie.
Morkie Training
Bright but stubborn, Morkies are moderately easy to train. While their intelligence makes it almost effortless for them to learn tricks and commands, their hardheaded ways can make the process tiring. They need a gentle and patient person to work with them during training sessions.
Harsh methods will cause the Morkie to balk and shut down, not to mention that this type of dog training is known to be counterproductive for all animals. Training sessions should always be happy and fun times filled with yummy rewards and excited praise. If you rely on positive training techniques, the Morkie can be a wonderful student and you’ll be impressed with the results.
As with any training, it’s important to start with your pup as early as possible. Morkie puppies might be cute and charming, but it doesn’t mean you should let their mischiefs slide. Start with basic training and socialization in their puppyhood if you want to make sure you have a well-behaved and friendly dog later on.
Socialization
As a breed, the Morkie benefits from being taught how to act around other pets and children, as they can be a bit bossy and nervous if not socialized on time.
Additionally, as affectionate dogs that get attached to their owners, these hybrids are at risk of developing separation anxiety- timely crate training might be a good idea to avoid any issues later on.
While velcro dogs can be adorably affectionate, it’s not worth the pain and stress that they go through while isolated. Allowing these pups to develop a calm relationship with isolation early on will pay off huge dividends later in the life.