# Morkie or Shih-tzu



## sunaynap (Apr 23, 2011)

My mom's friend just got a morkie and she thinks they're very adorable. She seemed to prefer morkies over shih-tzus. But I've gone through Yahoo Answers and many people who had morkies say that you can't predict mutts' behaviors and they told scary stories about their morkies. So would Shih-tzus be better for first time owners?


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

So morkies aren't a real breed at this point and I doubt they ever will be, they're just a mix. Unfortunately, my personal experience so far has been that morkie "breeders" don't seem to be very interested in producing healthy puppies. The ones I've seen have been total health nightmares from day 1. Your mileage may vary, but personally I'd find a good Shih Tzu breeder any day of the week over looking for a morkie.


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

She already owns the dog, so why question what a better breed choice might have been?

Yahoo Answers isn't exactly a fountain of wisdom. Basically, any mix is going to have a selection of traits from the parent breeds and the individual parents. No, you can't predict per se, but you also cannot predict the health and behavior of a poorly bred ("backyard breeder") purebred. So train the dog and don't stress.


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## Charis (Jul 12, 2009)

As Morkies are not an actual breed it is very difficult to base anything about the dog on the breed - they are just not well enough established and probably won't ever be.
Since you already have the dog your best bet is to prevent any misbehavior. Start training now, setting expectations/limitations on behavior and not allowing misbehavior. Dogs are affected by genetics but the way they are raised/trained/treated make a huge difference in the dog.


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

Maybe I'm reading this wrong, but I'm reading it as the OP doesn't have the morkie, but a family friend got the morkie and the OP is wondering whether a morkie or Shih Tzu would be better for HER. Am I crazy?


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## JulieK1967 (May 29, 2011)

sassafras said:


> Maybe I'm reading this wrong, but I'm reading it as the OP doesn't have the morkie, but a family friend got the morkie and the OP is wondering whether a morkie or Shih Tzu would be better for HER. Am I crazy?


That's the way I read it, too, but it's hard to tell for sure b/c the OP doesn't exactly say that she's thinking of getting a dog. 

Either way, I'd definitely go for a well bred Shih Tzu over a mystery morkie any day.


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## Charis (Jul 12, 2009)

JulieK1967 said:


> That's the way I read it, too, but it's hard to tell for sure b/c the OP doesn't exactly say that she's thinking of getting a dog.
> 
> Either way, I'd definitely go for a well bred Shih Tzu over a mystery morkie any day.


That's what I got too...ish. I'm not real sure if we are referencing the other person or not now that you mention it. hmm...
still going wit the shih tzu...


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

A "morkie" is a Maltese/Yorkie mix. . .not really any comparison to a Shih Tzu. And as for which breed/mix is better for a first-time dog owner, well, I guess that depends on what the first-time owner wants in a dog :/.


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## lisaj1354 (Feb 23, 2008)

Pepper is supposedly a Morkie. I have no idea, as he is a rescue (from a BYB and grew up in a wire cage,) but that's what his papers say. He's all white with lemon color on his ears, and light brown spots on his back. He is pretty much a perfect dog (for me at least). I got him when he was 1.5 years old. He had been fostered for only a short period of time.

He peed/marked in the house only 3x in the year and a half I've had him. He sleeps late. He sleeps most of the day on my lap, on the couch, or snuggled next to me on my chair. I work from home and he's pretty much got me to himself all day long. He has no separation anxiety, and I leave him with the TV on and his 2 favorite treat dispensing toys. He climbs into a basket by the front door to sleep (on an old sweatshirt) while I'm gone. He sleeps in his own bed in my bedroom and has never been crated. He loves, loves, loves to play, and will bark at me if he thinks I'm not paying enough attention to him.

His only faults so far are these: 

1. He barks at people in my house as long as they're standing up. Once they sit down, he's quiet. 
2. He is smart only when he wants to be.
3. He pulls on his leash terribly. I'm 115 lbs, and he can pull me up a hill.
4. He loves seeing other dogs, but once he meets/greets, he has no idea what to do with them other than sniff them and walk away. That makes me sad. He seems to want to play, but gets intimidated I think.
5. He isn't as affectionate as I'd like. He loves to sit on or near me, but isn't the kind to lick a face or a hand. He prefers touching his nose to me.
6. He's picky as hell about what he eats and will go days without eating if I add anything new to his food in an effort to switch.

So - for me, a Morkie Mutt is the best "breed" ever. But does that translate to all other "Morkies"? I doubt it. Like people, dog breeds/consistent mixes are all different. Its how YOU raise and love them that makes them the perfect dog for you.


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