Morkies don’t shed, and their Maltese roots and human like hair causes it to grow fast, Making it easily tangled and uncomfortable.  Frequently brushing your Morkie and leave in conditioners can help keep your Morkie’s coat manageable in between visits to your groomer. But choosing the right groomer for your Morkie is also very important.

How to choose a groomer for your Morkie dog?

Having a trusted groomer that both you and your Morkie agree on is ideal for your Morkie’s experience, and it may take a few visits to different groomers to find the right one.

Search through Google, Yelp.com or their app and add in the appropriate filters for the mile radius you’re willing to commute for your pup’s cut, the closest might not always be the best.  While you’re on their site, research their customer rating and reviews.  Also, these breeds are often found out in the wild enjoying a meal on a restaurant’s patio with their owner. Take the opportunity to ask for a quick pet and ask the owner who pampers their pride & joy.  Prior to making your appointment, price shop. Most cuts cost about $30-$40, any cheaper and they may not be using the best products on your pup, or spending the time and attention you would hope you’re getting for your money. 

Ask the salon if they have someone who specializes in Maltese, Yorkie or other small breeds, they might pair you up with someone with more experience with them, since they’re such popular breeds.

What kind of relationship do you expect & want from your groomer?

Once you’ve selected your groomer come prepared to appraise their skills, after all you are a paying potential regular with your Morkie’s hair needing a trim every month.  Take into consideration their attitude and willingness to help their clients.  These are good indicators of how your experience down the road will be when you may need to utilize their professional opinion.  Groomers, like vets, come across all sorts of pets in their industry and become more knowledgeable in their field as they gain experience. 

Start building a connection with your groomer in the beginning by asking questions.  Ask if they will cut your Morkie’s nails or if you need to request the service? What kinds of products they use for extra dry skin? Or save some styles you like on your phone to share with your groomer, a good one will have some good ideas.

Going to the groomer should be an exciting and positive event for you and your Morkie, definitely not an uncomfortable chore. But, wait!  Before you and your styling sidekick pay and tip the groomer, don’t feel obligated to make the follow up appointment until you get your Morkie home. You’re little one’s excited to see you to show off their new do, and you won’t be able to get a good look at the groomer’s attention to detail, such as all of their nails until they’ve settle down back at home.

As mentioned, groomers are experienced professionals who can know a lot about their field, and you’ll have your groomer’s phone number in your contact list, choose one you feel is knowledgeable, trustworthy and will benefit your Morkie and you.

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The Basics: Clean Around The Eyes Daily

This one is a must. Be sure to wipe your Morkie’s eyes area at least once or twice every day if you can. This would help to remove not only the brown shade and tear stains but also bacteria and unwanted germs hiding on his face.

What To Do?
Simply use a slightly warm, damp washcloth and carefully clean around their eyes daily.

Hair Is In The Way!

Many Morkies get their eyes irritated by hair that grew too long and is constantly irritating their eyes. As a result, your puppy can shed more tears and which leave stains when they dry.

What To Do?
Simply get a pair of doggy grooming scissors and cut the unwanted hair or consult your Morkie’s groomer. Watch our video tutorial here.

Filter Their Water

Try changing your Morkie’s water from tap to filtered, it’s a trick some groomers say with worth a shot. Also try using a metal, glass or a ceramic bowl – Not a plastic one (The plastic wears down over time and leaves toxins your pup is drinking).

Check Your Morkie’s Diet

It all comes back to your Morkie dog’s diet. Many Morkie owners claim that changing their Morkie’s diet to a grain free diet have solved many problems, including skin conditions, health issues, including, tear stains. Morkie owners attest to adding a little vinegar to their Morkies water or adding a bit of greek yogurt or coconut oil will help with tear stain problem.

What To Do?

Try a more natural, grain free diet for your pup. We recommend ‘Orijen’ as the best food brand for your Morkie. Also, avoid feeding your Morkie unhealthy snacks such as bacon or cheese.

What to feed your Morkie to Prevent Tear Stains?

If you want to try something natural to help your Morkie dog with their tear stain problem. Try adding a tablespoon of natural apple cider vinegar to your pup’s diet. Try using a little bit of coconut oil around your Morkie’s eyes, And try mixing some coconut oil with your Morkie’s food as well. Also, a small sprinkle of buttermilk powder to you Morkie’s diet can help too.

What To Do?

Natural apple cider vinegar: Add a tablespoon to your Morkie’s water bowl.

Coconut Oil: Use a small amount raw coconut oil on the tear stains. You can warm up the coconut oil first to make it more liquid, but your body temperature will melt it while you are applying it, just make sure it’s at a safe temperature to apply. You can also regularly add coconut oil to your Morkie’s food as well.

Buttermilk Powder: a teaspoon sprinkle should be enough with each meal.

Try A Tear Stain Solution

Products like ‘Tear Stain’ by NatureVet claim to help get rid of your Morkies tear stain problem. What we have found to work best is a product called ‘Angel Eyes’ which you can purchase here, that uses a natural formula that is soy and dye free and is easy to apply.

