Morkie: what a Maltese × Yorkshire Terrier cross looks like
The Morkie is a Maltese crossed with a Yorkshire Terrier: a toy dog with long, silky hair and no curl from either side. Add a photo to see whether yours reads as a Morkie or closer to a parent.
Also known as: Yorktese, Morkshire Terrier, Maltese Yorkie mixCross of: Maltese × Yorkshire Terrier
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About the Morkie
The Morkie became popular in the United States from the 1990s, crossing two of the smallest and oldest companion breeds. Neither parent has a Poodle coat, so the Morkie’s hair is fine, silky and long-growing, with little undercoat. It is not recognised by the FCI, AKC or KC, and most are first crosses. The temperament usually joins the Maltese’s gentleness with the Yorkie’s terrier confidence: affectionate and playful, alert to every noise, and keen to stay close to its owner. It suits flat life, short walks and plenty of company.
How to recognise a Morkie
- Long, fine, silky coat that hangs straight or with a slight wave; it grows continuously and has little undercoat.
- Usually black and tan, tan or gold, or a pale coat with tan shading; some show white on the chest or feet from the Maltese.
- Puppies are often dark and lighten as they mature, so an adult can look quite different from its puppy photos.
- Ears either stand erect like a Yorkie’s or fold and hang like a Maltese’s, framed by long hair.
- Small round head, short muzzle, black nose and large dark eyes on a compact toy body; the tail is carried over the back.
Photo tip. Show the whole dog in daylight with the coat brushed out flat. Coat colour, any white on the chest and ear carriage are what separate a Morkie from a Yorkie or a Maltese.
Morkie or look-alike?
Yorkshire Terrier
A Yorkie has a clean steel-blue body with rich tan on the head and legs, and a very fine, glossy coat. A softer, paler gold or cream coat points to Maltese ancestry.
Maltese
A Maltese is white, at most with a light ivory or lemon tinge on the ears, and has a long, straight coat and black-rimmed eyes. Any tan, gold or black in the coat suggests a Morkie.
Yorkipoo
A Yorkipoo has a Poodle parent, so its coat often waves or curls and can be solid apricot, red or chocolate. A straight, silky coat with no curl fits a Morkie better.
Shih Tzu
A Shih Tzu is sturdier, with a flat face, a very short muzzle and a dense double coat. A Morkie is finer-boned, with a slightly longer muzzle and lighter, silkier hair.
What a Morkie inherits
Both parents have long, straight, silky hair, yet Morkie litters still vary. Coat is the steadiest trait; colour and ears differ more. One puppy may look like a pale Maltese with tan ears, a sibling like a small Yorkie with a softer coat, and ears can stand or drop. Colours also shift as puppies mature. The identifier recognises the Morkie as a type, so a gold or black-and-tan silky toy dog often comes back as Morkie; very pale dogs lean towards Maltese and darker ones towards Yorkshire Terrier. A DNA test gives real percentages.
Health and care
- Dental disease is very common in both parents. Start daily tooth brushing in puppyhood and use dental chews to keep the small, crowded mouth healthy.
- Patellar luxation and liver shunt are known in both breeds. Ask whether the parents’ knees were checked and whether a puppy bile acids test was done.
- Toy puppies can drop their blood sugar quickly. Offer small meals three or four times a day while young, and do not let a puppy skip meals.
- Collapsed trachea is known in Yorkies and Maltese, so walk your Morkie on a harness rather than a collar.
- The silky coat tangles daily. Brush every day or keep it in a short puppy clip, and wipe tear staining from under the eyes.