Maltese Yorkie Mix (Morkie) Dog Breed Facts

The Maltese Yorkie is a two-in-one toy pup that will melt your heart. If you love Maltese dogs and Yorkies, then you will love the Morkie!

The Maltese Yorkie, also known as the Morkie or Yorktese, is a hybrid between two toy dogs, the Yorkshire Terrier and Maltese. It’s a small designer breed with an adorable look. This pup is known to be very particular about its needs thanks to its luxurious coat and shy personality.

As you read on, you’ll find out all the most important facts and information about the Maltese Yorkie. You’ll first find out about the history of the Maltese Yorkie and how it came to be. Then you’ll get to find out about the Maltese Yorkie’s appearance, specifically its size, coat type, and colors. Next, you’ll read about the personality and temperament of the Maltese Yorkie. Finally, you’ll learn about how to take care of a Maltese Yorkie and what health issues the breed typically faces.

The History of the Maltese Yorkie

The Maltese Yorkie is a modern breed that has only recently come into existence. It originates from the United States, unlike its parent breeds which have been around for centuries and come from England.

When the Labradoodle was first bred in the 1980s, the world of creating hybrid dogs exploded. This led to the creation of the Maltese Yorkie which was bred to make the ultimate lapdog. It’s difficult to determine exactly when the Maltese Yorkie first came about because they appeared on the dog market so suddenly and grew in numbers rapidly.

Today, this hybrid has become one of the most popular dogs around. Despite its popularity, the Maltese Yorkie isn’t considered an official breed by the American Kennel Club. Of course, even without recognition, the Maltese Yorkie stays one of the most wanted puppies around the world.

The Maltese Yorkies Appearance

The Maltese Yorkie earned its popularity thanks to its adorable appearance. These toy dogs have a teddy bear-like face with flopped down ears and round eyes. Maltese Yorkies also generally have squarish bodies and a straight and even back. Maltese Yorkies normally have docked tails with fur that’s groomed to show extra length.

They have long and silky coats that cover their bodies and their ears. This also gives them an adorable mustache that plenty of Maltese Yorkie fans love.

It can be hard to predict exactly what a Maltese Yorkie will look like because it can look like either of its parent breeds. A Maltese Yorkie might look more like a Yorkshire Terrier or it might look more like a Maltese. The only thing you can be sure of is that it will have a long coat because that trait is present in both parent breeds.

Size

As mentioned earlier, a Maltese Yorkie is a toy-sized breed. They grow up to a height of just 8-10 inches and a weight of 4-7 pounds when fully grown. These tiny pups fit perfectly in a shoulder bag-sized carrier and can travel with ease.

The size of a Maltese Yorkie doesn’t vary much because both its parent breeds are toy dogs. However, if you want to be sure that your Maltese Yorkie puppy is a toy size, you will want to find one that’s born from two Maltese Yorkie parents rather than a Maltese and Yorkshire Terrier.

Coat, Eyes, and Nose Colors

A Maltese Yorkie can have one of five colors, specifically black, blue, fawn, silver, and white. It can also have a mix of any of those colors. Their eyes and nose can only appear to be black regardless of their coat color.

The five different colors of the Maltese Yorkie:

  • Black – Black Maltese Yorkies will have a striking black fur coat all over its body. The black coat might have areas that appear to be a dark brown, especially when under natural light.
  • Blue – A Maltese Yorkie with a blue coat will appear to have a mix of dark gray and light gray colors. However, when under natural light, this coat will have a beautiful blue sheen. This coat color is inherited from the Yorkshire Terrier’s genes.
  • Fawn – Fawn Maltese Yorkies have a long and silky coat that has a soft cream-like color and appearance. This is one of the most popular Maltese Yorkie colors because it’s the color that makes the pup look the most like a teddy bear.
  • Silver – Maltese Yorkies with silver coats have dark gray coats that cover their backs and underbellies. They can be confused with blue Maltese Yorkies but the difference is that Silver Maltese Yorkies have a shinier and brighter coat. The silver coat dominantly covers the Maltese Yorkie’s body but leaves their heads and legs with a lighter cream color.
  • White – The white Maltese Yorkie, much like the Black Maltese Yorkie has a single coat color. Their entire body’s fur will be a bright white or off-white color. This coat color makes the Maltese Yorkie strongly resemble its Maltese parent.

