Morkiepoo puppies are a cross between three of the cutest toy breeds of dogs. Dr. Jess will breakdown what makes them such a great pet (or not), and some considerations you will want to think about before bringing one home to your family.
I would like to take a moment to note straight away, that every dog is special and your dog may not fall under the breed-specific descriptions that you read in this article. For instance, you may know a yorkie that is very social or that doesn’t ever bark. You may own a poodle that is hard to train or does not adapt well to change. The descriptions that I use are intended to be used for generality of the overall breeds in the discussion.
What is a Morkiepoo?
A morkiepoo is a hybrid dog breed, or a mix between the maltese breed, the yorkshire terrier (AKA a “yorkie”) dog breed, and the miniature poodle dog breeds.
All of these breeds are considered small breeds, and all have their pros and cons.
So by mixing the three breeds, does a morkiepoo puppy make for a great pet or should you consider a different breed for your home?
Let me break down the basics of the morkiepoo for you so that you can make a well-educated decision.
Maltese Dog Breed:
In order to know what the morkiepoo is like as a pet, knowing the three breeds that make it up, will be very helpful.
Therefore, I quickly broke down the basics of all of the parent breeds.
This will give you a better idea of why morkiepoo pups are the way that they are.
First up is the Maltese:
- Physical Description: small-bodied, petite-framed dog. dome-shaped skull with dark eyes. The typical Maltese is under 10 pounds in weight and only stands at around 8-9 inches from floor to the top of their shoulder. Their most striking feature is their bright white, low-shed, silky, floor-length hair.
- Behavioral Description: Willful, affectionate, determined, kind, intelligent
- Exercise Requirements: Needs little exercise – make sure to offer daily play time
- Grooming: Daily brushing is a must even though this is a low-shedding breed, the long hair gets tangled easily. If a Maltese is to have floor-length hair, many owners will use clips or bows to tie it up and out of their way so that the dog can see and eat/drink more easily and the white hair gets less dirty. If floor-length hair is not necessary, many Maltese owners will chose to have their dog clipped, meaning shaved or cut down, creating a very cute, teddy bear-looking pup, with much more manageable grooming routines. Routine ear cleanings and nail trimmings are also a must.
- Life Span: Typically longer life span compared to other larger breeds of dogs – between 12-16 years.
Yorkshire Terrier Breed:
Okay, now that we know the quick rundown on the maltese, let’s look at one of the other parent breeds of the morkiepoo, the Yorkshire terrier, originally from Yorkshire, England.
The Yorkshire Terrier breed can be described as:
- Physical Description: small-bodied, compact dog with a short, delicate tail covered in silk hair. Yorkies have round heads with small-framed bodies covered in floor-length, silky hair coming in blue and tan (grey and tan), black and tan, or chocolate and tan(brown and tan) color patterns, bright eyes, and perky ears.
- Behavioral Description: Smart, bossy, affectionate, spirited
- Exercise Requirements: Needs little exercise – make sure to offer daily play time
- Grooming: Daily brushing is a must even though this is considered a hypoallergenic breed, the long hair gets tangled easily. If a Yorkie is to have floor-length hair, many owners will use clips or bows to tie it up and out of their way so that the dog can see and eat/drink more easily and the white hair gets less dirty. If floor-length hair is not necessary, many Yorkie owners will chose to have their dog clipped, meaning shaved or cut down, creating a very cute, teddy bear-looking pup, with much more manageable grooming routines. Routine ear cleanings and nail trimmings are also a must.
- Life Span: Typically longer life span compared to other larger breeds – between 10-15 years.
Poodle Breed Specifics:
Let’s look at one of the other parent breeds of the morkiepoo, the miniature poodle, part of the non-sporting group, and the national dog of France.
- Physical Description: small-bodied, compact dog with a curly, hypoallergenic coat. mini and toy poodles have slightly round heads with dark eyes, long slender nose, and small ears that hang close to their heads. Their curly coat comes in colors such as white, brown, gray, black, and any combination of those colors and they have a short, docked tail.
- Behavioral Description: Athletic, very intelligent, elegant, loving, great family dogs
- Exercise Requirements: Miniature and toy poodles are typically more active than the other two parent breeds of the Morkiepoo. Will require daily exercise – make sure to also offer daily play time!
- Grooming: Daily grooming is a must with their curly coats. Many poodle owners choose to clip their dogs, with clipping cuts ranging from lion cuts, to Dutch cut, to even a basic Sumer cut to help the dog survive comfortably in the hot Summer months. Routine ear cleanings and nail trimming required.
- Life Span: Typically longer life span compared to other breeds – between 12-18 years.
What Makes For a Great Pet?
What makes for a great pet, will vary among every single person reading this article. Everyone has different things that are important to them.
For instance, one person may prefer a pet that takes very little time to care for, while the next person values a pet that is affordable to purchase – two very different desires.
So I can’t answer that for you.
