Both crosses start with a Yorkshire Terrier, whose standard says the dog must not exceed 7 pounds. The Morkie’s second parent, the Maltese, is capped in writing too, under 7 pounds. The Yorkipoo’s second parent, the Poodle, has no weight clause for any variety. One bracket is tight, the other is open.
The same Yorkie on both sides
These two crosses share a parent, so the whole difference between them sits in the second one.
| Morkie | Yorkipoo | |
|---|---|---|
| Parents | Yorkshire Terrier and Maltese | Yorkshire Terrier and Poodle |
| Written standard | None, and no registry recognises the cross | None, same reason |
| Shared parent’s clause | Yorkshire Terrier: “must not exceed 7 pounds” | The same clause |
| Second parent’s weight clause | Maltese: “under 7 pounds, with from 4 to 6 pounds preferred” | Poodle: none. No weight is given for any variety |
| Bracket from the parents | Roughly 4 to 8 lb, a tight one | No honest top figure. Ask which Poodle variety |
| Coat, as written | Fine silky against a single coat with no undercoat | Fine silky against a coat “curly: of naturally harsh texture, dense throughout” |
Size: one tight bracket, one open one
Morkie and Yorkipoo are marketplace names. No registry recognises either, and neither has a written standard, so every figure below is a bracket taken from parent standards rather than a specification.
The Yorkshire Terrier standard is blunt: must not exceed 7 pounds. The Maltese standard is close to it, under 7 pounds with 4 to 6 pounds preferred. Two caps that nearly agree give the Morkie about the tightest honest bracket of any cross on this site, roughly 4 to 7 pounds, with some pet Morkies finishing heavier.
The Yorkipoo has no second cap. The Poodle standard is written in inches: Toy is 10 inches or under, Miniature is 15 inches or under with a minimum in excess of 10 inches. No pound figure appears for any variety. So the Yorkipoo bracket has a floor from the Yorkie side and nothing holding the top. Which Poodle variety stood behind the litter is the question that changes the answer, so ask it every time. Our Poodle mixes page makes the same point across the group.
Neither figure predicts a particular puppy. Small breeds finish growing earlier than large ones, but no one can read an adult weight off a photograph.
Coat and grooming
The Yorkie coat is described as glossy, fine and silky, and it keeps growing. That is the part owners underestimate: a coat that keeps growing has to be cut on a schedule, for the life of the dog. Colour moves too. The standard describes an adult as dark steel blue and tan, and puppies as born black and tan, so the dog you collect is not the colour of the dog you keep. The Yorkie size chart goes through those clauses.
On the Morkie side, the Maltese brings a single coat with no undercoat. Two long fine coats mean brushing most days, whichever parent a puppy favours.
On the Yorkipoo side, the Poodle brings a curly coat of naturally harsh texture, dense throughout. Cross that with a fine silky coat and the result is a range, not a formula: wavy, curly and nearly straight can all appear, and texture often changes as the puppy matures. Either way it is a standing groomer appointment. Maltipoo vs. Yorkipoo takes the same Poodle coat against a Maltese one.
Temperament, as the standards phrase it
We publish no temperament clause for the Yorkshire Terrier, because we have no sourced wording to quote and would rather leave the gap. The Maltese standard calls the breed gentle-mannered and affectionate. The Poodle standard describes a dog carrying himself proudly, very active, intelligent.
Those are descriptions of parent breeds, written for the show ring. Individual dogs vary a great deal, and a cross has no clause of its own. Anyone telling you how a Morkie or a Yorkipoo behaves is describing dogs they have met.
Living with either one in Georgia
Both are very small dogs, and tracheal collapse is associated with toy breeds, so use a harness rather than a neck collar.
Dogs cool themselves mainly by panting. In Lawrenceville that means air conditioning, shade, water and walks at either end of the day. Long coats mat faster in humidity than owners expect, so brushing is not optional in summer. Judge condition by feeling the ribs and looking for a waist, not by the scale alone, because a coat hides a lot on a six-pound dog.
Which one suits you
- Do you want the narrowest honest size bracket, or can you live with an open one?
- Have you asked which Poodle variety stood behind the Yorkipoo litter?
- Would you rather brush a long silky coat most days, or manage a curly one you cannot predict?
- Is a very small adult dog right for your household?
Those are yours to answer. Coat texture is something your hands settle in seconds, so come and feel both in Lawrenceville. Available puppies by breed shows what is here.
Common questions
Which is bigger, a Morkie or a Yorkipoo?
The Yorkipoo has the wider possible range, because the Poodle standard sets no weight for any variety. The Morkie’s bracket is roughly 4 to 7 pounds, with some pet Morkies finishing heavier, built from two standards that both cap under 7 pounds. Neither figure predicts an individual puppy.
Are Morkies and Yorkipoos recognised breeds?
No. Both are crosses and both names come from the marketplace. No registry recognises either, and neither has a written standard, which is why published figures disagree.
Will a Morkie puppy stay black and tan?
Probably not, if it takes after the Yorkie side. That standard describes puppies as born black and tan and adults as dark steel blue and tan. A cross has no clause of its own, so nobody can promise a colour.
Which needs less grooming?
Neither is a low-maintenance coat. The Yorkie coat keeps growing and must be cut, the Maltese coat is long and single, the Poodle coat curly and dense. Budget for professional grooming with either cross.
Come and meet them both
Every puppy here is health-checked by our on-staff veterinarian, raised in our family home nursery, and waiting to say hello.
1848 Old Norcross Rd, Lawrenceville, GA 30044
Mon–Sat 12:00–7:00 PM • Sun 2:00–6:00 PM
