Thursday, August 25, 2011

Yorkie Hybrids: Meet the Morkie

MORKIES are the adorable result of breeding a purebred Yorkshire Terrier with a purebred Maltese. The result is a designer dog you just might like.

Dog crossbreeds or hybrid dogs are all the rage - in fact they're often advertised as designer dogs. (And actually, since a hybrid is a mix between two different species, and all dogs are the same species, they can never technically be "hybrids"). So what's the difference between today's designer dog and yesterday's mutt or mongrel and what are the pros and cons?

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Designer dog or mutt?

Breeders or hobbyists will breed two purebreds for a crossbred result. Those results -- the pups -- are almost always different since it takes many, many generations to develop a true breed.

So when dog breeds are "designed," how do you know you're getting the best of both? Is it possible to get the WORST of both breeds? Well that's the problem... but then again you might find the risk is worth it.

If you visit a message board like pets.ca -- you'll soon see that many dog owners disagree pretty strongly with the whole idea of "designer dogs" or hybrid breeds.

What's their beef? Often so-called designer dogs are really just someone's get-cash-quick scheme. They have a purebred, a friend has another - so let's just mix them and see what happens. While there are many ethical breeds of hybrid dogs, a lot are fly-by-night and aren't necessarily raising the most healthy, happy puppies.

Even worse... there's a greater chance that your new buddy could have come from a puppy mill, which is a surefire way to heartbreak. How do you know your breeder is ethical? Here are a few obvious warning signs

the person selling the dog won't meet you at his or her home. Instead they suggest another location like a mall parking lot, or will come to your house. BTW, be careful online. It's ok to find a breeder online, but not ok to actually order the dog that way, or by phone. they don't seem to know a lot about the breed, or designer breed, you're considering when questioned about the pup's parents, unethical breeders might seem clueless.

What are the pros and cons of hybrid dogs like Morkies?

If you're able to find an ethical breeder or hobbyist who's cross breeding dogs, what are the pros and cons? And specifically what are the pros and cons of Morkies, the Yorkshire Terrier/Maltese cross?

Pros - Morkies are...

small size ADORABLE puppies that grow into ADORABLE dogs varied colours very affectionate great temperament, although can be a little aggressive

Cons - Morkies can be

hard to potty train (The Maltese is famously hard to house train. ) very determined to get their way - many experts say that Yorkshire Terriers can be willful, making training difficult. big barkers - the Yorkie is very territorial - and so can bark a lot. The Maltese just seems to bark a lot! needy - Maltese in particular, need tons of human attention. can be finicky eaters (Maltese)

But if you do your homework - check out the seller or breeder of the dog and meet them in person - chances are you'll get a very adorable little dog "designed" to steal your heart!

Yorkie Hybrids: Meet the Morkie

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