Corkie Dog Breed

Below are the specs and details of the Corkie dog breed.

The Corkie is a small to medium sized breed. The precise size of the Corkie, because it is a hybrid will have a wider range of possibility than purebreds because their genetics are formed from two separate breeds. This hybrid will range between 8-20 pounds and between 8-14 inches tall.

In addition to physical attributes, the Corkie also gains personality characteristics from both breeds. They are known to be cordial and optimistic. Corkies are full of life and happiness. However they can show tidbits of territorial attitudes due to their Terrier side.

The Corkie is low maintenance. Keeping this breed healthy, groomed, and happy will not be a very difficult task. A monthly check of the eyes and ears will be beneficial, to watch out for wax buildups or infections and an occasional trim along with weekly bathing and brushing to keep your Corkie looking good. Low key indoor or outdoor activities occasionally will be sufficient exercise for the Corkie. Their life expectancy is between 11-15 years.

Because the Corkie is a hybrid it doesn't have an official origination. Hybrid dogs have a limited history. The breed likely began around the 1980's when crossbreeds began to establish popularity.

The Corkie's appearance depends primarily on the hereditary traits of the individual pup. Some Corkies will contain a multi-colored patterned coat like their Yorkshire Terrier parent and others may inherit the single-colored coat partial to the Cocker Spaniel parent. Typically the Corkie will have straight, smooth, and medium length hair with a unique silkiness. The Corkie is compact yet stout.This breed has a fairly long muzzle, a shorter tail, and pointy ears that stand up straight.

Possible color combinations for Corkies are black and tan, black and brown, black and white, brown, red, yellow, and parti-colored.

Brown

The Corkie is a relatively small dog but it's not labeled as a toy breed. Again, its physical attributes will be dependent on genetics. The Cocker Spaniel has a max weight of 27 pounds and height of 16 inches tall. The Yorkshire Terrier has a max weight around 6 pounds and height of 9 inches. Putting the Corkie anywhere between 8-20 pounds and between 8-14 inches tall. The Cocker Spaniel is a medium sized dog and the Yorkshire Terrier is a small dog. The Corkie could land in the middle making it a small to medium sized dog or it may end up on one end or the other depending on the hereditary makeup of the dog.

The Corkie is one of the many Yorkshire Terrier (i.e., Yorkie) mixes that have become popular over the last couple of decades. This particular hybrid is produced by breeding a Cocker Spaniel with a Yorkie, and when done so, an F1 Corkie litter is the result. When one of those F1 Corkies are bred back to a Cocker Spaniel or Yorkie, that is known as an F1B. If that F1B is bred back to an F1 Corkie, that is called an F2B. When two F1 Corkies are bred, F2 puppies are produced; when two F2s are bred together, they make a litter of F3's, and on down the line.

Note that some breeders offer King Charles Spaniel and Yorkie mixes while others use the American Cocker Spaniel. This means the hybrid known as the Corkie can wildly vary. The coat of the Corkie tends to be silky and anywhere from medium to long in length, although there are those whose coats may be somewhat short.

Corkies tend to be small, even when mature. While all Yorkies tend to be very small, there is some size variation in Cocker Spaniels and this can affect the size of your Corkie — which is one more reason why you should see the parents of the litter from which you may be adopting a Corkie.

In addition to physical attributes, the Corkie also gains personality characteristics from both breeds. They are known to be cordial and optimistic. Corkies are full of life and happiness. However they can show tidbits of territorial attitudes due to their Terrier side. Like many breeds, the Corkie, in Ideal circumstances should be integrated into social situations as puppies to establish that instinct early on.

Because Corkies have a lively, playful, energetic personality they are considered to be great family dogs. Children will enjoy taking Corkies on walks around the neighborhood or for a quick game of fetch in the park.

Corkies not only get along with children but they also mix well with other pets. Their laid-back attitude and sweet temperament make way for harmonious relationships across the board.

Corkies present friendly attitudes so warming up to new friends will come naturally to this breed. If you're looking for a good guard or watch dog the Corkie is not the best bet. They aren't very aggressive in nature so they rarely bark.

Below are pictures of the Corkie dog breed.

As far as grooming and exercise the corkie is low maintenance. This furry friend is laid back in attitude and necessity. If you're a busy individual with limited time to devote to your pet, the Corkie would be the perfect companion for you. Trainability is fairly simple for this breed because the terrier half makes the Corkie intelligent. If you are consistent gradual progress should be expected.

Corkies are pretty low maintenance in the area of grooming. Brushing your Corkie with a pin brush or comb, once or twice per week is the most beneficial route to prevent the hair from tangling and matting. This will keep your Yorkie's coat soft and silky. The occasional cleaning of the eyes and ears will keep the animal free of infections or a wax build ups. Corkies may also require a trim around the face to remove hair out of the eyes. When trimming hair around the face be careful not to clip off the animal's whiskers.

The Corkie has a mild energy level. A walk in the park or the backyard from time to time will be enough to keep this pup happy and healthy. Setting aside a play area inside may be beneficial especially if you're busy or away from the home most of the time.

Corkies need minimal exercise so just about anywhere, large or small is an acceptable living environment for them. Ideally this dog would be kept indoors.

Ideally this dog would be kept indoors, especially in extreme cold or hot climates.

Corkies have been known to possess knee and elbow joint issues. Take into consideration that lots of jumping around should be prohibited to keep the dog in better health. Its also prevalent for both The Yorkshire Terrier and The Cocker Spaniel to develop infections of the eyes so be sure to regularly check, groom, and give special care to this area.

Below are common health issues with corkies.

• Eye Infections
• Patellar Luxation
• Progressive Retinal Atrophy

The following dog breed registries and organizations recognize the Corkie as a dog breed:

• International Designer Canine Registry

• Sources
• http://dogtime.com/dog-breeds/yorkshire-terrier
• http://dogtime.com/dog-breeds/cocker-spaniel
• http://dogs.petbreeds.com/l/381/Corkie
• http://www.pupvana.com/yorkie-puppies/yorkie-and-cocker-spaniel-mix.html
• http://www.pethealthandcare.com/dog-breed/corkie.html
• http://julieannamos.hubpages.com/hub/Corkie-Hybrid-Dogs