The Personality of the Maltese Yorkie

Unlike its small size, the Maltese Yorkie has a larger-than-life personality! These tiny pups love attention and aren’t afraid to show it. The Maltese Yorkie is an expressive dog that loves to play and spend time with its humans.

Without proper training, a Maltese Yorkie can turn out to be a loud and demanding dog. Maltese Yorkies tend to bark or yap when excited or upset. They can also be finicky around strangers, other dogs, and other animals. To prevent this, you must socialize your Maltese Yorkie as early as possible.

It can be difficult to inhibit a Maltese Yorkie’s watchdog personality because they use barking as a way to alert their owners about potential dangers. Sometimes they will bark even if there is no danger at all. Maltese Yorkies just love to express themselves with their high-pitched barks.

With a little love, patience, and training, you can help your Maltese Yorkie find different ways to express itself. Whenever your Maltese Yorkie is barking too much, you can say “no” with a strong and assertive voice. When they manage to avoid barking even when there are strangers around, give your Maltese Yorkie praise and their favorite treat.

When Maltese Yorkies are socialized properly, they make for the perfect family pet. They will always have lots of entertainment, cuddling, and playtime to offer.

Take Care of a Maltese Yorkie

Next, you’ll find out all the things you need to know about taking care of a Maltese Yorkie. When it comes to maintenance, Maltese Yorkies need plenty of attention with grooming. This is because their long and silky coats are prone to knots. On the bright side, these pups are relatively low to mid-energy dogs and don’t need much exercise.

Grooming the Maltese Yorkie

Due to their long coats, a Maltese Yorkie will need to be brushed every day. Brushing your Maltese Yorkie every day will prevent knots and matting that can happen often without proper maintenance. Their fur also requires regular trimming to keep the length of their coat manageable. If you’re not comfortable with grooming your Maltese Yorkie yourself, you can always take it to your local groomer for help.

Maltese Yorkies also need to be bathed once a week to keep their fur healthy. As your Maltese Yorkie gets older, it can stand to bathe less frequently because you’ll be used to knowing when your pup needs a bath.

When bathing your Maltese Yorkie, be sure to always have a pre-bath brushing session to make the bathing process easier. You should also use a gentle conditioner for dogs to make sure that their fur stays soft and tangle-free.

Using a quiet and pet-friendly blow dryer after baths will make sure that your Maltese Yorkie’s fur doesn’t retain any unnecessary moisture and keep their fur from becoming smelly again.

Lastly, your Maltese Yorkie will also need regular nail trimming to keep them comfortable while they walk around. Since Maltese Yorkies are low to mid-energy dogs, they’re unlikely to keep their nails short on their own. You can either use pet-friendly nail clippers once every two weeks or take your Maltese Yorkie to a groomer to keep your pup’s nails short.

Feeding the Maltese Yorkie

Based on your preference, there are three different ways that you can feed your Maltese Yorkie. The first, most common, and the easiest path that pet owners take is dry food. The next and more expensive is feeding your Maltese Yorkie commercially made wet food. Finally, if you’re open to a more labor-intensive option, you can also make your Maltese Yorkie’s food yourself.

Dry Food

A great type of kibble or dry food to use with a Maltese Yorkie is one that’s formulated specifically for toy breeds. This is because regular dog food or dog food for other breeds might not suit your Maltese Yorkie’s body and digestive system.

When feeding your Maltese Yorkie kibble, you should only be feeding it at least two meals a day, one in the morning and once at night. You can divide 1 cup of dry food a day between those two meals to make avoid overfeeding your pup and to prevent bloating or choking.

