The Morkie is a popular dog bred from the Yorkshire terrier and the Maltese. Learn more about the tiny, adorable, and tenacious Morkie.
Morkie Overview
| OFFICIAL NAME | Morkie |
| COMMON NAME | Morkie |
| PET HEIGHT | 7 to 9 inches |
| PET WEIGHT | 5 to 7 pounds |
| LIFESPAN | 12 to 15 years |
| GOOD WITH | children, families, seniors |
| TEMPERAMENT | anxious, friendly, outgoing, playful |
| INTELLIGENCE | medium |
| SHEDDING AMOUNT | infrequent |
| EXERCISE NEEDS | medium |
| ENERGY LEVEL | active |
| VOCAL LEVEL | frequent |
| DROOL AMOUNT | low |
| BREED GROUP | hybrid |
| BREED SIZE | small (0-25 lbs.) |
| COAT LENGTH | medium |
| COLORS | black, blue, brown / chocolate / liver, cream, fawn, gold / yellow, gray, white |
| PATTERNS | bicolor, black and tan, blue and tan, liver and tan, tricolor |
| OTHER TRAITS | apartment-friendly, easy to groom, good for first-time pet owners, highly territorial, hypoallergenic, strong loyalty tendencies |
People love the Yorkshire terrier, and they love the Maltese, so it's only natural they would want to combine the two for a mixed breed that has the fluff and sweetness of a Maltese and the verve and coloring of a Yorkie. Universe, meet the Morkie.
Like their parent breeds, Morkies are small, energetic toy dogs who love their families. Because they can be vocal about unfamiliar people, they also make good alarm systems, alerting their owners to someone walking up to the door with a sharp bark. Caring for a Morkie is pretty straightforward: Consistent, positive reinforcement training, a moderate amount of regular exercise, and regular grooming. The Morkie coat, while typically long, is often kept in a short puppy cut. Morkies are low-shedding and considered to be a low-allergen dog. And while no dog is truly hypoallergenic, Morkies can be a good fit for those who tend to sniffle around puppies.
Though they're sometimes compared to the Maltipoo, which is a poodle and Maltese mix, there are a couple of key differences between these two hybrids: Maltipoos are generally a little larger than Morkies and will also have a curlier coat, thanks to their poodle parent.
Like many of the new "designer breeds," there's not a lot of data or records kept on the Morkie, but anecdotally at least, their popularity has skyrocketed in the last decade or so. They've even been seen out and about with celebrities such as Miley Cyrus and Steven Tyler.
Appearance
Keep in mind that as a hybrid breed, there can always be variations in the Morkie size and appearance. However, like both the Maltese and the Yorkshire terrier, the Morkie is a small dog who generally weighs around 5–7 pounds and measures anywhere from 7–9 inches tall.
Morkies tend to get their coloring from their Yorkshire terrier parent. They can be black, brown, white, or even golden. Their coats tend to be long, though many Morkie owners keep their dogs clipped short, and their ears can be either pointed like a Yorkie or floppy like a Maltese.
Morkies have small, bright, dark eyes that sparkle with inquisitiveness (especially if you happen to be holding something tasty) and little black gumdrop noses. They're adorable—and they know it.
Temperament
Morkies tend to get their temperaments from their Maltese parent, so they are a bit calmer and more of a lapdog than Yorkies, says Patrick Henry, a Maltese and Yorkshire terrier breeder since 2002. He has been breeding Morkies for the last 10 years. "That being said, you can get a Morkie that might be a little bit more vocal than others and take on more characteristics of the Yorkshire terrier," he says.
Because of this vocal tendency, they can be quick to alert you to unfamiliar sounds or people. Barking is also a trait you can work on training your dog to avoid when unnecessary, especially if you can put in the time from the moment you bring your Morkie puppy home.
Like both parents, Morkies are energetic pups with big personalities who love playtime and zooming around the yard. Yorkshire terriers were bred as rodent hunters, so Morkies can inherit a tenacious, athletic streak from that side of their heritage. And from the Maltese, which were bred as companions for thousands of years, Morkies get a tendency for loyalty and affection.
"They really love to just have one person that they're attached to," says Irith Bloom, a certified dog trainer, board member at the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, and Daily Paws Advisory Board member. "Both the Maltese and the Yorkie, they'll tend to pick a person. So a Morkie is also likely to have that trait where they bond to Mom and they don't care about Dad or they don't care about the kids."
Living Needs
Morkies can make great apartment dogs, as long as you manage any tendencies toward separation anxiety and barking. While energetic, they don't require a yard to get the exercise they need, as long as they have space indoors to play and plenty of toys for mental stimulation.Morkies can get along with children (especially during playtime), but small children should be taught how to treat dogs gently. They also generally get along with other dogs, though always supervise playtime with new canine friends. Morkies are small and can be accidentally injured by overzealous roughhousing.
