Chorkie Dog Breed Information

General Information:

Height: 6-9 inches
Weight: 8-15 pounds
Life Span: 10-15 years
Coloring: Black, brindle, brown, chocolate, cream, golden, Merle, white and any combination of the above.
Area of Origin: Unknown
Similar Breeds: Chihuahua, Yorkie-Poo, Yorkshire Terrier

History and Origin:

The origin of the Chorkie is unknown as this is a crossbreed; however, the first noted planned crossings of a Chihuahua and a Yorkshire Terrier were in the 1990s. As it is a mixed breed, there are no breed “standards” as you never know what aspects of which parents are going to be displayed in the puppies and there is no guarantee that a particular trait of either parent will be passed on.

These dogs were bred together as they are both small dogs, energetic and pleasing to the eye. What was produced therefore did have a small body size, and they are usually very active requiring little space and exercise.

The history for their founding fathers is as follows:

The Chihuahua was developed in Mexico and is thought to have developed from an ancient breed, the Techichis, which were around in 300 BC. There is evidence that shows the Chihuahua, as it is known today, may have existed as far back as 100 AD. These were owned by the Aztecs and were often bred for food. They became recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1904.

The Yorkshire Terrier was first introduced to England as a Scotch terrier (not the Scottish Terrier of today) and did not have a breed standard until the 1860s where one stud gave a standard to the developing breed. These little dogs were designed to hunt and kill rats and mice in clothing mills and eventually became popular with the middle and upper class due to their long, flowing hair and their tiny size. They became recognized by the Kennel Club in 1870 and the American Kennel Club in 1885.

Personality and Temperament:

Chorkies are loyal, protective and energetic little dogs. They can be excellent companions, happy and fun-loving with proper socialization and training. These are dogs that require their people to be around them constantly and are quite demanding with how much time you spend with them.

These dogs also have a side to them which, without proper socialization and training, can be difficult to live with. They can be quite aggressive with strangers, small children and anything or anyone who they think are challenging them. These little dogs do not realize their size and are not afraid of other dogs regardless of size.

These dogs are highly prone to “Small Dog Syndrome” and if they are not corrected early they are known to be quite protective of “their space,” barking and even biting. The easiest way to avoid this is to socialize the dog well, maintain training and set firm rules. Once this habit has been learned it is very difficult to fix and even though they are not large dogs, they can still do damage with a bite.

This behavior can also come from dogs that have not been exposed to things such as loud noises, people and other dogs. These dogs can get scared quite easily by loud noises and some people and they usually have a policy of fight rather than flight.

Due to their size, these dogs are generally not recommended for people with small children as the child could easily injure the dog or the dog could get nervous of the child and bite in fear. They can do well with families who have older, respectful children as long as they are careful with the dog and do not corner them or pull on them.

These dogs can make good watchdogs letting you know loudly and repeatedly when someone is coming to the door, walking on the street or they thought they heard something. They usually have an opinion and love to share it, loudly. This also can be worked through so they learn when it is and when it is not appropriate.

In all, the Chorkie is a fairly happy dog who will happily do tricks over and over again for your amusement.

Exercise & Training:

The Chorkie is a very active little dog who loves to run around and play. They are able to get most of their exercise through this play yet they should be given at least two walks a day, even if only for 10-15 minutes. When these dogs receive adequate exercise they are generally calmer, more relaxed and all around happier dogs.

It is important to keep these dogs on a leash as they do not realize they are a small dog and that they cannot take on much larger dogs which can cause issues should they perceive any threat to their person as they will not be afraid to “protect” you.

Socialization is imperative as these dogs are very capable of being great little dogs. Making sure the puppy understands that strangers and children are to be treated respectfully will go a long way once they are adults. Getting them familiar with the sounds of the city around you is also important as they can be quite nervous dogs when it comes to loud noises.

They are generally easy to train once you have established that you are the “pack leader” and that they do not have to protect you as you have it covered. These dogs have no problem stepping up should they not have a strong leader and that is where issues start.

Chorkies require firm and consistent training as they are prone to some less than positive behavior. You must be willing to work on this constantly as it is in their nature to be very protective and to defend their family with all the tools available to them.

Positive reinforcement works wonderfully with these dogs as they are very reward motivated. Rewarding them does not necessarily mean a treat, although those are usually accepted with enthusiasm. Rewards can be petting, a favorite toy, or even a simple praising. These methods are preferred over treats as they can be given to the dog regardless of where you are so they do not think the only time they need to have good behavior is when you have treats.

