MyDogBreeds
Shorkie is originated from United States but Japanese Terrier is originated from Japan. Shorkie may grow 9 cm / 3 inches shorter than Japanese Terrier. Both Shorkie and Japanese Terrier are having almost same weight. Both Shorkie and Japanese Terrier has same life span. Both Shorkie and Japanese Terrier has almost same litter size. Shorkie requires Moderate maintenance. But Japanese Terrier 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 Japanese Terrier is native to Japan and is a rare pure bred dog. It is believed that the dog comes from Smooth Fox Terriers who arrived way back in the 17th century.
Certainly he looks very much like a regular Fox Terrier. It is thought that these smooth Fox Terriers were then interbred with local, Japanese dogs and used to hunt rats. Gradually he became a lap dog and companion.
Planned breeding of the dog began in 1920, and it was in 1930 that the dog was admitted to the Japanese Kennel Club with a breeding program being started.
Today you will find the Japanese Terrier in his home country and small numbers elsewhere. He was admitted to the United Kennel Club in 2006.
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.
The Japanese Terrier is a small sized dog who stands at 20 – 33cm at the shoulders and weighs in at about 2 to 5kg.
He is a short, smooth haired dog with a tight skin and in colors of white and black. Sometimes you may find a little bit of tan color on the face too as well as 'freckles' around the neck area and legs. The black shading of the coat is essentially found around the head of the dog and also his ears.
His ears are set high on the head and are semi-erect, semi-floppy. The tail has always been traditionally docked, giving the dog a nice compact look but these days it is unfortunately often left long and then its a medium length tail which is thinly covered in short hair. The nose is black and the eye are brown, bright and alert.
Gentle, cheerful, intelligent, loving and loyal are some of the characteristics of the Japanese Terrier. People who have kept him as a pet will vouch for him being a wonderful companion.
He is an active dog, but he still loves to be petted and won’t do well if left alone and not part of his human family. Being a clever dog, he is easy to train, learning easily and quickly. He is quite amusing at times and you can even teach him some tricks.
He gets on well with other pets in the home as well as with children. He is alert and will make a good watchdog, alerting you to an intruder.
Because of the Japanese Terrier’s small size and sensitive nature, this breed needs a calm owner and a quiet household. It is not recommended for boisterous households.
As a pet of yours, the Japanese Terrier is an animated, contented little dog. He loves playing games and gets on well with children who aren't rough and disrespectful of him.
He is smart and gentle and loves nothing more than to sit on your lap in the evenings and be your reading- or watching-TV companion. Give him the right amount of attention as any other family member receives and he is guaranteed to make you an excellent, low maintenance pet.
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 Japanese Terrier has no particular health issues and has a lifespan of 12 – 15 years if looked after well.
There are always one or two illnesses to watch out for such as eye- and ear infections. Some dogs also develop conditions such as Patella Luxation. This happens when your dog's kneecap is dislocated. It can only be returned to its normal position when certain muscles in the back legs are relaxed and lengthened.
With this condition, your dog holds up one of his hind legs. This condition is more prevalent in small dog breeds.
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.
The Japanese Terrier is an active dog and will require exercise every day. He’ll love to join you on your walks or have ball games in your garden. He can adapt to life in the city or in the country but will always need to have good exercise.
The Japanese Terrier is a medium shedder and you want to be sure then to brush him twice a week to get rid of all those loose hairs.
The Japanese Terriers will require the best commercially manufactured dog food, and instead of one large meal a day, rather feed him 2 smaller meals. You can mix some tasty home-made food into his dry kibble from time to time. Excellent home-made food would be something like cooked chicken, brown rice or pasta and some vegetables.
If you can, try to also include some raw meat occasionally. If you’re in any doubt as to how to feed your Japanese Terrier so that he remains healthy, speak to your veterinarian.
Your dog should never ever be without a continuous supply of fresh, cool drinking water.