The Morkie dog is a mixed breed that combines the two pure breeds of the Maltese and Yorkshire Terriers. They are small-sized dogs that can be a lot of fun, but the Morkie temperament is renowned. Like any domesticated animal, the Morkie and their Morkie temperament can be tamed and loved. You just need to know what is going on with your Morkie, and how to understand what they are trying to communicate to you. Here, you will learn all about the Morkie temperament, what to expect, and more.
The Morkie Temperament
The Morkie is considered a designer breed, as it combines the two high-end breeds of the Maltese and Yorkshire Terrier. This is an adorable puppy that becomes an enchanting adult, and one you will never stop loving. The Morkie temperament on the other hand can get noisy, but overall, this is a temperament that you can train or adapt to easily. The Morkie temperament is one that is very yappy with barking, and this often stems from anxiety or aggression.
You can train any dog that comes into your family if you take the time and effort to do so. The Morkie doesn’t need to be trained. Socialization is key to handling the anxiety and aggression that some Morkies can have. When you understand why your Morkie is having some negative behaviors, you will come to expect what they would respond to, and it will be easier to help them get through it or remove that stimuli.
Overall, Morkies are friendly with most people, hesitant around other animals, and have a side of them that loves to cuddle and be affectionate, even if they don’t stay in your lap for too long. If you have the chance to meet the parents of your Morkie, one would be a Maltese and the other a Yorkshire Terrier, this will help you to understand where your dog’s traits are coming from.
Morkies and Family Friendliness
Like many dogs, Morkies are strictly loyal to their family unit. Within the family unit is the easiest place for you to train and help your Morkie to have less anxiety, and exhibit more of its friendlier traits. You will find Morkies most affectionate with their own families, however, they may become affectionate around close visiting family and friends that they see frequently. The attachment with the home and family unit is strong.
If your Morkie is not at home, and they begin to exhibit some anxious tendencies, keeping the dog with a familiar face or lap will help them have less anxiety.
Morkies and Intelligence
Because Morkies come from high-end pure breeds, they inherit the intelligence of their parents. This makes them very easy to train. They are also easily motivated by social conditioning and will find settling into routines very easy. When you are teaching your new Morkie new things, consistency is key, and so is patience.
You don’t want to respond to the Morkie behavior with impatience or any anxiety, as this will only make their moods worsen. Trying to take a power position over this dog is a move that will work against you. Dogs love to please their owners, so you can direct your dog to do what you want it to do with love and patience. Morkies respond very well to reward training, where they get a reward when they behave or function in certain ways.
One part of Morkie Temperament that is not as easily understood as others is Morkie boredom. This comes from their intelligence, and not their lack of interest in what is happening around them. When your Morkie becomes bored, they may behave in ways that you think are “bad”, when they aren’t. Keeping your dog entertained and mentally stimulated will alleviate some of this boredom and potential anxiety.
Behavior that you might see from a bored Morkie include barking, chewing, and burrowing into furniture. Give your Morkie something to do or focus on, like a bone that they will stay on for some time, and you will see them relax.
The Morkie Bark
The Morkie bark is a sign of the Morkie temperament, as it is for any dog. It’s not something that is ever going to go away. Yelling or responding with aggression will not help the dog, as Morkies are naturally vocal. So are the Maltese and Yorkshires.
You will need to understand what is making the Morkie bark in order to make the barking stop. When you determine that, meet the Morkie’s needs. This trains the dog in a way that it will learn how and when to stop barking.
Morkie Anxiety and Aggression
Anxiety and aggression are key reasons that a Morkie will bark nonstop. They are known to be prone to separation anxiety, so you don’t want to get a Morkie if you can’t spend a lot of time with them. They do much better when someone is home all the time.
Aggression with Morkies can happen when they are afraid. This is a natural Morkie response. As domesticated as they are, they are still animals and will respond as an animal to fear. Aggression is not typical everyday behavior with a Morkie. So if your Morkie is aggressive daily, you will want to find ways to calm them down and alleviate their fears and anxiety. Something is setting them off, and it is a situational matter that can likely be remedied as long as you take the time and energy to find the source of your Morkie’s problem.
There is a lot of research that indicates that Morkie aggression is highest with strangers. If you find that your Morkie is aggressive with all strangers, they may need some socialization training. Or, keeping your Morkie away from strangers is helpful. However, you can’t do this all of the time, it is simply impossible. What you can do is socialize them to get accustomed to more people.
If you are bringing a Morkie into a home with other animals, you want the socialization to begin as early as possible. You don’t want your Morkie afraid of anything in the home. Take the time to love and train both animals in the home. In time, the anxiety with both animals will become decreased.
Socializing Your Morkie
Socializing your Morkie can help the entire household deal with the Morkie temperament as soon as possible. A socialized Morkie will be less anxious and aggressive than one who is feeling like a fish out of water in their surroundings.
You want your Morkie to be socialized as soon as possible in life. This time in their life will be significant in shaping their surrounding. If you get a Morkie as a young puppy, they will become acclimated to a happier and more social home. They will experience fewer fears which will also decrease their anxiety and aggression. Not only will the Morkie feel better at home if they are socialized overall, but they will also just have a better life.
If you get a Morkie when they are an adult, you can help them to learn how to acclimate and become familiar with their surroundings. You can still teach your Morkie how to be social, or have them feel socialized, later in life.
Socialization for any age of Morkie involves exposing them to a wide range of people, places, and things. You want them to become accustomed to being in the world.
New places are an important part of showing your Morkie that life is different everywhere. A great place to take your Morkie to is the dog park. This exposes the Morkie to other dogs while knowing that they can be safe in new places, even when larger-sized threats are around them. Follow the clues from your dog when you are taking them to a dog park. Sometimes it is just time to go home, but you will still be socializing them when you are there.
Make sure that your Morkie is exposed to new people frequently. There are some pet owners that may lock their dog up in a cage whenever the doorbell rings. That may be necessary for liability purposes. Don’t do that if you don’t have to. It teaches your dog to be afraid every time the doorbell rings. Teach your Morkie to be okay with new people through little everyday things like this, no matter how old your Morkie is.
Love Your Morkie
You don’t need us to tell you that loving your Morkie is the easiest way to help them get over their Morkie temperament when they are in a bad mood. Let your dog know that it is okay to be afraid, but that they are never alone and will do just fine when they are with you and in new situations. Expect your Morkie to bark or have anxiety when new experiences arrive that bother them.
Socialize your Morkie whenever possible, and start as early as possible to help them grow into a personality that keeps them happy. A happy Morkie produces a Morkie temperament can be enjoyable for you and the whole family.
We also found a fun Morkie Fan Club on Facebook. Check it out!
