Chorkie - Perfect Small Designer Dog

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The most popular crossbreeds or designer dog breeds are usually Poodle mixes. They have one desirable trait dog owners love - low-shedding coats. However, other dog breeds have similar coat characteristics as the Poodles - Yorkshire Terriers. Breeders crossbreed dogs all the time, and they try to create a breed that will be as popular as the Labradoodle. One of these crossbreeds is the Chorkie.

What is a Chorkie?

A Chorkie is a designer dog breed. It is not a pureblooded dog breed. It is not registered nor allowed in major cynology associations. A Chorkie is a mix between the Yorkshire Terrier and the Chihuahua. These tiny breeds are popular pets and are in a constant race for the title of the smallest dog breed in the world. Various individual dogs from both breeds took the title of the smallest dog in the world, and the results are tracked for the past 100 years.

History

Chorkie dogs are relatively new in the canine world, and most of them have found their way to the US in the 1990s. The main goal was to create a new breed with the best characteristics from both parents with a focus on low shedding. Since these are designer dog breeds, they aren't recognized by the majority of big dog associations and registers.

Physical characteristics of the Chorkie

Since the Chorkie dog is a crossbreed, no set characteristics are passed from parents to their puppies. For example, if you breed two pureblooded Chihuahuas, you can be fairly sure how the puppies will turn out. When it comes to crossbreeds like the Chorkie, each individual crossbred puppy can have different physical characteristics. It is impossible to predict how the puppies will look like because too many gene combinations can happen.

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However, based on the past 30 years of intentional Chihuahua Yorkie crossbreeding, we can observe some common physical characteristics in the Chorkie crossbreed. Most of the new puppies and up growing between 6 and 9 inches at the shoulder. These tiny dogs can weigh 8 - 15 pounds. 

However, the exact characteristics of each puppy will be determined by which part of the family has more dominant genes. Take, for example, Chorkie’s ears - they can be erect like Chihuahua’s, or they can fall flat down. You can never be entirely sure which characteristics your new puppy will end up with.

Coat & grooming

Chorkies can come in a variety of colors, and their coats are usually medium-long and silky. Since they are designed dog breeds, they can inherit coat color and coat type from both parents and while some could have a long and silky coat, others may have short and smooth hair. Regardless of their coat type, Chorkies are considered low shedding dog breed.

Grooming requirements will depend on the coat type your Chorkie has. Long-haired Chorkies will need regular brushing, at least a few times a week, to prevent mats and tangles, while for the shorter version of Chorkie, brushing once a week will be enough to keep these dogs looking their best.

Besides brushing, these dogs also require proper dental care, nail trimming, and ear cleaning, which should be a regular part of their grooming routine.

Temperament

The most important thing every future dog owner should look at is their new dog’s temperament. That is the only way you can be sure you and your new dog will like the same things. For example, if you are an active person who jogs, hikes, or rides a bicycle, it would be a bad idea to get a lazy dog that cannot handle many activities.

Getting a breed like the Bulldog will mean you cannot have a dog that can follow you on your activities. However, getting a Border Collie or a Belgian Malinois will mean you can have a dog companion with the same energy as you do.

When it comes to crossbreeds, the temperament of the mixed puppies will most likely be somewhere between their parents' characters. However, that is not written in stone. Mixed puppies can go from getting the best personality traits from both parents to inheriting the worst of both sides. Luckily, training and socialization can play a massive part in shaping the dog’s character.

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Based on Chorkie dogs we could observe so far, there are some characteristics most of these dogs display, and they are;

Stubbornness

Just like Chorkie’s parents, the Chorkie puppies can be very stubborn. They think they know everything better than you and will not do anything if they think there is no reward. Training these crossbreeds can be challenging, but it is something they will need. Many dog owners forget to train such small dogs because of their size, but they still require training.

Watchdogs

Chihuahuas are known as big barkers. They make excellent watchdogs, and that is a trait most Chorkies seem to inherit. When this trait combines with Yorkie’s Terrier temperament, the Chorkie can be a brave guard dog. Their small size will prevent them from guarding or overpowering intruders, but they will make a lot of noise if they notice anything suspicious.

Prefer humans over dogs

Chihuahuas can be possessive. If they are not adequately socialized, they can become snappy and overly possessive of their owners and toys. Yorkies form strong bonds with their owners, but terriers are generally more independent than companion dogs like the Chihuahua. When these traits combine, you get a Chorkie that prefers human company over that of other dogs. If you want to avoid such a scenario, you should make sure your Chorkie puppy gets plenty of socialization while they are still young.

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Questionable energy

Different sources claim entirely different things about Chorkie’s energy levels. Some sources claim these dogs are highly energetic, and others say they will do well on a few daily walks and a short play session. However, we noticed something between these two theories. These dogs have plenty of energy when it comes to playing. They are agile, fast, and love a good playing session with their owners. They will love a long walk, but when it comes to napping, they are masters. They love warm beds and cozy places where they can catch some zzz’s.

Exercise

Despite their small size, these dogs require a decent amount of daily exercise to be happy and satisfied. They enjoy walks, playing with their owner, and different interactive games. 30 min of different exercises during the day will be enough for these dogs to be happy, although the exact amount will depend on the individual dog.

Best food for Chorkie

Choosing the best food possible for your Chorkie is extremely important to keep your dog healthy and to prevent certain health problems. When choosing food for your dog, you can always ask your vet or even a dog nutricionist for advice. Based on your dog specifically, they will for sure find the best formula that will suit him best. To help you find the best food, we made a list of our 3 recommendations, and this could be a good starting point for your.

Here are our 3 picks for the best food for Chorkie

Health

One potential issue with crossbreeds is that they are prone to health issues from both sides of the family. There is a theory that says hybrids are healthier than pureblooded dogs, but that is only a dog-selling trick. You can get healthy puppies only one way - by breeding healthy parents. However, crossbreed breeders are usually not a part of any clubs or associations. It is impossible to know which dogs they use for Chorkie puppy production. Here are some of the health issues we noticed in this crossbreed;

• Skin issues
• Patellar luxation
• Hypothyroidism
• Allergies
• Hip dysplasia
• Cataracts
• Eye infections
• Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM)

Most Chorkie puppies coming from healthy parents don’t develop health issues, and Chorkies have a life expectancy of 10 - 15 years.

Chorkie puppies

However, if you are adamant about buying a crossbreed like Chorkie, the best thing to do would be to talk to the owner community and ask for recommendations. They can tell you where they got their dog and point you in the right direction. If you find a Chorkie puppy for sale, you should prepare for a price of $700 - $1.200.

Rescue

When it comes to crossbreeds, our advice is to adopt, don’t shop. We cannot condone buying a dog from unregistered breeders and financing their questionable breeding practices. However, if you want a Chorkie puppy, you might find one in a shelter or a rescue organization. Look for dogs in Yorkie rescues and Chihuahua rescues, and you might find a Chorkie puppy in need of a new home. Also, make sure to check with your local shelters and rescue groups since there is a possibility to find Chorkie dogs.

Adopting a dog is always a good choice because not only by doing that, you are freeing one space in the shelter, but also providing a dog a second chance in life.

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World Dog Finder team