If none of the above helped to solve your Morkie tear stains problem, you might want to consult your groomer or vet. Do you have a home remedy or a solution that works for your Morkie and you want to share it? Please comment below.

The post How To Get Rid Of Morkie Tear Stains appeared first on The Morkie Guide.

Morkies = High Maintenance. And that includes grooming! A mix of Yorkie and Maltese, the Morkie’s coat grows long and fast and needs to be groomed and treated often. Here are some tips to help you groom your Morkie the right way, and help him always look his best! So how to groom a Morkie?

Start When They Are Little

Since grooming needs to be a part of their routine, it is important to start getting your Morkie used to this process early on. This principle of exposing your dog to things early is specifically important with grooming, as a blow dryer and a brush are 2 things that usually drive puppies crazy.

Brush! Brush! Brush!

Brushing is probably the most routine thing you should do. Brush your Morkie often, at least a few times a week. Morkies have fine hair and it gets tangled. Make sure to brush regularly to avoid that. This simple dog grooming brush is recommended by most groomers.

Clean Around The Eyes

Morkies have sensitive eyes, and they tend to tear up on the regular. Try wiping the eyes area daily, to avoid tear marks and make sure hair hasn’t gotten stuck to the eye. A soft cloth and some warm water will do the trick. If your Morkie has tear stains, read this tutorial on how to remove them.

Use High-Quality Shampoos

Different people will tell you different things about how often you should wash your dog. We find it healthy to wash a Morkie every 2 weeks, as they usually live pampered clean lifestyles. Click here to look at our top 10 best Morkie shampoos. You will need one, as Morkies have very sensitive skin.

Visit The Groomer Once A Month

Try to pamper your Morkie and take it to a groomer about once a month to get a cut and a nail trim. This should keep their cut neat. A grooming salon can also bathe your Morkie for you, and it is usually very cheap. If your Morkie gets a lot of hair near his eyes and you feel that you need to trim that more often, ask your groomer to show you how to do that at home. For our tutorial on how to find the right groomer click here.

Trim Their Nails

We recommend that you get your Morkie’s nails trimmed at your pet’s monthly grooming appointment, their size might make it more difficult for you to do yourself at home, and you don’t want to accidentally injure them. However, with practice, you can be just as trusted with your Morkie as your groomer. 

The post How To Groom A Morkie Dog At Home appeared first on The Morkie Guide.

Fleas love dogs – especially clean dogs – but dogs and their owners don’t love fleas. If you think your Morkie has a flea problem don’t brush the situation under the rug, or what was a small flea problem can turn into a major flea problem. A single female flea lays about 50 eggs a day, and assuming half of those eggs will turn female too – Just do the math. Fleas cause major discomfort in dogs, and Morkies can be highly sensitive to flea bites, which is the way fleas feed off of your pup.

How To Check Your Morkie For Fleas

Itching is obviously the first sign. If your pup is itching all over, move on to the next step. Check for red spots or bumps that are close to your pups ears and on their lower back. Those are the favorite spots for fleas to make camp. Go through your Morkie’s fur thoroughly. Divide the fur and get close to the skin. What you are looking for is little dark brown colored creatures. Fleas are sneaky and they will try to hide, so make sure you do a thorough inspection of your dog’s fur.

Use A Flea Comb

Use a flea comb and brush through your Morkie’s fur and see if you find anything. Again, look for tiny dark brown creatures that move fast. Make sure to go through the base of your Morkie’s ears, and their back.

Give Your Morkie A Bath

If you can’t find any fleas but still want to be sure, give your Morkie a bath, keeping the drain clogged. After bathing, if you find little dark spots floating in the water, those might be fleas.

I Think My Morkie Has Fleas. Now What?

First: Get Rid Of Your Morkie’s Fleas

Believe or not – Many Morkie owners just use their good ol’ – Are you ready? – Dish soap! Simply bathe your pup, scrub in the dish soap into your Morkie’s fur (keep away from their eyes though), and leave in for about 5 minutes. The dish soap will kill the fleas, and your little puppy will be happy and itch-free once again. When doing this, it is important to use ‘Dawn Dish Soap’ over other brands, as according to groomers, ‘Dawn’ is the only one that does its work, while being safe for your dog.

Second: Get Rid Of Fleas In Your House

The fleas came from somewhere, you know. And while it might not be from your house, you better be safe than sorry. To clean your house from any remaining fleas, simply clean your house! Sweep, mop and vacuum, and make sure to throw away the bag after you do. Also, wash or replace all of your pup’s bedding and clothes, as fleas love to hang around the fabric waiting for another chance to feed on your dog. 

Then: Use Products To Prevent Your Morkie From Getting Fleas Again

There are many dog products out there that offer an easy and clean solution for fleas. One product raved among small dog owners and vets alike is ‘Revolution’. This product is a once-a-month application, that promises to keep fleas and mites away from your Morkie.

