Do Morkies Shed? (Shedding & Grooming Guide)

The Morkie is a designer dog breed that’s a cross between the Yorkshire Terrier and Maltese. Shaggy, spunky, silly, and cute as well, a Morkie can easily win over someone’s heart. And if you’re interested in adopting this dog, you’re likely curious about its rate of shedding.

So, are Morkies serious shedders?

Morkies are very low shedders thanks to both of their low-shedding parents, the Maltese and Yorkie. However, Morkies are not hypoallergenic, meaning there are better alternatives for allergy sufferers, and grooming this dog can be somewhat difficult.

If you want to know more about the Morkie, including what grooming the Morkie is like, you’ve come to the right place. There’s lots of great info to come, so keep reading!

Complete Morkie Shedding Guide

2/5
Shedding Level

If you’ve longed for a little, low-shedding dog, you’ve found what you’re looking for in the Morkie.

As I mentioned in the intro, the Morkie is a mixed designer dog with two prestigious breeds as parents, the Yorkshire Terrier or Yorkie and the Maltese.

To better understand the Morkie’s rate of shedding, let’s look at how much the dog’s parents shed, starting with the Yorkie.

Yorkshire Terrier in the park on a green lawn.
Yorkshire Terrier (Yorkie)

Yorkies are small English dogs with long, luxurious coats (unless you opt for a puppy cut for yours). And since Yorkies are single-coated and have long straight fur, they’re considered very low-shedding.

They’re not the lowest of the low-shedding small dogs out there, as I’d rate the Yorkie’s shedding habits a 2/5. But that’s still quite exceptional when you think about it.

The Yorkie coat doesn’t require you to constantly clean up around your house. Single-coated dogs never blow their coat, which is another way to refer to the seasonal shedding that double-coated dogs experience.

The length of a dog’s coat also matters in how much the breed sheds. The dog hair growth cycle goes through four stages that begin with active growth, stoppage, rest, and shedding.

Longer hair extends the time between all four cycles, so your longer-coated canine will typically keep its hair for more time than a shorter-coated dog.

So if your Morkie has a strong Yorkie lineage, the hair is likely to be longer.

What about the Maltese?

Unlike the Yorkie, which is only regarded as moderately low-shedding, the Maltese is considered one of the lowest shedding dogs.

Small white Maltese Dog standing on large rock.
Maltese

The Maltese is also single-coated and can also grow exceptionally long hair, which explains its low shedding propensity.

Typically, when it comes to mixed breed dogs, you have to be choosy about the pup’s lineage to ensure they won’t shed much because it ultimately depends on the parents.

That said, with the Morkie, whether yours is more Maltese or Yorkie, its shedding rate shouldn’t be too crazy.

Grooming Your Morkie

4/5
Grooming Effort

Both the Maltese and the Yorkie are considered high-maintenance when it comes to their grooming.

Why is grooming these two breeds so hard?

It all has to do with their respective long coats.

As for the Morkie’s coat, the fur texture is fine and soft. And as a testament to the lush locks of both its parents, the Morkie can grow luxuriously long fur as well.

The longer that fur gets, the more prone the Morkie’s coat is to tangles, knots, and mats, all of which hurt. That’s why–even though the Morkie hardly sheds–you should still brush this dog every single day.

I would suggest either a pin brush or a slicker brush for the job. If you do spot mats or knots, hold the affected fur with your hand and use a brush to gently comb out the mat or knot.

Brushing your Morkie will make its shiny coat take on an even posher sheen, but the benefits extend even beyond that.

You’ll pull out any loose, dead fur within your Morkie’s coat as well as dead skin. You’re also spreading skin oils that will keep the dog’s skin moisturized.

The less dry skin a Morkie has, the less inclined the dog is to itch to excess, which will knock our hair in the process.

When you brush your Morkie, it’s best to follow the direction of the dog’s fur. Going against the grain, so to speak, can create knots and tangles. You’re also making more work for yourself, as you’ll have to detangle every last knot.

What about trimming?

Trimming won’t affect the Morkie’s shedding rate, but it can make a big difference in how much time and effort you’ll need to spend brushing.

As a general guide, the shorter the hair is, the less difficult it will be to maintain.

Trimming can also help your dog avoid tripping over itself when it walks or runs and keep the hair out of its eyes, so this can be a good option for your dog as well.

If you decide to do the trimming yourself, you only need a small pair of grooming scissors since you’re not cutting a lot of hair. And you only need to trim enough away that the hair doesn’t fall in your Morkie’s eyes or impede its movement.

If you want to know more, check out this video:

If it’s too daunting to use scissors that close to your Morkie’s face, you can always bring your pup to a groomer.

Don’t forget to bathe your Morkie as well. The dog should be treated to a bath at least monthly but use your discretion.

If your Morkie’s coat looks bedraggled and the dog smells, and it’s only been two weeks, it’s fine to bathe your pup earlier.

When bathing the Morkie, it’s best to use a sink or another shallow basin rather than your bathtub. Always bathe with dog-friendly shampoo and conditioner.

When shampooing, try to avoid getting too close to the Morkie’s eyes to prevent irritation. Use lukewarm water to bathe the dog and rinse all shampoo residue thoroughly from the Morkie’s coat.

Please don’t towel-dry your Morkie after bathing her. You can use a hairdryer on the lowest heat setting instead. Drying with a towel is sure to create mats and tangles.

About the Morkie

The Morkie is a designer dog that’s half-Maltese, half-Yorkie.

Full of personality despite its little body, the Morkie is adaptable, spirited, silly, friendly, affectionate, smart, and relatively easy to train.

As I’ve discussed throughout this article, Morkies are rather small dogs, measuring 9.4 to 12 inches tall in adulthood at most. The dogs weigh 13 pounds tops, whether they’re males or females.

I’d say a Morkie is a great companion for an apartment dweller, too. A studio apartment won’t feel like a castle to a Morkie, but it won’t feel like a shoebox either.

Larger dwellings such as condos or homes are fine for this dog as well, of course.

Just be sure that the Morkie has a suitable place to play, be that a fenced-in backyard or a local dog park. Morkies are high-energy canines and ultra-playful, but the hybrid breed isn’t a fan of overly intensive exercise.

The Morkie prefers being a single pet if possible since it’s quite the attention hog. That said, if you already have dogs and you want to incorporate a Morkie into the household, through socialization and perhaps some behavioral training, you can make it work.

Morkies have a moderate prey drive, but given that they’re sized about the same as most cats, you shouldn’t have to worry about the Morkie going after the household cat.

With some socialization, the two can become friends.

I wouldn’t suggest a Morkie for households with very young kids, though, as the dog is delicate and shouldn’t be treated as a plaything. Once kids understand how to properly play with dogs, the Morkie will become their best friend. This dog is very affectionate!

The Morkie is quite a vocal breed, and that’s thanks to its Yorkie lineage. As such, Morkies will typically bark when a stranger or unfamiliar dog approaches.

However, since the Morkie is rather trainable, you can teach yours to be less vocal if you prefer. So it’s not necessarily a deal breaker if you think this is the dog for you.

Conclusion

Morkies are Yorkshire Terrier and Maltese crossbreeds with a lot of spunk and a heart of gold. Most importantly, this mixed breed sheds very little, although keeping its long locks groomed can prove challenging, which is where trimming can make a big difference.

Either way, if you have the room in your heart and your home, the Morkie could be just the right companion for you!

Do Morkies Shed? (Shedding & Grooming Guide)

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