Introduction
Morkie is a hybrid of Yorkshire and Maltese. In recent years, it has become more and more popular and sought-after from all over the world. That is to say, people have eliminated undesirable traits and retained the good qualities of both parents. Maltese Yorkie mix is based on such principle.
What’s more? Morkies are so lovely and have a small size since they inherit the size from their parents. As a result, what you’ll have in hand is the best of both worlds.
Maltese
Origin
Maltese was first found by sailors on the island of Malta (Mediterranean region) in 1500 BC. It has existed since the 5th century in the initial cultures of Greece, Rome, and Egypt. This one is considered to be an ancestor of the Bichon Frize, Bolognese and Havanese breeds.
Appearance
Maltese looks like a toy pet with a small size and a square body. They have a modest height of only 8-10 inches and the weight of 7 pounds. They have round, black eyes, dropped ears, white coat, and silky, long, flat, white hair. Meanwhile, the tail is long, carried over the back.
Character
It seems that malteses are innocent from appearance, but they are really the feisty, bold one and not shy to challenge larger dogs. If there are strangers, they will be very alert and rewarded to inform the owner.
Moreover, they are inherently smart, agile, and energetic. They look graceful, lovely and quite friendly with other pets in the house. Despite being cute and mischievous, they are quite stubborn. So, when you teach them the habit of listening, you need to be patient and not rushed.
Health
This dog has a fairly long life expectancy, up to 15 years. During the breeding process, especially in the young, a maltese can has problems related to digestion and respiration. As a result, the owner will need to take it to a veterinary for vaccination, health care, and full immunization.
Yorkie
Origin
Yorkie, fully known as Yorkshire Terrier, was originated in England, specifically from the historic county of Yorkshire as the dog’s name. At that time, Scottish citizens came to Yorkshire to work and they carry their dogs along to chase and catch hateful mice. Over many generations, the breed has been bred to Yorkie as it is today.
Appearance
They are small in size and so cute that they can be carried in women’s fashion bags so-called “toy pets”. For adults, they are slightly larger in size with a weight of 12-15 pounds and a height of 8-9 inches. The coat is long and smooth, and the hair of some dogs may be longer than their height.
Yorkie’s body and tail are usually dark blue, while their body is brown or mixed with different colored hairs. They have V-shaped ears with a high tail on the back.
Character
Yorkies have a small, friendly appearance. They’re great companions in the family because they’re very smart and emotional that can create a happy atmosphere for everyone. Besides, they love children, but only children at the age of 5 or higher. As they’re originated from Terriers, they are also very energetic, courageous, and loyal.
Health
Yorkies are ideally suited to living in an apartment because of their small size, yet they are very active and need activities to play. One thing to note is that these dogs are more susceptible to normal health problems such as cholecystitis, tracheal diseases, and progressive retinal atrophy (PRA). Therefore, they should be regularly examined for eyes, knees, and ultrasound of the liver.
Morkie – The Mixed Result of Maltese and Yorkie
Morkie Overview
Origin
This is one of the most popular breeds from super cute parents. It is a cross between two kinds of the tiny pooch – the Maltese and the Yorkie originated from the USA and Canada. In the 1990’s, the first one was born with hanging ears and silky coat inherited from both parents.
Appearance
Morkies have the weight of 4-12 pounds and the height of 6-10 inches. Their honest bone structure is similar to either parent pooch. They also inherit the diversity combination of hair color, hair type, and size from the ancestors.
Like human hair, wavy hair develops continuously, so the owners should keep grooming by brushing or cutting. Other features of yorkies include a couple of falling ears, bright dark eyes, almond shape, black button nose, and small muzzle. Their tail may be long or docked, while their coat is long and smooth.
Character
These dogs are loyal, friendly, and clever. They’re stubborn, too. They always need to have a companion because they hate suffering from the loneliness. Moreover, yorkies are full of confidence, spunk, and energy. They get on well with kids, even though you should closely supervise and not leave small children with the pet.
In addition, this maltese yorkie mix is also extremely intelligent and can be trained easily, but uneasy to housebreak. Sometimes, they’re in doubts about strangers to serve as a loyal watchdog.
Health
Morkies have the lifespan of between 12 and 14 years. Because of a small kind of dog, they can come up with some health issues from their parents in the eye, ears, and oral area. Some popular ones are collapsed trachea, liver problems, eye problems. It is essential to bring them to the vet for regular checkups to ensure timely detection of disease symptoms.
Pros and Cons of Morkie
Pros
The breed is inherited lots of good characteristics from the parents.
They don’t require much room (so-called “apartment dogs”) for their small body.
Much exercise isn’t essential for them.
They love to play with children, especially older children.
They’re very intelligent and easy to be trained.
They are so friendly to make new friends.
They have a long life that can last at least 12 years or more.
Cons
They will become bored and destructive without doing activities.
They need to be paid attention by the owners.
Toy pets are fragile, so they aren’t suitable for a rambunctious family.
They may be injured easily.
They are not able to suffer from the cold weather.
Some diseases are easy to catch like hypoglycemia, collapsed trachea.
Extra Information about Morkie
How much grooming is needed?
You should brush yorkies several times per week to prevent the coat from tangling or matting. Since they are small and delicate, grooming needs to be made with great care. Also, bathing once a month with shampoo helps to maintain the nice coat and healthy skin. But note that bathing too many times can lead to losing the natural oils in the dog’s skin.
Furthermore, you should have the ears tested and wiped once a week, the eyes cleaned frequently, the teeth brushed about twice a week, and the nails cut if too long.
Should you let a Morkie play with your children and other animals?
He is willing to play with children and especially, older children for his delicateness. Most kids may be too energetic and careless with their jokes hurting him unexpectedly. Conversely, he will have lots of fun and cuddle with older children and even stay with them in the sleep. Morkies are always fascinated by running around the house to catch attractive toys or balls with kids.
How much exercise does a Morkie need?
Despite a small pooch, they are completely energetic and needn’t spend much time on doing exercises. A quick morning walk and an evening saunter bring power to them for keeping healthy and fitness. They love chasing the ball or other fun toys traveling down in the hallway of apartment and backyard as well.
Without enough exercise, yorkies feel tired and destructive. They can even bark persistently and spoil your properties.
Is a Morkie trained quickly?
They’re smart, obstinate and temperately easy to train. They require a gentle and persistent master to work with during the practicing period. Harsh ways will make him neglect and shut down. So, training should be in a happy and fun manner packed with tasty rewards and fun praise. By using positive and optimistic techniques, your yorkie will be an obedient student.
Conclusion
It’s great to be a hybrid between Yorkie and Maltese when it comes to owning a dog with eye-catching looking, cute appearance and good health.
However, each dog has a defective gene as its human, and this Maltese Yorkie mix is not an exception. To that end, selection and breeding should be conducted carefully to minimize the risk from genetic defects.
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