As for companions, they're fairly flexible as long as their families can give them plenty of attention and playtime. Active seniors who can take them on walks are wonderful Morkie owners, as Morkies love all-day attention and tend to bond to a primary caregiver. College students with flexible schedules who can come home in the middle of the day could also make a great Morkie mom or dad.
Care
The Morkie's grooming needs are not difficult, but they do require regular upkeep, especially if you're keeping their coat long. Brush their coats daily to prevent their hair from matting and to remove any debris. Give them a bath every week or so, and if hair is falling into your Morkie's eyes, tie it up or pin it back to avoid eye irritation (bonus points if you use an extra-cute hair accessory).That being said, there is a grooming shortcut. "From our experience, most customers keep them what they call a puppy cut, which is basically just a shorter hair coat," Henry says. "And that way they don't have to quite do that daily grooming like you would if you wanted the long flowing coat, like you would see like in a show dog."
Like any small, active dog, the Morkie doesn't need huge amounts of space, but she does need stimulation. Take her on one or two daily walks, play tug of war, or play fetch with her. Morkies with a particularly Yorkshire terrier-leaning personality may also enjoy dog sports such as obedience or agility.
'Because the Morkie does tend to attach very closely to her people (or often, one person), it can be helpful to prepare for some separation anxiety. Bloom recommends teaching her in small increments: "For a dog where you're particularly concerned that they might have home alone issues, start training them right away that small periods of time away from you are okay," she says. Start by showing them that 30 seconds out of sight is okay, then a minute, and gradually work your way up.
When training a Morkie with barking tendencies, it's especially important to stay consistent. "If the dog is barking at you to get stuff, don't give in, because once you give in once, they will keep doing that forever," Bloom cautions.
She recommends starting by preventing the dog from hearing the barking triggers in the first place by using a white noise machine. The second thing she does is gently (without scolding) remove the dog from the area in which they are hearing the noise. And her third tip is to simply avoid giving in if the dog is using barking to get something, whether that's a toy or a food bowl. "If they wanted the food bowl, you put the food bowl away," she says. "If they wanted the toy, you put the toy away."
Health
Like many other toy breeds, Morkies have a relatively long lifespan, around 12–15 years. They can exhibit hybrid vigor, the theory that mixed breed dogs are healthier because they don't inherit as many recessive genetic disorders carried through purebred lines. But, as with all dogs, if you want to ensure genetic health, it's important to work with reputable breeders who screen the parents for common genetic disorders before breeding them.A few important red flags to watch out for when looking for a Morkie or another hybrid dog. Be wary of breeders who:
Are selling multiple variations of hybrid breeds
Are pushy or try to create a sense of urgency
Don't have verifiable health certificates for their dogs
Won't let you meet the parent dogs, or who send puppies home too young, or offer to ship you a puppy
Because both the Maltese and the Yorkie can be prone to luxating patella (or slip knee), be on the lookout for those symptoms, which can be treated with surgery. Both the Maltese and the Yorkshire terrier are far more prone than other breeds to a condition called liver shunt, a congenital condition in which the liver doesn't function properly and toxins build up. This condition often affects the runt of the litter. Be sure your puppy's parents have been bile tested for the condition.
Small dogs are also prone to dental issues, so brush your Morkie's teeth daily with a doggy toothpaste to keep their pearly whites nice and healthy.
History
Mixed breeds have been around as long as there have been dogs, but it was around the 1980s and 1990s that "designer dogs"—specific mixes between two popular breeds—really gained popularity. Anecdotally, breeders and trainers say the Morkie has become especially popular within the last decade or so. Morkies are sometimes also called the "Morkshire terrier."Despite the relative newness of the Morkie, their parents' heritage goes way, way back. The Maltese is actually an ancient breed dating back to pre-Greek times when the island of Malta was ruled by the Phoenecians. Aristotle even referred to the dog as "perfect in its small size." The Maltese was a popular lap dog and companion to the Roman aristocracy. After the fall of Rome, Chinese breeders kept the Maltese from going extinct. They added a few refining features, and by the time the Maltese returned to Europe, they became hugely popular at dog shows and amongst the gentry.
Meanwhile, the Yorkshire terrier was developed in (you guessed it) Yorkshire, England, during the 1800s by Scottish weavers who moved to northern England. They were originally bred to hunt down rodents and were prized for their tenacity and ability to wriggle into tight spaces, according to the Yorkie Info Center. In the late 1800s, as the Yorkie started to be shown in dog shows, it became a popular fashion accessory as a lady's lapdog. The Yorkshire terrier was brought to the U.S. and recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1885.
Fun Facts
Morkies are a celebrity favorite. Drake got a Morkie puppy in 2011. Rocker Steven Tyler has a Morkie named The Sundance Kid. Miley Cyrus had a Morkie named Lila, who sadly passed away in 2012.There are plenty of Instagram-famous Morkies, too. Little Leo has perky ears and an array of adorable outfits. Stella is a sweet little pup who is a great example of tawny-gold colored Morkie. And Tucker is not only an Instagram celebrity, but he's also a child therapy dog, too!