MyDogBreeds
Shorkie is originated from United States but Chinese Crested Dog is originated from Mexico. Shorkie may grow 6 cm / 2 inches shorter than Chinese Crested Dog. Both Shorkie and Chinese Crested Dog are having almost same weight. Both Shorkie and Chinese Crested Dog has almost same life span. Both Shorkie and Chinese Crested Dog has almost same litter size. Shorkie requires Moderate maintenance. But Chinese Crested Dog requires Low maintenance
The Shorkie is a mix between a Yorkshire Terrier and a Shih Tzu. This little dog actually thinks he’s quite big. He is a great watchdog and a barker, and he is a loyal and loving member of his family. He will let you know if he thinks something is going on that shouldn’t be.
This hybrid combines two breeds known for their good looks, cuteness and personalities. Shorkies get their watchdog instincts and their loyalty to their people from the Shih Tzu and their personalities and good looks from the Yorkie. This designer breed has no known standard and every puppy is different, but traits from its founding breeds will remain. Both breeds have great personalities.
Regardless of the differences within the litter, because the personalities and adorableness of the two founding breeds are equal, all of the puppies will have those characteristics. They will all be energetic, playful and think they are big dogs. They will all love people and especially kids – playing and watching over them.
The Shorkie is intelligent, trainable, and snuggly. They will also have the stubborn trait that the two founding breeds can show at times. Developed in the United States, this crossbreed is extremely popular even though they have been in existence for only ten years or so. Breeders in the U.S. began to mix these two breeds in order to develop a cute, friendly and intelligent little dog that will cuddle on your lap – perfect lap dog.
Even if we already have breeds similar to the Shorkie, its development allows breeders to diversify and improve the genetics of the dogs. It is important that these be responsible breeders whose intentions are not financial but to legitimately improve the positive traits of each breed while sorting out the undesirable or weak traits. This is the positive side of the new designer breeds.
Even though it is still being developed, at least the Shorkie seems to be a success story for designer breeds as a loving, popular little dog. It will take a lot more time and a lot more development before the Shorkie becomes an actual recognized breed. At the moment it remains a hybrid, a crossbreed, a so called designer dog.
It will be at least 7-10 generations of careful and quality breeding before the Shorkies are potentially recognized as its own pedigree breed. It is important to breed Shorkies to Shorkies in order to develop a standard that could be accepted for a new breed by the AKC and UKC. Over time the puppies must become more and more standardized in their conformity to that new breed standard. Their physical appearance and their temperament will be standardized. At this stage the second generation of Shorkies is rare. Their popularity is rising in the United Kingdom. Both Britain and Ireland have a growing interest in this hybrid.
The Chinese Crested Dog is believed to have its origins in Africa and there are many texts from the 19th Century that feature an Africa Hairless Terrier that resembles the Chinese Crested. However, the scientific and genetic evidence leads to an origin that is shared with the Mexican Hairless Dog. Any way you look at it the dog did not originate in China. The Chinese were very fond of this breed and used them on their ships to control the rat populations. This is probably how they got their name.
There are two types of Chinese Crested Dogs – the well known Hairless, and the lesser known Powderpuff. The Hairless type is better known because they carry the dominant trait and the Powderpuff is recessive. However, this recessive gene is carried by every Chinese Crested Dog so the Powderpuff can show up in all litters even those of two Hairless Crested. Two Powderpuffs will not result in any Hairless in their litters as the Powderpuff does not have the gene for the Hairless.
The “Crest Haven” Kennel was opened by Debora Wood in the 1950’s to breed the Chines Crested Dog. At the same time Gypsy Rose Lee, of the famous burlesque shows, was also breeding Chinese Crested Dogs. The two lines of Crested bred by Americans came together following the death of Rose Lee. Every Chinese Crested that lives today can trace their heritage directly to these two breeding lines. In 1959, Debra Wood founded the American Hairless Dog Club which became a part of the American Chinese Crested Club or the ACCC in 1978. This organization then became the breed’s parent club after AKC (American Kennel Club) recognized the breed in 1991. Prior to this the Federation Cynologique Internationale, recognized the breed in 1987, the United Kingdom (UK)the Kennel Club recognized them in 1981 and the Australian National Kennel Council recognized the Crested in 1995.
