Like their parents, Yorkshire Terriers and Maltese, the Morkie is meant to be a small dog, usually under 10 pounds and most often around 5 or 6 pounds.  Both the parent breeds are small boned and not meant to carry any extra weight.

How can I tell if my Morkie is overweight?

It doesn’t take much – for example, if your Morkie is 7.5 lbs and is meant to be about 5 lbs., she’s 50% overweight!   Here are some ways to tell if your Morkie is a Porkie….

Can you feel his ribs fairly easily – they may have a thin layer of fat on them, but you should be able to feel each one.

Take an overhead view – it’s hard with the Morkie’s coat, but after a bath and before drying, is your Morkie “wasp” shaped or barrel shaped? Healthy-weight dogs should have a definite waist between shoulders and hips.

Now take a side view – again works best if your pup is wet, because of his fluffy coat. There should be what experts call an “abdominal tuck” – that is, the area behind the ribs should go up or be smaller in diameter than the rib area. This won’t be as extreme in the Morkie as in some breeds who are very deep chested (the greyhound for example) but it should be there.

ideal weight dogWhy is my Morkie fat?

  • Too little activity
  • Neutering – a spayed or neutered dog needs fewer calories
  • Age – like us, the Morkie tends to gain some weight as the years add up
  • Too much food, the wrong food and too many treats

Calories from treats can really add up. Your 6 or 7 lb. dogs needs just under 300 calories a day – one medium Milk Bone is 40 calories. Another popular treat, “Bonz” for small and medium dogs is 70 calories, and a couple of your buttered toast crusts, can be anywhere between 40 and 60 calories or more!

Next post: Does it really matter if your Morkie is chubby?

feeding-on-reader-with-priceWant to keep your Morkie as healthy as possible?  Check out – The Complete Guide to Feeding Your Morkie – Everything You Need to Know to Raise a Happy, Healthy Companion. 

This 61 page ebook is packed with facts, and names names when it comes to commercial dog foods.  A review of the big names, newer ‘holistic’ foods, home cooking for your dog and the RAW diet.

You’ll be shocked to see who’s on the Do-Not-Buy list!

For more about this book – just $7.00 to download today, click here.

ABOUT MORKIES