Breeds / Toy
Morkie puppies
The Morkie is affectionate, playful and confident, intelligent but strong willed. A short daily walk and regular mental stimulation suit them, and they are prone to excessive barking and to anxiety when left alone.
The facts
- Size class Toy
- A cross of Maltese and Yorkshire Terrier
- Country of origin United States
- Adult weight 1.8 to 4.5 kg
- Adult weight in pounds 4 to 10 lb
- Adult height 15 to 25 cm
- Energy level Moderate
- Grooming High
- Coat type Long silky
- Typical lifespan 11 to 15 years
- Good with children Older children only
- Good with other dogs Careful introductions
About the Morkie
The Morkie is a Maltese crossed with a Yorkshire Terrier, bred in the United States as a companion. Adults weigh 1.8 to 4.5 kg and stand 15 to 25 cm, which makes them one of the smallest crosses on the market. The coat is long and silky. The character is bold and affectionate with a stubborn streak underneath, and most of them are quick to tell the whole household when anything moves outside the window.
A short walk and some games each day are enough exercise. The grooming is the daily part: brushing to keep the silky coat out of mats, plus teeth cleaned several times a week. A dog this light can be injured by a toddler or by a large playful dog, so a household needs to be honest about who lives in it. Barking and separation anxiety are the two behaviours that harden fast without early work.
A cross, not a breed. The Morkie is a cross rather than a standardised breed, so size, coat and temperament vary and can favour either parent, and a first cross of two purebred parents is less predictable than a later generation bred back to one side. Both parents are toy breeds, so the size spread is narrow, but the coat can be silky like the Yorkshire Terrier or softer and whiter like the Maltese.
What to expect at eight weeks
At eight weeks a Morkie puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A toy breed puppy at eight weeks is small enough to be genuinely fragile. They can be hurt by a jump off a sofa and by being stepped on, and toy breeds are prone to low blood sugar, so they need frequent small meals rather than two big ones. Expect moderate energy, in short bursts separated by long naps. Grooming needs are high. Start daily brushing and short, positive handling sessions at eight weeks, well before the adult coat arrives, or the first professional groom will be traumatic. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their life.
Health worth knowing about
Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.
- Patellar luxation, suspected from limping, bunny hopping or a popping knee and graded on orthopaedic examination
- Periodontal disease and early tooth loss, found from irritated gums and bad breath at annual dental examination
- Portosystemic liver shunt, suspected from poor growth and screened with a serum bile acids test
- Patent ductus arteriosus, heard as a continuous murmur on auscultation and confirmed by echocardiogram
- Collapsing trachea, recognised by a goose honk cough that worsens with excitement and confirmed on radiographs
- Hypoglycaemia in young puppies, confirmed by a blood glucose test
Your Morkie puppy's first six months
- Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
- Worming and parasite schedule.
- Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Toy for a Morkie.
- Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 1.8 to 4.5 kg adult range.
- Puppy names and the first week checklist.
Kit sizes: crate 22 inch (22 x 14 x 16 in, 56 x 36 x 41 cm) for an adult of up to 4.5 kg; chew toys made for small breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.
Buying guides for this
Other toy breeds
More on the Morkie
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Not veterinary advice. Breed information is general. Your own dog, and your own vet, always win.
Sources
- petmd.com for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming and the temperament ratings, coat type and health notes
- purina.co.uk for country of origin
- Health notes from Morkie breed information at https://www.petmd.com/dog/breeds/morkie. Discuss any of these with your own vet.
Photo: Chelsearock, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.