Since dry food doesn’t have any hydration, you must make sure that your Maltese Yorkie has an ample amount of water every day. If your Maltese Yorkie is eating purely dry food every day, they might be prone to urinary infections or kidney problems without enough water.

Wet Food

Feeding your Maltese Yorkie wet food is a great option because all you need to do is open up a can and your dog’s meal is ready. Like with dry food, you should choose a wet food that’s formulated for small or toy breeds.

It’s also easier to get your dog to eat wet food compared to kibble because it’s tastier and made of real meat. The only thing to be wary of is portioning. Some cans of wet food tend to be too much for one meal for toy breeds.

A great workaround for this is to store the wet food in the fridge once it’s been opened. You can then reheat it by placing the can in a basin of hot water for 1-3 minutes. Just like with dry food, you should be feeding your Maltese Yorkie about 1 cup of wet food a day, divided into two meals, one in the morning and once at night.

Homemade Food

The last and perhaps the most difficult but rewarding option is cooking food for your Maltese Yorkie. There are lots of natural human food that’s also safe and nutritious for dogs. You can start by feeding your Maltese Yorkie boiled meat such as beef, pork, or chicken. To make their meal even tastier, you can boil chicken bones to make a broth that you can add.

Once your Maltese Yorkie is used to eating boiled meat, you can then add some boiled vegetables for added flavor, nutrition, and texture. Maltese Yorkies are notoriously picky eaters so they might not take to homemade food right away but with enough time and effort, they’ll learn to love the food that you make for them.

Homemade food is also a great option for feeding your Maltese Yorkie because you get to choose where their food comes from and how it’s prepared. It’s also generally cheaper than feeding them purchased dry or wet food because ingredients are easy to come by in groceries and markets.

Dental Care for the Maltese Yorkie

Taking care of your Maltese Yorkie’s oral health is important in keeping your puppy healthy. Just like any other dog, Maltese Yorkies need regular brushing to keep their teeth and gums healthy.

You can use a doggy toothbrush and pet-friendly toothpaste for your Maltese Yorkie at least once a day. You should never use human toothpaste because it can contain chemicals that are harmful to a dog’s mouth and digestive system.

If your Maltese Yorkie is strongly resistant to getting their teeth brushed, you can also use enzymatic toothpaste or water additives to maintain their oral health. Enzymatic toothpaste is a type of toothpaste that you can feed your puppy as a treat but breaks down the tartar and other nasty bacteria in their mouth. A water additive is a solution that you can add to your dog’s water bowl that reduces plaque and bacteria.

Exercise

As mentioned earlier, Maltese Yorkies are low to mid-energy dogs. Rather than physical exercise, these pups need mental exercise. A Maltese Yorkie needs just about 30 minutes of exercise every day that can consist of short walks and playtime.

To get your Maltese Yorkie’s brain going, you can invest in treat-dispensing toys or other even puzzle toys. These toys will awaken your dog’s natural instinct to hunt or forage for food. Maltese Yorkies love interactive toys because it keeps them from getting bored at home.

If you want to get your Maltese Yorkie enough exercise, you can try playing with them in your yard if you have one or taking them on trips to a dog park. Outside exercise is also a great way to socialize your Maltese Yorkie because it introduces them to new smells, sights, and experiences.

Health Issues in Maltese Yorkies

Like most hybrid dogs, Maltese Yorkies are prone to the health issues that their parent breeds face. Reading on, you’ll find out about the common health issues that Maltese Yorkies face and how you can treat and prevent them.

Collapsed Trachea

A collapsed trachea is a chronic disease that Maltese Yorkies experience. It is normally inherited from the Yorkshire Terrier parent and is a congenital disease. This disease affects a dog’s windpipe and makes it difficult for dogs to breathe. The trachea is part of your dog’s respiratory system and helps carry air into the lungs.

Symptoms of a collapsed trachea include rapid breathing, abnormal breathing sounds, difficulty breathing, blueish gums, and fainting. A dog with a collapsed trachea will often sound like they have a dry cough or a honk like a goose.

