Shorkie: Yorkie & Shih Tzu

Shorkie is a big dog stuck in a small dog’s body and he has no idea about it! This resilient breed is a cross between a Yorkshire Terrier and a Shih Tzu. They are most often described as energetic, playful, loyal, stubborn, and loving.

Bred as a companion dog, this little girl is the perfect companion for seniors, adults, and families with older children who have experience with dogs.

The Shorkies are very attentive and will let you know if anything strange happens.

Short Description

Shorkie is a designer dog. They are a cross between the Yorkshire Terrier and the Shih Tzu. Their temperament and appearance are somewhat variable.

Many Shorkie breeders strive to create a more stable breed standard by crossing a Shorkie with a Shorkie, however, this is still the exception. In most cases, a Shorkie puppy will be a cross between two purebred parents.

These are toy dogs that have a lot of energy and a lot of love. They are very loyal to their owners, and because of this, they can get anxious when they part with them.

Shorkie Appearance

Shorkie is a small dog with long, smooth fur. These dogs rarely shed, but are not hypoallergenic.

The owners love it when these dogs have their coats carved in a ‘teddy bear’ style.

Their coats come in a variety of colors. A good way to guess the color of the puppies is to look at the parents. Some common colors include black and brown, black and white, and gold.

They are compact small dogs with thin legs, but a decent amount of muscles on the body. They have a slender, thin tail that most often curls around their body. They have around the muzzle with a short muzzle. The Shih Tzu is a brachycephalic breed, and the Shorkie can sometimes have this characteristic.

Since Shorkie is a cross, their exact appearance is difficult to predict. They could inherit any set of characteristics from any parent breed. This makes each puppy unique!

• Height and weight

Since the Shorkies are bred from two small dogs, it is not surprising that they are small. Their weight is 5 to 9 inches in height, males are often taller than females.
In terms of weight, males weigh about 5-11 pounds and females 4-8 pounds.

• Coats and Colors

Shorkie comes in a variety of colors. Some of the most common color combinations are black and tan, black and white, white and brown, gold, red, or multicolor. Multicolored is a mixture of black, white, gold, and brown.

Their coat is one of their distinguishing features. It is long, sleek. It is mostly straight but sometimes wavy. Unfortunately, it is a myth that these dogs are completely hypoallergenic but they are very low shedding dogs.

They will need regular visits to groomers. The most popular cut of wool at Shorkie is “teddy bear”. This keeps the fur short on their body but creates a rounded face.

Temperament

Shorkie have the ability to inherit many amazing characteristics from their parent breeds.

The Yorkshire Terrier, affectionately called Yorkie, was first bred in the UK to keep rats. They are known for their assertive and stubborn nature. They are always attentive and very loud. Although they are smart, they are not easy to train.

The Shih Tzu shares some characteristics with the Yorkies. They are both alert, loyal, stubborn, loving dogs. The Shih Tzu is well known as the lapdog of many Chinese emperors. They are an outgoing breed that seems to know they were loved by the royals.
Both of these breeds are quite sociable and love the company of humans and other dogs. They are playful, but they also know when to relax. Because both parent breeds are vigilant and noisy, these dogs make excellent watchdogs.

Unfortunately, no dog is perfect, and there may be some quirks in this little guy from time to time. Separation anxiety is a very common problem for these dogs.

If you leave them alone in your home, you should expect them to bark and possibly spoil things a little. If you want to have one of these puppies, it is best to keep them with you often.

The Shorkies are smart dogs, but they will likely inherit their parents’ stubbornness, which can make them difficult to learn. It is important for this breed that they do not develop small dog syndrome and become too big for their boots.

Education and Training

Bringing up Shorkie, like all dogs, is necessary from the first days of arrival in the house. The puppy must recognize the authority of the owner, obey the feeding regime, and know its place.

Some difficulties in teaching Shorkie commands and order arise due to his stubborn, independent nature and restlessness (these qualities are inherent in Yorkie and Shih Tzu), so training should be short-lived, and the dog should be rewarded for the success of the dog. Choose a specific word or phrase for praise that you will always use.

Care

• Grooming these dogs is more demanding than other breeds. Their fur is quite long. They need to be brushed every day to keep the coat smooth and tangle-free.
• You should bathe Shorkie every week and a half.
• As the coat grows, the dog should be trimmed. To maintain hygiene and a neat appearance, it is advisable to trim at least once a month.
• The tear ducts are checked daily. Contamination is removed with a sponge soaked in lotion or distilled water.
• The teeth should be cleaned of plaque once a week with a special toothbrush and toothpaste for dogs.
• The paws are examined, cleaning the dirt between the toes after each walk.
• The claws are clipped as they grow back. This is best done after bathing when the nail plate is soft. Only the upper third is cut off – then the “living part” with nerves and blood vessels remains.

Feeding

Shorkie can be fed with homemade food or purchased from specialty stores. Homemade food should include beef and chicken (raw but scalded with boiling water), offal, buckwheat, rice. Among fermented milk products – kefir, cottage cheese, fermented baked milk are recommended. Vegetables and fruits, both raw and boiled, are a treat for these dogs.

There are a number of foods that should be avoided by the Shorkie diet. Among them are fried, fatty, smoked products, semolina, and oatmeal porridge, baked goods, sausage, fat cheese, butter, mushrooms, cabbage, chocolate, citrus fruits, nuts.

Health

Unfortunately, these dogs do have an extensive list of health problems. Crossbreeds are often healthier than their breeding parents, but there is still a risk of disease.

Ailments that can occur with Shorkie:

• urolithiasis disease;
• alopecia;
• periodontitis;
• cataract;
• ear infections;
• distichiasis;
• heart diseases;
• neurodermatitis.