Dogs have become part of human beings. Many people love them because they are adorable and one of the best pets to have around. There are many dog breeds and it may be hard to choose which one fits you the most, and that’s why we are here to clear your doubts and tell you everything you need to know about these tiny and affectionate dogs called morkies and discuss about morkie training tips and tricks. If you are hearing this name for the first time, don’t worry as we have your back and here are the most important things on why you should adopt him.
What is Morkie?
Morkie is an adorable crossbreed between Yorkshire terrier and Maltese. They originated in the United States in the 1990s and over the last decade, they have become more popular in Ireland and the UK. He was bred for his low-shedding coat which is appealing to most people especially those allergic to pet. He is cute with a loving personality but can be stubborn at times. He is very playful and in most cases, you’ll find him chasing a ball or having fun with dog toys. He is loving and bonds with the owners meaning that if you leave him alone, he will suffer from separation anxiety.
Types of Morkie
There following are the most common types of morkies;
- Gold morkie
- Black & Tan morkie
- White morkie
- Black morkie
- Teacup morkie
Lifespan
When well fed and cared for, morkie can leave for 10 to 16 years. Therefore, you don’t have to worry that you may part with your pooch as soon as you bond, because you are assured of bonding with him for as long as 16 years.
Temperament
Even though morkies are small, they are playful and happy-go-lucky dogs. Their bodies hold a lot of spirits and love playing and when you are busy watching television or playing your favorite video game, you’ll see him running around the house fetching balls or toys. When you take him out, he is always jovial playing around with you.
He is fragile and can easily be hurt if carelessly mishandled by little kids or even the owner. Being a family dog, morkie gets along well with other pets and if you are a pet lover, you don’t have to worry as you leave him in the house or in the backyard with other pets. However, avoid large dogs as they can easily hurt your morkie.
Feeding Guide & Diet
Morkies are little but they eat their weight in kibble! However, that does not mean feeding him day and night; you should always follow serving as recommended by the pet food manufacturer or a vet to prevent him from becoming obese. Most dog owners feed their morkies with store-bought pet food that contain necessary nutrients and meet the dietary requirements of these passionate dogs.
Read More: Best dog food morkies for gain weight Fast.
Even though you can feed him with any dog food suitable for Yorkshire terrier or Maltese, it is advisable to feed your morkie with high-quality dry kibble to prevent dental issues that are common in this crossbreed such as gum infections, plaque buildup, cavities, bad breath, and tooth loss.
Barking Problem and Solution
Morkies are true lap dogs, they have a sweet loving nature and bond excellently with their owners. In fact, they want nothing more than to be around you all the times. As stated earlier, morkie is a small dog ideal for apartment dwellers.
Therefore, you don’t have to scratch your head out wondering how you will adopt him in your house as he is flexible and can even sleep beside you.
However, one problem of the morkie is that he loves barking. When you leave him alone, he will bark tirelessly until someone comes to be with him. In one way or the other, his barking can be a nuisance to your neighbors who may wish you never came to their neighborhood.
That being the case, there is always a solution to every problem and instead of giving up on your favorite morkie just because of barking, you can control it. As stated, your morkie will bark when left alone or when he hears unnecessary noises.
Read More: How to train Morkie dog not to bark brilliant ways.
Therefore, avoid leaving your dog alone for a long time or if you are busy elsewhere, bring another animal such as a dog (same size as morkie) or a cat. Alternatively, you can always leave him with a dog sitter or take him to a doggy daycare and pick him up on your way home.
In case he barks when he feels threatened by unnecessary noises, leave background music for your morkie and ensure he has a peaceful place to go when too many people are going and coming.
Grooming
Morkie is a mix of Yorkie and Maltese and his coat grows really long and fast. This means that he needs high maintenance to keep him clean and cute to excellently blend in with your lifestyle. And how do you groom your morkie? Let’s find out.