Diagnosing a collapsed trachea involves getting a chest x-ray done. If you suspect that your Maltese Yorkie has a collapsed trachea, you must take it to the vet immediately. It’s better to get an earlier diagnosis so that the appropriate treatment can be started.

Treating a collapsed trachea will involve medication that will be prescribed by your veterinarian. The medicine they prescribe might be cough suppressants and corticosteroids to alleviate your dog’s coughing and difficulty breathing. In worse cases, a collapsed trachea may require surgery to keep your dog’s windpipe open and to make it easier for oxygen to reach their bloodstream.

Dental Disease

Dental disease is caused by plaque and bacteria buildup in your Maltese Yorkie’s teeth and gums. Over 80% of dogs over the age of 3 years old experience some form of dental disease in their life.

Symptoms of dental disease include excessive yellowing in the teeth, bad oral odors, and swollen gums. You will notice that your dog has a dental disease if their mouth is discolored or if they seem to be in pain while they eat.

Fortunately, dental disease can be prevented simply by brushing your dog’s teeth every day or using enzymatic toothpaste and water additives. Although, once the plaque is formed, it can be difficult to remove even with daily brushing.

You can take your dog to the vet once every few months for a professional dental cleaning. This will involve getting your dog tested for suitability for anesthesia followed by dental scaling to remove plaque and tartar found in your dog’s mouth.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a disease that targets your Maltese Yorkie’s eyesight. It results in increased eye pressure, redness, and even loss of vision. This disease can be inherited from both Yorkshire Terriers and Maltese.

It’s important to keep an eye out for the early signs of glaucoma because these are often missed by most pet havers. The early signs of glaucoma include slightly dilated pupils, enlargement of the eye, and congestion of veins around the eyes.

You must check your Maltese Yorkie’s eyes regularly to see if any of the early symptoms of glaucoma are visible. Once you suspect that your Maltese Yorkie is about to develop glaucoma, you must take it to the vet.

Both medical and surgical treatment is usually used to take care of glaucoma in dogs. It is important to decrease eye pressure as soon as possible to minimize any damage it may cause to your dog’s eyesight. If left untreated, a veterinarian may be forced to remove your Maltese Yorkie’s eye/s through surgery to get rid of any pain that they are experiencing.

Hernia

A hernia is a condition wherein the contents of a dog’s abdomen push through a tear in its fat or muscle wall. A hernia can occur on your dog’s diaphragm, stomach, groin, pelvis, and belly button. This is a condition that is fairly common in dogs, especially puppies.

Five different symptoms show signs of a hernia including vomiting, appetite loss, drooling, swelling in the area of the hernia, and shortness of breath. You can observe your dog and if you notice any of these symptoms, especially swelling in any of the possibly affected areas, you should take them to the vet right away.

Diagnosing a hernia involves a physical examination wherein your vet will check if your dog has any protrusions that might form a hernia. They may also conduct bloodwork to rule out any other possible conditions.

Unfortunately, the only existing treatment for hernias is surgery. The surgery will be done to either put your dog’s organs back in place or to repair a hole or tear that the hernia has caused. This is a generally non-life-threatening surgery but your dog will need lots of aftercare once it’s over.

If your dog undergoes surgery for a hernia, you will need to put a cone on them to make sure that they don’t reopen any of the stitches too soon. Your veterinarian might also prescribe your dog pain medication to make the recovery process faster and painless.

Final Thoughts

The Maltese Yorkie is a small, fun-loving, and adorable dog. It only makes sense that it has become such a popular hybrid in the last 40 years because of its cute appearance and bright personality.

These affectionate pups make great family dogs because of their small stature and loyal temperament. Your Maltese Yorkie will always make sure you know that it loves you and find ways to make you happy.

Maltese Yorkies belong to pet owners that are willing to put in the time and effort to keep their long and silky coats groomed and the awareness of the different health issues they may face. Just like any dog, a Maltese Yorkie is a long-term responsibility and if you are ready to take care of them for the rest of their life, then you are ready to love them too.