10 things you need to know about the Chorkie before you buy one

A Chorkie is a small hybrid dog type that is becoming more and more popular in the UK, and if you’re in the market for a very small dog to join your family this might be one that you’re considering or starting to look into.

However, because a Chorkie is a cross breed, finding out everything you might need to know prior to making a purchase might not be as easy as it would be for a purebred dog, which can make things rather more challenging.

With this in mind, this article will tell you ten things you need to know about the Chorkie dog type before you buy one, to give you some pointers on where to concentrate your research and what else you might need to know.

Read on to find out some essential information about the Chorkie dog type.

1. A Chorkie is a hybrid dog type

A Chorkie is a hybrid dog type or cross breed, which is created from the crossing of two separate parent breeds, which in this case, are the Chihuahua and the Yorkshire terrier.

A Chorkie may have one parent from each breed, or be bred from later generation crossings which may have been mated back to one of the two parent breeds at some point to reinforce certain traits or lessen others.

2. Chorkies are not pedigree dogs

The nature of the Chorkie – being a hybrid dog type – means that they’re not pedigree dogs, and so, are not eligible for Kennel Club registration. Whilst this isn’t generally of concern to people choosing hybrid dog types, it is worth knowing that this means there’s no Chorkie breed registry, no breed standard, and they can’t be entered into Kennel Club breed shows.

3. Chorkies are very petite but can be variable in size

The Chihuahua is the world’s smallest dog breed and Yorkshire terriers are very petite dogs too, and so the Chorkie in turn is one of the smallest dog types you will see.

The Yorkshire terrier chosen as a parent for Chorkie crossings tend to be smaller ones in order to keep Chorkies petite too, but Yorkshire terrier sizes can be variable so this does mean that Chorkies will vary in size from dog to dog too.

4. They are not overly challenging to exercise

The Chorkie has short legs and so doesn’t need to walk a huge distance before they get tired, and you may have to moderate your pace a little to allow the dog to keep up if you are tall or are a particularly brisk walker!

A couple of half-hour walks each day is generally perfectly sufficient to keep a Chorkie fit and happy.

5. But they’re not the smartest of dogs either

The Chihuahua and the Yorkshire terrier are both dog breeds that fall towards the lower side of the canine intelligence spectrum, and so the Chorkie isn’t a dog to pick if you’re looking for a really smart companion that will be able to do tricks or learn a huge range of different commands.

However, they should be able to learn all of the basics, with time and consistency.

6. They can be very vocal and yappy

Chorkies are often quite vocal little dogs and their bark is quite yappy, which naturally many people find annoying. They tend to be quick to make noise and a fuss, and are often quite excitable in the house.

7. They’re prone to separation anxiety

Chorkies need company with them for the majority of the day, and they won’t thrive if left alone for long periods of time. They can be prone to separation anxiety, so if you have to go out to work all day or need to leave your dog alone for many hours on a regular basis, this might not be a good pick for you.

8. They require proper training and management

Chorkies need to be properly and consistently trained and managed, in the same way that any other dog does. When it comes to smaller dog breeds and types and particularly those that are cute and appealing, this is all too commonly overlooked, and can result in behavioural problems that make life unpleasant for both dog and owner.

As mentioned, Chorkies cannot learn a huge library of commands but they can still learn good manners and proper behaviour, and the importance of this should not be overlooked.

9. Their health can be quite variable

Both of the two parent breeds that make up the Chorkie have somewhat complex health, and there are a number of hereditary health challenges found across the two respective breeds.

This means that Chorkie health is something of a variable quantity too, so choose a knowledgeable breeder who can talk about the health of their breed lines and what they’re doing to improve it in detail.

10. Chorkies need to be treated as dogs and not babies

Chorkies are cute, personable, loving and often very funny, and they can certainly pull at the heart strings and beg very effectively if they know that you’re an easy mark!

However, it is really important to respect the fact that a Chorkie is still a dog and not a baby, and provide them with the proper diet, exercise, lifestyle, care and management to keep them healthy, under control and nicely mannered.