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Start when he is little
Grooming should be part of his routine and therefore, it’s recommendable to get him used to this process early on when he is as young as three weeks when you introduce him to gentle brushing using your hand or soft puppy brush. Leave the brushes around for him to stand or sit on them and praise him for staying still.
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Brush him Daily
Morkies are famously known for their long, fine, and soft coat that requires daily brushing to prevent tangles and at the same time remove dandruff, dirt, and dead hairs and spread natural oils throughout his coat to keep it shiny. You can gently brush him once days using a pin brush or slicker brush, and given that he might lose hair during grooming, always brush him on a surface that’s easy to clean.
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Trim his Hair
The hair growing around your Morkie’s forehead can get into his eyes if not well monitored. This long hair can cause tears which in turn stain his hair and because you would not like this, gently pull it away from his face and carefully trim it using grooming scissors. If you realize that he has tangles or mats which cannot be removed through brushing, cut them gently with the grooming scissors.
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Clean around his Eyes
Morkie has sensitive eyes and you should clean them every day to prevent bacterial growth, clean away tears, and make him comfortable. All you need to do is to wet a soft cloth with warm water and run it gently over his eyes to clean away tears.
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Clean and Trim around his Ears
Your morkies ears are prone to moisture and excess wax and in order to make it clean the entire time, run cotton swab around the folds of his ears and avoid inserting the cotton swab into his ear canal. Using trimming shears, remove mats around his ears but if he has no mats, leave the hair long to avoid debris from getting into his ears.
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Check for irregularities
When doing your daily grooming or when playing with your morkie, check his hair and skin for any possible issues such as skin irritation, fleas, dry patches, ticks, inflammation, and fleas. Once revealed early, these issues can be treated easily by a vet.
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Trim his Nails
Avoid long nails by trimming them once in two weeks or if they are too long, take him to a vet not to accidentally injuring him.
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Wash him weekly
Morkie is a family-oriented dog and because he spends most of his time with you, ensure that you clean him once in a week to make yourself comfortable around him. Wash him in a sink with warm water and apply a shampoo formulated for sensitive skin and rinse his coat with a dry towel to prevent skin irritation as a result of soap residue.
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Visit a groomer at least once a month
Pamper him and take him to a groomer for a professional cut that increases the cuteness of your favorite pet. If perhaps you realize that your morkie gets a lot of hair around his eyes, talk to your vet to show you how you can trim him excellently at home.
Health Problem and Solution
The most common health issues that your morkie is likely to suffer from are seen on the ear, eye, and oral region. Morkies are also predisposed to hypoglycemia, patellar luxation, collapsed trachea, port systemic shunt, and allergies sneezing.
Read More: Natural Home Remedies for Morkie dog allergies sneezing.
However, it’s important to understand that these hereditary health issues are not certain to happen with your morkie; it is only for some while others remain healthy.
The best solution to these health issues is to get a puppy from a reputable breeder and this will guarantee you of getting a Morkie puppy that’s free from genetic health issues.
Reputable breeders spend most of their time focusing on how to eliminate hereditary issues in their puppies and when you take your precious time and locate them, you are sure not to spend your hard earned money in vet bills trying to keep your morkie healthy.
The objective of such breeders is to create healthy and cute puppies that will make the new breed recognized and not earning money on poorly bred puppies.
Benefits of a Morkie
If planning to adopt a morkie or buying a morkie, you must be prepared for the tremendous benefits he comes with. However, whenever good things are put in place, it’s hard to ignore the negative side of it. If you are still wondering what positive and negative issues morkie could bring along, here they are.
The Positives Issues of a Morkie
- They don’t need much space making them ideal for apartment living.
- They are accomplished barkers hence great guard dogs.
- They don’t need a lot of exercising hence good for people with a tight schedule.
- They have an engaging and inquisitive nature.
- They are full of character and make really good companion with the owners.
- No much care needed apart from regular feeding, brushing, and plenty of love.