No matter what is most important to you, you need to make sure that the greatest pet for you checks many boxes that fit into your lifestyle, so that both you and your pet are happy for many years to come.
For me, a great pet is one that fits my life.
My little dog, is small and compact, the perfect size for my smaller home. She is quiet, which is perfect for me, working at home quite a bit and needing a quiet space to work.
She is low-maintenance – not requiring much as far as exercise, or time (she’s happy curling up on my lap), or costly materials or medications.
Obviously any of these can change in the future, but I am prepared in case this happens.
She makes a great pet for me.
Let me give you some information on the cheenese dog, and then you can decide for yourself, whether this hybrid is best for you and your family.
Pros of the Breeds:
It should come as no surprise that many of the things that make the Maltese, Yorkie, and the mini poodle dog breeds so great, also make a morkiepoo a wonderful pup too.
1. Pros of the Maltese Breed:
Maltese require little space – great for apartment dwellers or city lifestyles!
Maltese tend to bark less than Yorkies do in general.
They also require less exercise than many other breeds.
2. Pros of the Yorkie Breed:
They are typically more forgiving and have a more adaptable personality than a Maltese or a poodle.
Yorkies can be easily trainable.
They can also be great with children which makes them a good option for many young and growing families.
Yorkies can be a very protective dog in a small, efficient, compact little body.
Yorkies are considered a hypoallergenic dog breed.
3. Miniature Poodle Pros:
They are a very friendly breed, where many poodles act like they’ve never met a stranger – everyone they meet is the best person ever.
Miniature and Toy Poodles can make great family pets and tend to do really well with children.
Poodles are hypoallergenic, which is great for those families who worry about pet allergies.
Morkiepoo Pros:
Put all of these attributes together and you get a lot of great things that can be passed down to the Morkiepoo. These are some of the pros to owning a Morkiepoo:
- Physical Attributes: small “designer” type of dog that does not require as much space as many other breeds do- great for small apartments.
- Behavior / Temperament: a soft and sweet disposition; moderately easy to train compared to some other toy breeds (positive reinforcement works best with most morkiepoos), intelligent, affectionate, spirited
- Diet: Does not require a large quantity of costly food
- Exercise: Does not require a lot of exercise; daily play opportunities are a must.
- Grooming: Morkiepoo puppies can have their hair coats clipped and groomed to decrease time spent on grooming. Morkie poos are considered hypoallergenic.
- Health: long life span of 10-15 years of age.
Cons of the Breeds:
You will likely notice that many of the cons for either the Maltese, Yorkie, or the Mini Poodle breeds are going to be the same cons for their hybrid cross, AKA the Morkiepoo.
1. Cons of Maltese Breed:
Maltese are described as having stubborn demeanors. This attitude is not for everyone.
A Maltese’s more fragile structure make them more prone to injuries, such as broken bones from falls and getting stepped on.
Health issues of the Maltese breed include, luxating patellas, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), and liver shunts.
2. Cons of the Yorkie Breed:
Some Yorkies can be quite yippy. Barking dogs may not bother you, but they definitely bother me. Proper training to stop barking when inappropriate is a must.
A Yorkie’s long silky coat requires lots of grooming or shaving hair shorter. Grooming can be costly.
A Yorkie’s more fragile structure make them more prone to injuries, such as broken bones from falls and getting stepped on.
Health issues of the Maltese include, luxating patellas, eye conditions, and liver shunts.
Cons of the Miniature Poodle:
A Poodle’s thick curly coat requires lots of grooming or shaving hair shorter. Grooming costs can be large.
A toy poodle’s more fragile structure make them more prone to injuries, such as broken bones from falls and getting stepped on.
Because of their intelligence, you must be one step ahead of them in training and obedience. Health issues include eye disorders, hip dysplasia, luxating patellas, epilepsy, and others.
Cons of the Morkiepoo:
- Physical Attributes: More fragile than larger dog breeds.
- Behavior / Temperament: can be sassy and have a mind of their own; some morkiepoos are barkers; reluctance with strangers at first
- Exercise: Does not require much exercise besides offering playtime daily – not good for those with active lifestyles
- Grooming: long length coat requires daily grooming. Needs routine teeth cleaning, ear cleaning, and nail trims.
- Health Issues: patellar luxations (knee pops out of joint), eye disorders, heart disease, dental disease
Morkiepoo Costs:
The cost of this breed will depend on where you get your morkiepoo puppy from.
Reliable breeders and pet stores will likely be more expensive than adopting a morkiepoo from a shelter.
That being said, most morkiepoos will cost anywhere between $500-$1500 initially. This does not include costs of maintaining a healthy pet for 10+ years.
Morkie Poo Summary:
The Morkiepoo puppy is a small breed dog that is a cross between a Maltese, Yorkie, and a Miniature Poodle.
The Morkiepoo dog combines the pros and some of the cons of each of these parent breeds to produce a very cute, sweet companion in a small package.
Now it is your job to decide if this is the breed of puppy that is best for you and your lifestyle.
