The adorable Yorkie-Maltese Mix

The Morkie’s parents are the Maltese Yorkie couple, two breeds that are similar in size. Since the Yorkshire Terrier and the Maltese dog usually weight about 5 to 8 or 9 pounds, it makes sense that’s how much a Morkie weighs.

Good quality purebred Yorkies and Maltese can be a little bigger – remember, dogs that are too small (under 4 pounds as adults) can be sickly and aren’t as strong.

TOY DOGS like Morkies reach their adult weight by 10 months – big dogs take 2 years to reach their adult weight.

As a general rule of thumb, multiply your Morkie’s weight at 6 weeks times 4 to determine his adult weight.

More ways to estimate your Morkie’s adult size.

Or download this worksheet to calculate his size:

Morkie size worksheet

How long your Morkie will live depends on many factors, including health, exercise, and genetic influences.

√ But it’s been proven that smaller dogs tend to live longer than large breeds.

√ Plus crossbreeds live longer than purebreds.

• the median life expectancy of all dogs is 12.8 years
• the longest living dog: the rare Mexican Xoloitzcuintle has a life span of 15-20 years
• the shortest lifespan: the Irish Wolfhound has an estimated 6- to 8-year life expectancy
• life expectancy for other dogs is somewhere in between

Yorkies and Maltese live between 12 to 15 years, so it’s reasonable to expect your Morkie can live that long too, with good care and exercise.

Your Morkie can’t eat YOUR food; in fact, a lot of it can make him very sick. Foods like chocolate, artificial sweetener and raisins. (More here)

When you pick dog food, go for the best quality. Mix canned food with dry food (kibble) and try fresh-packed foods like Fresh Pet. Here are the main things to keep in mind:

For more about what to feed your Morkie, check here.

Regular combing keeps your Morkie’s coat smooth and mat-free. It even reduces that doggy smell. But eventually, you will need to bathe your dog.

Generally speaking, you should not bathe your Morkie more than once every 8 weeks.

Too many baths will strip the natural oils from your dog’s coat and can cause skin irritations. Your Morkie’s skin can become dry and flakey, and his coat can go dull and frizzy when the natural oils are washed away.

Picking a shampoo

“Is my shampoo OK for my Morkie?”

This is a question I hear often, and the short answer is NO.

Although you might have to use your own products or even baby shampoo in a pinch, dog shampoo is quite different than ours. It’s made to match a dog’s natural PH levels. The problem is, most pet shampoos have cancer-causing preservatives and chemicals.

That’s why it’s vital you pick a shampoo that’s labelled “Certified Organic” shampoo. Any other claim on the label, like pure or natural, is bogus.

Everything

You Need to Know About

Grooming Your Morkie

Yourself at Home

Potty training a toy dog can be really challenging. Some of the reasons why are our fault. We pick them up to go everywhere, so they don’t gt into the natural rhythm of letting us know when they have to go. We change the rules – sometimes we want them to go inside on potty pads, other times we encourage them to go outside. And, it goes with the territory: small dogs are just harder to train.

Good news, though, it can be done.

Three shortcuts to easier housetraining

First, be consistent in letting your Morkie know where you want him to go. Inside or out? Papers or litter box?

Second, be consistent with feeding times.

Third, be lavish in your praise, and avoid all old-school, cruel training like whacking the dog with a newspaper. Keep reinforcement POSITIVE, and you’ll see results.

Read more.