The Negative Issue of a Morkie
- They bark too much
- They are fragile with a delicate bone structure and can get hurt by the children or other animals
- They suffer from separation anxiety and hence cannot be left alone for a long time
- Vaccination cost is high
Morkie Care Tips
Morkie should be handled with all most care due to their delicate structure and small size. Even though they are energized, they are not ideal for young children because they can carelessly break their delicate bones. Morkies should receive standard vaccination and fed two small meals daily and provided with plenty of clean water. Their living conditions should be warm and free from drafts.
When bringing a morkie puppy in your home, clear your home to ensure that there’s no plastic toys or small items that can choke him. The yard should also be secure to ensure that he stays outdoors without escaping. Set up a dog-friendly area preferably on the floor enclosed by a dog fence and place toys so he will associate this area with play and frolic.
He has a small bladder meaning that you’ll need to take him on a leash to relieve him frequently and always praise and treat him when he does it outside. In his dog crate, place cozy blankets to show him that’s where he will be sleeping.
Morkie Training Tips
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Crate Training Tips
Choose the best dog crate: It’s always important to consider a well-ventilated and large crate where your morkie can stand up, turn around, and lie down. The crate you choose will grow as your puppy grows and therefore, make an informed decision and purchase the one that will accommodate his full-grown size and use the divider to increase its size as he grows.
Read More: Best 5 Morkie Dog Crate Review 2021
Teach him to love the crate: Teach your morkie to associate with the crate by lining it with blankets and place few toys to make it comfortable. Ensure its ventilated and not too hot. Bring him to the crate for time breaks and naps to help him unwind from family chaos. Treat him when he goes inside and after taking him out of the crate, take him for a walk. This way, he will get used to the idea that crate time comes before potty time. After going to the bathroom outside, praise him and reward him.
Read More: Morkie Peeing On My Floor
What to avoid when crate training your puppy
- Avoid leaving your morkie in the care all day long.
- Avoid using the crate as a punishment.
- Don’t lose your patience.
Potty Training Tips
- Consistency: Take your puppy to the same area every time you take him outside to go to the bathroom
- Understand the schedule of your dog’s bodily waste: Once you realize that your dog goes to the bathroom certain times during the day or after meals and once you take him out, he will be used to going on his own
- Paper training: Use a paper to train him on where to go in case he can’t hold it. For effectiveness, put the paper outside and teach him to relieve himself on it
- Praise him: Anytime your morkie relieves himself outside, praise and support him. You can pet them, smile at them, and talk to them
- Limit water and food at bedtime
- Be patient and create a safe and clean outside environment
Socializing Tips
Take him out to observe other dogs: Your morkie can excellently socialize with other dogs if he meets with them. For instance, take him to the dog park but don’t get in. Allow him to watch and observe the behaviors of other dogs and each time a dog comes by the fence, give your morkie a treat. If he gets aggressive, move away until he is quiet.
Resist tugging while walking: When walking along the neighborhood with your morkie, you can’t resist other dogs from coming to you and when this happens, don’t jerk on the lead and yell at your dog as this might create an impression of seeing other dogs as a negative experience. Distract him with a toy or a treat and ensure you use the command ‘watch me’ and when he obeys, praise him.
Go to dog training classes: Dog obedience class is a sure way of socializing your adult dog before making an attempt to take him n play dates or dog parks.
Morkie Training Tools
Morkie dog teaching could be stressful and time-consuming. However, you must understand that he is family oriented and given that he will spend most of the time in your house with you, be patient and help him behave. Here are the most important training tools which you can easily find online.
- Dog training collars
- Dog training clicker
- Dog treats
- Pet pens and crate training
- Puppy pads
- Leashes
- Portable mats
Final decision
Morkie is among the most popular small dogs we have around. He is tiny, cute, and adorable making him ideal for any dog lover. If you are looking for a small dog that’s family oriented, you can never go wrong by choosing a morkie as the favorite pet. If you have heard any referrals from friends or your workmates about morkies, the above will help you confirm that he is really a great dog to adopt.