The Shorkie, being a cross between the Yorkshire Terrier and the Shih Tzu, and as such has physical and temperament characteristics from both breeds. They could be 50-50 but most likely each puppy will be more like one of the founding parents than the other. Because there is a lot of similarity between the founding breeds there is a lot of similarity between the Shorkies.
Their hair is either wavy or straight, but it is soft. It can be a wide variety of colors and usually they have a darker mask on the face. Usually they have the eyes of the Shih Tzu – large -but not protruding. Their muzzle is short, and the skull is round with triangle ears. Their bodies are compact, small with plenty of muscle for their size. They also have fine bones and short legs, with a thin curled tail.
This is a toy breed and very small. The Hairless and the Powderpuff are two types of the same breed, although they do not look like it. The Hairless type can have fur anywhere on its body, but it will not have much. It will have hair on its paws, tail and head. The Powderpuff on the other hand will have a thick double coat. When discussing the color of the hairless, one is referring to the color of its skin. It can range from flesh to black.
The Powderpuff has a soft, thick, straight double coat. It can have very long hair. The Hairless must have its skin taken care of and protected. Both types of Chines Crested are small in stature with well proportioned, athletic bodies.
The Chines Crested Dog is very intelligent and love to perform for audiences. They do well with obedience courses and they are very affectionate lap dogs. They want to be with you and on you or in your arms all the time. They are loyal and playful.
Many hybrids are in better health at least genetically than their parent breeds. Responsible breeders will breed any genetic issues out of their puppies. Still there are many health issues that the Shorkies are prone to. These include:
• Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome – “smashed face” causes problems with breathing, heat, flying and more.
• Glaucoma – Yorkshires have this, and it can be secondary to the lens Luxation.
The Chinese Crested Hairless version must have its skin take care of much in the same way we take care of our own. It will burn if exposed to too much sun without protection. They can suffer from dry skin, acne, need moisturizing cremes. They get skin allergies as well and it is important to take care of the skin instead of the brushing you don’t have to do.
The Chinese Crested does not suffer from most of the diseases other toy breeds do. They can have ye issues. The Hairless have a “primitive mouth” . They have pointy teeth and poor dentition. This is not true of the Powderpuffs however. Their eye issues include:
1.Feeding the puppy - The Shorkies need a high-quality, well-balanced dry kibble. Make sure it is a formula for small, active dogs. It should have lean meat and essential minerals and vitamins. Make sure it is puppy food not adult. The puppy needs 300 -550 calories a day in 3 meals.
2.Feeding the adult – Obesity is a problem for the Shorkie as it is for many small dogs. Don’t overfeed your adult but give her the same kind of high quality small breed dog food, only for adults. They need about 200-300 calories a day in 2 meals.
4. Games and Exercises – These are very active little dogs and need exercise every day. They needs walks, games, and time with you. They also love to cuddle with you at the end of the day. They love squeaky toys and playing fetch outside or inside.
Like several other toy breeds, it is easy to overfeed the Chinese Crested because it has such a small stature. Feed once or twice a day but never more than one fourth of a cup total for the day.
Luxating Patellas – kneecaps move out of place and cause lameness and arthritis
Legg-Perthes Disease – a hip disorder where blood does not reach the head of the femur. The bone dies, and growth stops.
Canine Multiple System Degeneration (CMSD) – a progressive movement disorder can call falls
This Breed does not need an excessive amount of exercise, but they do enjoy running. They are competitive and athletic, so they can excel at flyball, lure coursing, agility and obedience. They are sensitive and trainable enough to become a therapy dog.