Both Shorkie and Redbone Coonhound are originated from United States. Shorkie may grow 46 cm / 18 inches shorter than Redbone Coonhound. Shorkie may weigh 25 kg / 55 pounds lesser than Redbone Coonhound. Both Shorkie and Redbone Coonhound has almost same life span. Shorkie may have less litter size than Redbone Coonhound. Shorkie requires Moderate maintenance. But Redbone Coonhound 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 Redbone Coonhound has always had a busy life hunting bear, deer and cougar. It is thought that this dog descends from from Bloodhounds, Foxhounds and Irish Hounds.
Hailing from America, this dog has been registered with the American Kennel Club since 2009.
It was during the 18th century that many European-type hunting dogs were imported to America. Over time, Southern hunters bred with stamina and this ultimately lead to the emergence of coonhounds.
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 beautiful, shiny red dog is medium-sized and stands at between 53 and 70cm at the shoulders and weighs between 20 and 32kg.
The dog’s coat is short and smooth with maybe just a tiny bit of white found around the feet and chest area. He is lean and muscular with strong, straight legs and a deep chest. The ears are floppy and the tail, traditionally docked, is often left long these days.
The paws are large and webbed and when the dog is excited, the tail is held high
The Redbone Coonhound is an affectionate dog who wants to please his owners. He just loves his human family and would be beside himself if he were locked outside day after day.
He is a social dog who should be allowed time indoors and out. They make splendid playmates for children too, and get along well with other animals in the house.
Because they’re independent and strong willed, he will need to be trained and socialized to ensure he is well mannered and obedient.
He is an active dog and will require a good bout of exercise. He is vocal, known for his baying type of bark, and training will keep this kind of baying under control. Training is also necessary as this dog is stubborn. He is intelligent enough to learn, and once trained, is gentle and calm.
The Redbone loves the company of his human family. He is such a friendly dog,getting on well with everyone in the family, including the children and other pets.
He is a hunting dog and always ready to be part of any activities his human family is involved in. He is gentle and easy going, and and having him in your life is guaranteed to bring in a lot of joy and sunshine.
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 Redbone Coonhound is generally a healthy breed that can reach 12, 13, 14 years of age if well cared for.
There are some common dog illnesses that this do can succumb to and which are worth knowing about as they affect so many dogs. These are cancer, bloat, skin allergies, ear infections and hip dysplasia.
If you notice that your active dog is subdued and lethargic, it is your responsibility to get your 4-legged child to the vet to be looked over.
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.
Hunting dogs such as the Redbone Coonhound will need a good deal of exercise to stay happy and healthy. The breed is best suited to the countryside or suburbs as opposed to city dwelling.
He won’t be content with just a walk every day but is the kind of dog that will want to be free from a leash and be running far and wide. When at home, involve him in some rope- and ball games.
The Redbone Coonhound isn’t going to be a dog that you have to fuss over. His short coat can be brushed twice a week to keep him looking beautifully shiny. When you brush him, make sure you check for any unusual lumps.
He has floppy ears, so look inside his ears for signs of redness and discharge. This could be an indication of an ear infection. Also check inside his mouth as he could have a rotting tooth which could be causing him a lot of pain and also be poisoning his body.
You want to ensure your beautiful Redbone Coonhound stands every chance to enjoy good health. Every dog owner should try to feed their dog the best food there is.
There are some good commercially manufactured foods on the market and these are wonderfully convenient to use for your dog. However, you want to provide him with some good homemade food too.
Dogs thrive on simplicity and consistency with their diets because then it prevents upset stomachs. Some home-cooked food such as boiled chicken, sweet potatoes, brown rice or pasta, carrots and spinach will be perfect for him.
Chop the food up finely and add it into the dry kibble once or twice a week. Raw meat can also be added in occasionally to promote good skin health. Make sure your pet is never without a constant supply of fresh, cool water.