about morkies

Morkies, or the very popular cross of purebred Yorkshire Terrier with a purebred Maltese dog, are small, affectionate, loyal dogs that make ideal family companions.  

Both breeds -- the Yorkshire Terrier and the Maltese -- are ideally bred to be under 10 pounds, often 5 to 7 pounds.  Their coats can be clipped in a cute puppy cut or left long if you like combing your little dog.

Even with a long coat, Yorkies, Maltese and Morkies are all low-allergy pets. Although technically there is no such thing as a non- or truly hypo-allergenic animal, since all shed some dander, but the Morkie comes very close.

Both Maltese and Yorkies have their pros and cons, so the Morkie is a gamble that the best of both will shine through in the tiny toy Morkie. To find out if one is right for you, take a close look at the two breeds that combine to come up with a Morkie puppy, and then you can decide if this designer dog is right for you.

Meet the Yorkshire Terrier

The most popular toy dog around....This fave features a straight-flowing silky body coat of bright shiny lustrous steel blue and clear-shaded golden tan.

The hair is parted on the muzzle and from the base of the skull to the end of the tail. Square and well proportioned, the Yorkie holds its head high and has a very alert expression.

The Yorkie is a confident, sparkling and vigorous little dog. It shouldn't exceed 7 lb. (3 kg) according to breed standards; however many lovely Yorkies are 10 to 15 lbs.

What's the downside with a Yorkie?
- They can be territorial and like to have their space respected.
- Yorkies require more human companionship and attention than any other breed.
- That confidence? It can become willful in which case training of any kind can become difficult.

And Here's the Maltese!

An elegant, glamorous pup
Like the Yorkie, the Maltese features a beautiful, flowing coat - but in pure white... no other colours allowed!

That hair must be perfectly straight, and the longer the better. In a show dog, the hair hangs to the ground. Black lips, dark brown eyes and a black nose complete the little Maltese - which shouldn't exceed 7 lbs (3 kgs)

The Maltese, first bred as a household pet, is among the gentlest mannered of all little dogs. They are intelligent, vigorous, very affectionate and at times they seem fearless.

What's the downside with a Maltese?
- They will tolerate other pets, but are not suitable for small or rough-house children
- Maltese do not do well when left alone for extended periods of time
- Sometimes over-protective of their owner, family, and territory, Maltese may bark or bite if they perceive a threat
- Maltese can be finicky eaters and suffer indigestion
- And... they may be difficult to housebreak

1. You don't always get the best of both breeds

Combining different breeds doesn't mean you will end up with the best of both. For example, the popular Labradoodle, the combination of Labrador Retriever and Poodle, can result in a pup with a Labrador coat that sheds tons and irritates allergies!

2. Morkies have a wide variety of colours and looks

The Morkie's coat can be any colour combination of black, brown, white or beige, since Yorkies are black with "steel-blue" and brown highlights, and Maltese are pure white. One of the most enjoyable parts of the Morkie is their delightful and unique coat. It can be a solid colour, often beige, or show markings of all the colours.

3. Morkies shouldn't cost more than a purebred Yorkie or Maltese

Often so-called designer dogs are really just someone's get-cash-quick scheme. They have a purebred, a friend has another - so let's just mix them and see what happens. While there are many ethical breeds of hybrid dogs, a lot are fly-by-night and aren't necessarily raising the most healthy, happy puppies.

Even worse... there's a greater chance that your new buddy could have come from a puppy mill, which is a surefire way to heartbreak. For more tips on avoiding a puppy mill dog, visit Morkie for sale - where to get a healthy, happy Morkie

If you have a small dog, you know it's really easy to "spoil" them. But by tolerating behavior in a small dog, that would be totally unacceptable, even scary, in a big dog, we're promoting small dog syndrome - the tendency of small dogs to be yappy, snappy, protective and generally miserable to anyone but the owner.

Here are 4 steps to take to avoid creating a little monster!

First, what is small dog syndrome?

Dog behavior experts have labelled a series of behaviours as small dog syndrome. These behaviours include:

*lack of consistent house breaking or house training - the little dog pees all over
*excessive barking or whining - especially when there doesn't seem to be a real reason
*tendency to snap at strangers, other family members or big dogs
*"neurotic" behavior including obsessions with toys or other objects
*dominance behavior over owner and others

Here are four helpful steps to help fight Small Dog Syndrome in your pup:

1. Remember, this is a DOG
Cesar Millan, famed dog trainer and believer in the magic of a well balanced "pack" that includes owner and dogs, reminds us that ALL dogs are dogs first. They are the breed next, and then finally, they are YOUR PET.

2. Remember that DOGS are pack animals
What does this mean? Pack animals are divided into leader and followers. They act in ways that confirm their role in the group. If your little dog barks in your face, jumps up on you, demands your attention at dinner, pulls at the leash, then she's saying, "I am the leader here, not you."

What's so wrong with that? Dogs prefer to be followers, not leaders.

Think about it - do you want your dog to bite you, root through the garbage, bark incessantly, pee all over the house - because he thinks he's the alpha dog? Of course not, so that's why you've got to ensure your dog knows that YOU are the alpha dog, not him.

Don't pick him up all the time

• Designate a bed or open-door crate for "his" space and encourage him to go there when you're busy
• Do not let your dog jump up on you - a sharp "no" and/or small water gun will put a stop to this
• Don't feed your dog from your plate, or let him raid your snacks

3. Act like the leader - be firm, calm and assertive
No more tiny voices or baby talk to your dog when you want her to do something. (In fact, it's probably really annoying to people around you so you might want to ditch it altogether...)

4. Don't resort to old-school, cruel punishments
Stay away from corrections like hitting, shaking, or using the "rollover" techniques described in some books. (Where you put the dog on his back and stare him down). This will only enrage your dog - leading to more bad behavior.

Instead, work with your small dog to consistently, and quietly assert your command over him through everyday activities.

Since your Morkie is part Yorkshire Terrier and part Maltese dog, you might expect that those breeds' hereditary problems to be passed along to the Morkie. And you'd be right. Although this doesn't mean your Morkie will be plagued with any of these diseases, the chances are higher for this crossbreed.

The "big four" hereditary Morkie health problems they can inherit from their Yorkie or Maltese side are:

1. Patellar Luxation - or "floating" kneecaps. The kneecap or patella, actually slips in and out of place. 
2. Collapsing Trachea - ever heard a really wheezy old terrier? Likely his trachea has started to collapse. The cartilage rings that normally hold the windpipe round, begin to deteriorate.
3. Portosystemic Shunts (PSS) - also known as a liver shunt, can occur while the pup is still in its mother's womb. Development is abnormal and the result is, blood from the intestines goes only partly through the liver, and the rest mixes into general circulation. So normal toxins aren't fully cleared by the liver, and your dog becomes ill.
4. Cushing's disease - Canine Cushing's is a serious threat and unfortunately Yorkies are high on the list of susceptible breeds.