Morkie Grooming

Morkie puppies can inherit their parent’s individual hair types or a combination of both. They can come in a long coat as seen in the Maltese breed, or a shorter, thinner hair type as the Yorkshire terrier has. Regardless of their coat type, Morkie grooming involves regular brushing. Ideally, you should brush your Morkie dog daily, or at least every few days, to help keep their coat shiny and knot free. Although they shed very little, Morkie dogs can still develop mats, so brushing is essential. Another essential part of Morkie grooming is trimming your dog’s hair. You can opt for several Morkie haircuts like the Morkie puppy cut or Morkie teddy bear cut, or you can choose to leave your Morkie with long hair. Puppy cuts and teddy bear cuts should be done once every few months, bi-monthly being ideal. Brushing your Morkie’s teeth is as essential as every other grooming step. It helps your dog have strong and healthy teeth, and it helps avoid periodontal disease. Daily brushing is recommended and should be done with toothpaste specifically designed for dogs. When it comes to bathing your Morkie dog, too much or too little are both unhealthy options. Ideally, you should bathe your adult Morkie every 4 to 6 weeks for no more than 15 minutes and use mild dog shampoo. Bathing your dog more often than once every month can cause your Morkie to have dry skin and unpleasant irritations. Because Morkies can be prone to tear stains like their Maltese parent, it is recommended to trim the area around their eyes and clean it regularly with a damp cloth. Your Morkie’s nails should be trimmed every few weeks and their ears checked and cleaned often.  

Morkie Exercise Needs

Although they are a toy-size breed, Morkies still come with enough spunk and energy to last a while. They enjoy going on long walks, runs, and the occasional hiking trip. As for their exercise needs, being a toy-sized dog breed often means that they don’t require extensive exercise routines to keep fit and healthy. Two 10-minute walks every day with an extra 10 minutes of indoor games is the ideal routine for adult Morkie dogs. Morkie puppies require less time outdoors with more walks of 2 or 3 minutes each. 

Morkie Health

As a hybrid dog that comes from mixing two purebred breeds, the Morkie comes with excellent health. Hybrid vigor is the result of crossbreeding, and it ensures better health for mixed breeds. Thanks to hybrid vigor, Morkies are often protected from inheriting certain health concerns that are common in their parents’ breeds. Health issues that the Maltese and Yorkshire Terrier may suffer from include patellar luxation, cataracts, allergies, hypoglycemia, and ear infections. Your Morkie is unlikely to develop any of these, but regular vet checks are still a must. 

Morkie Lifespan

Like their parents, Morkies are a naturally long-lived dog breed. The average Morkie lifespan is between 14 and 18 years. 16 years is the common Morkie life expectancy, but this too can be increased for individuals given that they are fed age-appropriate good quality dog food and exercised as recommended. Regular vet checks are also an important aspect when it comes to prolonging your dog’s life expectancy.  

Morkie Training

The Morkie is a dog breed that is both beautiful and intelligent. As puppies, Morkies can be trained easily with reward-based motivation. They are eager to learn and will want to please their owners in any way they can. They enjoy learning through games (especially if they get to play with their favorite toys) and are anxious to learn fun puppy tricks that can get them praise. Between 8 and 12 weeks old is when puppies have the lowest attention span. It is recommended that during this time frame, you teach your little Morkie puppy the basic dog commands in training and begin the next training phase as your puppy matures. Morkies are smart dogs and quick learners. By 12 weeks, you should be able to master commands like sit, wait, and come.  
Being part Terrier, Morkies can have a strong personality, which can at times manifest as a stubborn streak during training. Although this is a rare occurrence, it is best to know how to handle it if it does happen. All puppies can be stubborn during training if they’ve been overly doted on or if they inherited their parents’ stubbornness. They can also appear stubborn when their needs haven't been met or when they don’t feel particularly motivated to learn. Our recommendation is to be patient with your Morkie puppy if he or she appears unwilling to learn. Ideally, you should spend some time identifying what your Morkie puppy needs in terms of motivation. Some puppies love treat rewards while others prefer certain toys – squeaky or chew toys. Once you find what drives your Morkie to learn, you will have an easy time with training.  
It is beneficial to approach training with patience and gentleness. Morkie puppies can be sensitive and might not tolerate being yelled at or punished. Training sessions should be no more than 10 minutes at a time. They should include a positive atmosphere, plenty of rewards, and games.