See how much you know about the Morkie or Morkie dog
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Half Yorkshire Terrier and half Maltese dog, Morkies are a delightful mixed breed or designer dog.
Both parent dogs have hair, not fur, so they trigger fewer allergies. They are about the same size – 4 to 7 pounds and about 8 to 10 inches high at the shoulders.
They are both in the “Toy Dog” class, even though the Yorkie is a terrier. Like their parents, the Morkie is a loyal, affectionate and fun-loving companion.
One of the Morkie parents, the Maltese.
One of the oldest breeds, Maltese are prized for their beautiful white coats and loving nature.
First bred more than 3,000 years ago, Maltese dogs were lapdogs or companions. They had no other purpose or job to do. That explains their deeply engrained people-pleasing nature. Originally a symbol of wealth, Maltese were prized by aristocrats and royalty.
In contrast, the Yorkshire Terrier breed is less than 200 years old. They’re glamorous companions to the stars today, but Yorkies started as lowly factory workers in northern England. Their job? Catch rats and mice in fabric mills and coal mines. But Yorkies soon caught the eye of upper-class British ladies and were eventually downsized to the lapdogs we enjoy today.
The other Morkie parent, the Yorkshire Terrier.
Yorkies still have the feisty, energetic nature of a working dog. They’re a big dog in a small body and they do like to bark. But they’re smart and love games. Like Maltese, they are loving and loyal.
Combining the two to create a Morkie
Morkies are beautiful, friendly and affectionate dogs.
Part of their appeal is the fact each one is a little different from the other. They can be any combination of the black and tan Yorkshire Terrier color and the pure white Maltese. This combo can result in apricot, white, brown and most common black and tan, which in later life changes to a silver-grayish color.
When it comes to temperament, you can never be sure which parent the Morkie will resemble.
A Morkie isn’t simply 50% Yorkie and 50% Maltese; how the two breeds combine is different every time. The ideal Morkie combines the best of both breeds. On the plus side, you never know what you’ll get. On the negative side, you never know what you’ll get!
That means your little Morkie will be unique and a one-of-a-kind pet with the advantages of both Yorkie and Maltese.
Read more on this page: What’s a Morkie?
My morkie is six years old, got her unknowingly from a puppy mill. We originally went for these really cute morkie puppies we saw online, howevee in the corner of my eye I caught a little scraggly puppy. Unlike the more fluffy folded over ears morkies, this one was tiny with pointed ears and really dark fur. Originally I was told not to give her a name as she hadn’t eaten since being taken from her mother. The vet took a look and suspected she had worms. Lucky for us she did not. She got lots of love began eating and is my best friend. We named her Piper!! My older dog Molly, a multipoo definitely influenced her friendly nature. She is very yappy and will snap at dogs that get to close but has never bit any person or any animal. She’s loyal especially to me and sometimes can be trusted without a leash however if she sees any movement, even a dang bird she will spring into action and run at the speed of light haha. She definitely has a alpha mentality. Piper is 5lbs of pure wolfish ego.
My morkie is 12 weeks. Plays hard mighty fearce but loves to cuddle. Can’t imagine life without her.
My Morkie is the love of my life shes saved me many times!once i fell and cavked my head had no voice she howeled out like a scream constantly!got attention !then had a home invasion she warned me before it got real bad behaved like a rotty ,now lets me know when i am going to seize i am epileptic she is my all!9lbs
Hi Cheryl,
Wow, your Morkie sounds AMAZING! Great to hear all that she can do for you. Sounds like she is literally a lifesaver.
Thank you for sharing.
Best regards,
Deb@MorkieNation.com
My morkie is 14 lbs and black with a little white. Loves to play but also has separation anxiety. He can only have a 1 type of dog food and only 1 type of treat otherwise he’ll end up at the vet with diarrhea.
I have two Morkies, one is 3 and is 14 lbs, the other is 2 and is 12 lbs. neither is overweight, and both sets of parents were under 7 lbs…. No idea how both of them got so big! But they are a great size, not so breakable and live to rough-house!
You’re so right … So-called teacups are actually sickly runts! A bigger dog is so much better.
My Morkie seems bigger than most. Why? He’s almost 14 pounds, butterscotch colored, 6 year old male. I thought he would stay smaller like a Yorkie.