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Shorkie
Breed Stats
Weight/Height:
Around 7 to 16 pounds and, up to 11 inches tall
Coat Type:
Silky, fine coat or dense, long double coat
Grooming Needs:
Shedding:
Temperament:
Fiesty, outgoing, affectionate, playful
Good With Kids:
Good With Other Animals:
Intelligence:
Easy To Train:
Energy Level:
Barking Habits:
Lifespan:
10 to 18 years
Adopting a Shorkie: An Overview
Shorkies have been around for a little while now, and the breed continues to grow in popularity. While Shih Tzu may have been around for thousands of years, breeders have only started to focus on shorkies during the early 2000s. While this has resulted in people getting more access to the cute little shorkie breed, it also presents some unique challenges when it comes to adopting them.
For example, their rarity makes them tricky to find, and there aren’t many kennel clubs that fully recognize this breed yet. Therefore, you need to be careful about where you adopt them from.
So, why do people want shorkies so bad anyway? Well, the short answer is that you’re getting the best traits from a Shih Tzu and a Yorkshire terrier, which means that the cuteness is amplified and the sass is turned down a bit.
While they still love to bark when they want something, and they can have a bit of an attitude at times, they’re more mellow and forgiving for first-time parents than your average Yorkshire terrier, hence the popularity.
When it comes to adopting a shorkie, you need to consider your options, budget, and the amount of time you want to wait. Unlike buying a shorkie from a breeder, if you go the adoption route, you’ll have to wait for them to become available at a shelter or rescue. This means that you’ll have to visit shelters in your area or check online listings to see if they’re available.
Thankfully, you can use one of our online adoption tools to find shorkies in your area. It’s as easy as entering your location and exploring local listings.
When it’s time to adopt a shorkie, you’ll find that it costs around $50 to $250, depending on the shelter or rescue. Depending on your state, the costs can be as high as $400 to $800. Thankfully, these costs usually include vaccinations, surgeries, or deworming.
Aside from these costs, you’ll also have to feed them, house them, and groom them, so figure another $500 to $1,000 per year on dog food and grooming services. Plus, if they get sick, you may have to take them to the vet, and those costs can add up. In fact, some surgeries can cost a few thousand dollars.
Aside from the cost of adopting a shorkie, you also need to go through the adoption process. This involves signing the necessary paperwork, providing references, and details of past animals. Additionally, going through a home check where the staff from the adoption organization will verify if your home is a good fit for a shorkie.
Think of it as a mini job interview or background check before you bring your canine companion home.
Shorkies For Adoption
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How to Care for an Adopted Shorkie?
After bringing your shorkie home for the first time, they may need a few days to fully adjust to their surroundings, so cut them some slack if they don’t seem as energetic as they were in the shelter. Once the adjustment period is over, the real fun begins, and you need to have the right food, brushes, and toys to keep them happy and healthy.
For food, formulated dog foods for small breeds are your best bet, and you’ll want a brush you can comfortably use daily to keep their coat healthy.
That said, their grooming and health needs don’t stop there. Make sure you bathe them monthly, help them exercise for at least an hour daily, and bring them to the vet every few months for a routine checkup. Also, keep an eye on their nails and trim them every three to six weeks if they’re not wearing down naturally. Also, don’t forget about their chompers.
As puppies, you don’t have to worry as much, but once they get older, make sure you brush their teeth a few days weekly. If you don’t have the time or ability to do so, don’t worry, you can always opt for treats that clean their mouth.
Another key part of caring for your shorkie is training it. These dogs need to be trained, and you should use positive reinforcement methods to do so. This ensures that they won’t get sassy with you or become stubborn because they know you may throw them a bone.
If you’re not sure where to start, we recommend going through an online basic obedience course to help you get the basics down. This will help you understand how to properly communicate with your dog. We also recommend socializing your shorkie from a young age, especially if you have children or other animals around.
Is It a Good Idea to Adopt a Shorkie As Your First Dog?
The whole purpose of breeding shorkies was to make Yorkshire terriers calm down a bit, or at least to have them tone their sass and attitude levels down. The good news is that this worked, and shorkies tend to be great dogs for first-time dog parents due to their fun personalities, small size, and eagerness to learn new things.
As long as you have the time to care for them, you shouldn’t have any problems training, loving, or caring for a shorkie. To be extra safe, read up on the basics of caring for a dog before you adopt, and make sure you’re not being too firm with them because that can result in stubbornness.
Still, there are a few things you need to consider as a new dog parent. For example, if you adopt a shorkie puppy, you may need to potty train them, socialize them, and give them time to adjust to their new home once you bring them home.
Furthermore, you’ll want to puppy-proof parts of your home by keeping dangling cords elevated, adding a fence to your yard, and removing anything you don’t want them chewing on from the floor or coffee tables; things like TV remotes, phones, tablets, and anything else you keep around.
Due to their shedding, you may also want to cover your couches or keep a vacuum handy to clean up fast.
Adopt the Right Shorkie for You
Shorkies are great dogs, and they continue to be popular thanks to their personality traits. At the end of the day, you’re getting a Yorkshire terrier mixed with Shih Tzu, which results in all the favorable traits from these breeds without any of the drawbacks, so you can say goodbye to that classic Yorkshire sass.
That said, you still need to be aware of what adopting a shorkie entails. Make sure your home is safe for them, focus on training them with positive rewards, and bring them to the vet a few times a year for check-ups.
The good news is that once you get the basics down, the rest is easy. Make sure you keep them well-fed, take them for walks, and brush them daily to keep your shorkie in good spirits. And most importantly, don’t forget to have fun! Play, bond, and train them to be the best shorkies they can be for you and your family.
