Morkie for sale

Breeders of mixed breed dogs should be held to the same high standards as any breeder - that means that you the buyer should:

• insist on health checks appropriate to both parent breeds,
• meet both parents if possible (and the mother at a minimum),
• view where the pup's been raised,
• ask for detailed descriptions of the type of socialization the puppies are provided with,
• look for breeders who know plenty about both Maltese and Yorkshire Terriers

...how do you tell the difference between a responsible breeder and an unethical one? Unlike breeders of purebred dogs, there are no credible associations or organizations for the multitude of new designer dogs... and the national kennel clubs like the A.K.C. and C.K.C. don't recognize these purebred mixes.

There are a number of signals you should watch for when you're looking at a new dog; check out these hints and above all, listen to your gut feel. There are plenty of scam artists in the animal industry, so buyer beware!

Look for truly "home raised" puppies

The puppies should be raised inside the breeder's home as part of the family, not stuck in a kennel, garage or basement with little visits to the "big house." These tiny pups are meant to be household pets not yard dogs!

Small breeds like Morkies must stay with their mother until they're at least 8 weeks old. They need the nutrition, being so small and they also need to continue to develop good social skills from mother and siblings during this important period. A puppy removed at 5 or 6 weeks old is likely to be a biter, pushy and aggressive. And watch for the unscrupulous breeder who presents 5- or 6-week-old puppies as "teacup" Morkies who are supposedly 8 or 9 weeks old! Sadly it happens more than you know.

Both parents -- the Yorkshire Terrier and the Maltese -- should have been tested for the specific health problems are a concern in their breed, as well as those hereditary health problems that are common to both breeds.

Those tests include X-rays, eye tests, cardiac ultrasounds, blood tests and even DNA tests.

Inquire - and ask to see documentation that at least most of these tests were undertaken and the parent dogs passed them.

In a pet store

Even if if the manager assures you the dogs are from a good breeder; they're not. No halfway decent breeder would put her puppies into a pet store environment. Pet store dogs are bought wholesale from puppy mills.

Online

O.K. it's alright to LOOK online for available puppies, but never complete the deal online by sending money for a puppy that's going to be shipped to you. That's almost certainly the mark of a puppy mill dog.

The problem with Puppy Mills

Puppy mills, as the name suggests, churn out pups under extremely cruel and inhumane conditions, for one purpose only: the almighty dollar. It is estimated that there are 4,000 puppy mills in the U.S. that produce more than half a million puppies a year!

That's 30 to 40 litters each and every year, per puppy mill.


The dogs are underfed, abused and never given medical care.

Warning... this gets graphic

Hybrid dog production is particularly horrible - if the mother dog is the smaller of the two mixing breeds - say she is the Yorkie in a Yorkie-Pug mix, it's likely the puppies will be too large for her to deliver. No problem - the mill operators simply slit her belly without anesthetic and pull out the puppies. She's stitched back up. If she lives, she'll be bred again at the next earliest opportunity. If not, "oh well" is the operator's motto, since there are hundreds of other dogs in the facility.

Sorry to be so graphic, but that's the sad state of puppy mills.

The "breeder" is local, but no, you can't visit. Instead, he or she wants to meet at a halfway point, a mall or car-park.

You can visit - and you see 3 or more different dog breeds running around. This is a red flag that the breeder isn't committed to one breed or hybrid and is just breeding whatever dogs she has to make money.

Dirty or stinky facilities. Genuine breeders love their dogs and put their care first. The home and puppy area should be clean and tidy and a safe environment for the puppies and parents.

Hand painted signs on the road, advertising puppies for sale.

Puppies are always available, and the breeder will let you take one at Christmas, Easter, etc. No good breeder will release a puppy during these very high-stress times and no responsible breeder always has a handy supply of puppies.

Stay away from anyone who's selling puppies at a public place like a flea market, yard sale, swap meet or pet store, or out of the back of a pickup truck, car, or van.

Be suspicious of the breeder who doesn't demand that you spay or neuter your puppy. A genuine breeder will ask you to sign an agreement that your dog will NOT be bred.

More signs all is not well
The puppy is dirty, matted or has a poor coat. Poop stains around the rectum.
The breeder wants cash only.
The breeder asks you very few questions about your home and lifestyle.
There is no written health guarantee.

If you see any of these warnings, then do walk away from the deal no matter how cute that little pup is. Otherwise, you could be in for years of heartbreak, and meanwhile the puppy mill or backyard breeder will backfill with new puppies.

Legitimate breeders on the other hand, are very interested to know that their pups are going to responsible owners and will be glad to talk about their dogs, sometimes at length!

If you have a designer or hybrid dog, it can be difficult to get stuff with their name on it... but not for Morkies. Here are specially-designed ribbed T-shirts for your Morkie, each with a special Morkie message on them. Available for fast ordering and guranteed quality, at Zazzle.

Take a look - and maybe you'd like to try your hand at turning your ideas into shirts, cards, mousepads and more! Just upload your design to Zazzle, and they'll put it on a huge variety of merchandise, one order at a time. It's fast, affordable and a ton of fun!

(Or visit my lens Morkie Tshirts to see more.)