There are many of other products out there as well, such as ‘Comfortis’, that also has some positive reviews. For more options, simply call your vet and consult with them, as they can prescribe oral medication for your pup.

Or: Try A More Techy Solution

If fleas are a constant issue with your Morkie, and you don’t want to use products or meds, you might want to look into getting a special collar to keep those fleas away from your pup. The most well-known one is ‘Seresto’, a special collar made for just that. Using active ingredients, it will keep fleas away from your Morkie, without making a mess or using a product.

The post How To Check Your Morkie For Fleas – And What To Do If You Find Any appeared first on The Morkie Guide.

Walking down the groomer’s isle at your local pet store can be just as intimidating as shopping for your girl friend’s tampons, or for your husband’s specific drill bit. There are a wide variety of brushes, some look familiar like a standard brush with silver bristles with little balls at the end to protect the skin (Pin Brush) while others look like a back scratcher or a generic metal comb. But each of them (like your husband’s drill bits) serves a different purpose at the groomers or in your home.

Brushing your Morkie in between visits to the groomer is just as important as the visit to the groomer itself. It gives the owner and dog time to bond, as well as improve the dog’s circulation, comfort, and cleanliness.

No Two Brushes are Created Equal

First, we have the De-shedding Tool, such as the FURminator, which Morkie owners won’t find much use for, as their pups aren’t prone to leave their coat in your home’s carpets and couches. This brush is able to reduce a pet’s shedding without damaging the dog’s topcoat. Utilizing this tool throughout the spring and summer months can keep your pet more comfortable as it separates their fur’s strands, allowing more airflow through their coat and lightens the load they’re carrying around, as well as preventing mats from developing.

Try a Simple Steel Comb

Then you have the Steel Combs that resemble a traditional comb, with the teeth far apart on one end, and closer together on the other. You can find these combs in different sizes and lengths, but the benefits are all the same. These combs allow you or your groomer to remove tangles, loose hair, and, of course, dirt and dust. Morkie owners may find this comb most valuable after an enthusiastic play date.

Groomers also use the lesser-known Flexible Dog Rake. This rake is fairly versatile in the sense that it removes dead, unwanted hair from the top and undercoat. The pins are the flexible part, the teeth are able to swivel to 360°, and the pins are attached by springs, which allow the brush to fit your pet’s physique. Overall this tool is designed to keep your pet comfortable throughout the grooming process, while removing dead hair from your Morkie’s coat.

Best Morkie Brush: The Slicker Brush

Lastly, you have the Slicker Brush. In addition to removing dead hair, this brush can remove tangles and mats if any have developed between visits to the groomer. This tool has also developed with technology; find a Self Cleaning Slicker Brush, which enables you or the groomer to clean dead hair from the brush with, literally, the click of a button. Just make sure you position the brush over a trash bin before you engage the brush.

The post How To Choose The Right Brush For Your Morkie appeared first on The Morkie Guide.

If fleas or ticks aren’t the sources of a dog’s scratch, the shampoo used on your pup is the likely culprit. The first thing you should know is the generic green stuff isn’t safe and usually stocked full of chemicals that can irritate your dog’s skin.

While Morkies aren’t prone to itchy skin or allergies, they can have reactions if bathed too frequently or with harsh soaps. Dry skin in Morkies can also occur if their bathing regimen is too frequent, since baths can wash away essential oils.

While different shampoos or conditioners are made for different fur/hair types, the properties of a Morkie’s coat is more similar to yours and mine, we still should not share our shampoo and conditioners with our pet as our skin types are different.

For a list of the 10 BEST Morkie shampoos click here

Don’t Use Your Shampoo on your Pup!

First, find a brand such as Mane N’ Tail, that focus on longhaired breed issues, such as mats and tangles. The right shampoo can help when you need to tackle the mats find a specific variety of shampoo that can tackle the issues your pup’s skin might have, ones that contain oatmeal or coconut oil can combat itches or allergies that might cause tear stains or dandruff.

For a list of the 10 BEST Morkie shampoos click here

Before bathing your Morkie, it is important to brush out all of the tangles and mats, as adding water in the mix might make their fine-haired knots even tighter, and closer to the skin. There are products that can help for stubborn mats that won’t give in to a comb or brush, try a water & alcohol-free detangler, such as Cowboy Magic® Detangler & Shine, which contains a silk protein that keeps Morkie’s long hair shiny, but not oily.

After your pup has been treated with a safe shampoo and conditioner, ensure you rinse out all of the suds that can hide close to your pup’s skin. After bath time, towel dry your Morkie as much as you can, but follow this step up with a hair dryer on its lowest and coolest setting, while brushing your Morkie’s coat.

Remember, you and your Morkie should enjoy bath time, and consider the extra attention and time from you as a bonding experience, not an unpleasant chore.

For a list of the 10 BEST Morkie shampoos click here

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