8-15 lbs
6-9"
United States
The Chorkie is a hybrid dog breed mix of the Chihuahua and the Yorkshire Terrier and, as such, can inherit the appearance, personality, temperament and health issues from either or both parent breeds. The Chihuahua parent dog breed originated in Mexico, being traced back to about the 9th century and believed to have developed from a dwarf pet dog in ancient Mexico.
The Yorkshire Terrier was developed in northern England to be utilized as a ratter and hunter in mines and cotton/textile factories. Although the specific breeds cannot be agreed upon, it is believed that a number of breeds had some responsibility in creating the Yorkie we know today. Those suggested ancestral dog breeds are Waterside Terrier, Broken-Haired Scotch Terrier, Maltese Terrier, the Skye Terrier, the Dandie Dinmont Terrier, the rough-coated Black-and-Tan English Terrier, the Manchester Terrier, the Paisley Terrier, the now-extinct Leeds Terrier and Clydesdale Terrier.
The hybrid dog breed mix provides a sweet little dog who is cheerful, affectionate, aggressive, lively, loving, loyal, protective and social. He is a low shedder so he will require minimal grooming maintenance.
Your Chorkie family pet is a dog breed hybrid resulting from the breeding of a Chihuahua to a Yorkshire Terrier and, as such, can take on the breed characteristics of either or both parent breeds.
The Chihuahua breed originated in Mexico and its history is surrounded by mystery as it dates back to the 9th century, believed to have emanated from a small, mute dog known as “Techichi”, being noted in ancient carvings as a dog which resembles our Chihuahua of today. The Aztecs invaded Mexico in the 12th century, bringing with them a small, hairless dog which was bred to the Techichi, creating the breed we know and love today, the Chihuahua. It was believed that these tiny canines had a spiritual effect on the afterlife of the owner when they were buried together.
The Yorkshire Terrier originated in northern England, being utilized to hunt and kill rats and other rodents in mines and cotton mills. In the 19th century, at the height of the industrial revolution, the Scottish people moved south to England to establish their own textile operations, bringing with them their own Scottish nondescript terrier which they bred to the Waterside Terrier found in northern England. Other suggested contributors to the ancestry of the Yorkshire Terrier include the Maltese Terrier, the Dandie Dinmont Terrier, the Skye Terrier, the old rough-coated Black-and-Tan English Terrier, the Manchester Terrier, the Paisley Terrier, the now-extinct long haired Leeds Terrier and the Clydesdale Terriers.
The Chorkie hybrid originated in the United States in the early 1990’s and it is recognized by the American Canine Hybrid Club, Designer Breed Registry, Designer Dogs Kennel Club, Dog Registry of America Inc and the International Designer Canine Registry.
Your Chorkie, being a mix of the Chihuahua and the Yorkshire Terrier, can take on the appearance characteristics of either or both parent breeds. While the puppies can vary in appearance from one pup to the next, these are some of the characteristics which seem to be most often shared: the average size of these small dogs runs between 8 and 10 pounds, the body shape is generally rectangular with the longer tail of the Chihuahua parent breed, the heads are generally shaped like the Yorkie parent although it is possible that your pup could have the typical apple-shape from the Chihuahua side, the ears are usually pricked but may also be drop-eared. Strong teeth that can form an underbite, a small black nose and large, bright and clear black or dark brown eyes will complete the adorable face of your Chorkie. He can be virtually any color especially if the Chihuahua parent has dominance in the pup’s gene pool but expect that the color may be a bit grizzled (from the Yorkie side). It is important to know that Yorkies generally lighten to a gunmetal gray as they age. The coat can be medium or longer length or a mixture of the two, depending on whether the Chihuahua parent was long-haired or short-haired. Expect that the texture of the coat will be soft or silky though some have a bit more coarse texture than others. The feet will be small and compact with strong nails.
Your Chorkie pet is placed into a low shedder category so he will require minimal grooming maintenance. He will need to be brushed at least once weekly and bathed twice a month at the most. He will need to have his ears checked and cleaned at least every two weeks, keeping the long hairs cleaned out of his ears to avoid infections. His eye area should be wiped frequently to keep debris from causing matting and creating an environment for infection. His teeth should be checked and cleaned periodically, at least monthly, to prevent periodontal disease and the resulting tooth loss.
The Chorkie can also take on the personality traits of either or both of the parent breeds. Your Chorkie can be active, bubbly, bright, vocal, fun, smart, goofy, loving, loyal, tender and excitable. Because they are so loyal to their owners, they can be very aggressive with strangers. It is important to keep them on a dog leash when dog walking
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them in public places for this reason. They are great family dogs but not for families with small children as they can be snappy when they are played with too roughly as small children can do. They get along well with other pets, though sometimes they are a bit size blind as they deal with larger animals. They are intelligent and eager to please the owners which whom they have bonded and are fairly easily trained but beware of those stubborn times. They are quite energetic but, because they are small, their exercise needs can easily be accommodated in apartment, condo or family home living.Your Chorkie family pet will require some exercise to keep him healthy and happy. He will need 30 to 60 minutes each and every day of exercise which can consist of daily walks, games of fetch and frisbee and obedience practice. Since he is a small dog, he can easily live in an apartment, condo or family home with or without a fenced yard. He can live in an urban or rural environmental setting that does get too cold. He will shiver when cold, scared and nervous. You will need to provide your Chorkie with extra protection during colder temperatures.
Written by Darlene Stott
Published: 10/17/2017, edited: 06/09/2021
More articles by Darlene Stott
Hello, I've got an 11 week old Chorkie puppy who this week has been allowed to go out for walks. I'm not sure how much I should be walking him. So far I've only taken him to the end of the road and back twice a day. But he still seems to be running madly around the flat and I'm not sure now whether that's from being over tired or not enough exercise. Any advice would be much appreciated