Grooming:

Considering that a Chorkie is a mixed-breed, their hair can be any length and texture especially as there are two varieties of Chihuahua recognized by the American Kennel Club: the long hair and the short hair.

All Chorkies, despite their hair length, should get used to being handled and groomed anywhere on their bodies without guarding or aggression. This is much easier when you start very young. All Chorkies require a good brushing at least once every couple days and a bath every 1-2 weeks where they should have their teeth and ears checked and cleaned. This is also the ideal time to trim their nails as they are softer and therefore are easier to trim and less likely to fray.

Chorkies with longer coats require significantly more grooming and may even require frequent trimming. If this is the case, it is a good idea to get them used to the clippers very early so they are not startled by this when they are older.

Similar Breeds:

Some people believe that mixed-breed dogs are healthier purebreds, unfortunately this is not necessarily the case. All ethical breeders will screen for genetic issues with their dogs prior to breeding whether for a purebred or a mix. Purebreds that have a lot of issues are due to people not properly screening their dogs and these dogs should not be used for breeding regardless of breed purity. Mixed-breed dogs are predisposed to the genetic disorders of both of the parent breeds which means they may have a larger range of health issues.

If a breeder tells you that these dogs do not need to be tested as only purebreds have issues or that there are no known issues with these dogs, please reconsider using this breeder. It is important to ask questions regarding conformation, health and genetic screening of any prospective puppy you are looking at.

Chorkies are unfortunately prone to:

Allergies
- Chorkies seem to be very prone to both skin and flea allergies. It is therefore important to make sure your dog is up to date on their flea medication and to isolate what skin allergies they have to avoid those issues as well.
Collapsed Trachea (Chihuahua and Yorkshire Terrier)
- As both Chihuahuas and Yorkshire Terriers are prone to this (Yorkshire Terriers more than any other dog in the world) this may be a large concern for anyone looking at a Chorkie. There is no set age this develops and will require a veterinarian’s care to help treat it. Ensure neither parent has this issue in their lines.
Heart Murmurs (Chihuahua)
- Although usually very mild, heart murmurs can be present in Chihuahuas and generally do not cause an issue unless severe but it is something to be aware of particularly if the dog needs to be put under anesthesia.
Hydrocephalus (Chihuahua)
- Hydrocephalus is a term to describe a condition where there is water on the brain. This condition can be fatal and euthanasia is usually the most humane option for the dog suffering from this extremely painful condition. Signs of this are falling, seizures, eyes looking opposite directions and a much larger head than what their size would suggest.
Hypoglycemia (Chihuahua and Yorkshire Terrier)
- Hypoglycemia is fairly common particularly in these small dogs as they burn off more energy than they consume. They should be fed much more often than a large dog (4+ times a day) as their stomach does much better on more frequent, smaller meals.
Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease (Yorkshire Terrier)
- A degenerative hip disease which is generally diagnosed within the first year. Screening is done on the parents via x-rays sent to a specialist who will then assess the risk of the parents passing this down.
Luxating Patella (Chihuahua and Yorkshire Terrier)
- A genetic issue where the kneecap slips out of the groove, which may be as simple as an occasional limp or severe enough to prevent the dog from ever walking properly even with surgery. This is something to be aware of as both of the founding breeds carry this known issue.
Portosystemic Shunt (Yorkshire Terrier)
- A genetic issue which allows blood to bypass the liver enabling toxins to freely circulate unfiltered through the dog’s system. There is no genetic screening for this disease.
Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) (Yorkshire Terrier)
- A genetic condition which causes the dog to eventually go blind. There is no treatment. This can be tested for in the parents prior to breeding to reduce the chance of the puppy being afflicted.

One thing to be aware of is that Chihuahuas have an issue where their skull does not close all the way, similar to a soft-spot on a baby’s head, only it does not ever close. This is not an uncommon thing with Chihuahuas and not considered a defect. Chorkies may inherit this and it usually does not present issues unless it is particularly large. Gentle handling around the head is very important due to this however.

Interesting Facts about the Chorkie:

The Chorkie is a very active, vocal little dog who will alert you whenever someone comes up to the door.
Chorkies come in many different colors and hair lengths and this cannot always be predicted by their puppy coat.
Chorkies do not require a lot of space making them ideal for urban living.
Chorkies do not get very large and look like a stuffed toy their whole life.
Chorkies have been gaining in popularity for the past 20 years.
Chorkies may also be known as a Yorkichi, Yorkie-chi, Yorkchi or a York-chi.