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Mi-Ki

The breeds · companion

UKC Companion

Mi-Ki.

UKC: an adaptable, intelligent, sweet-natured dog whose primary purpose is to serve as a companion; originated in the 1980s with Mikki Mackin of Wisconsin from a Shih Tzu base with Papillon, Maltese, Yorkshire Terrier and Japanese Chin, exact combination unknown; recognised by UKC on January 1, 2016. American Mi-Ki Club: the primary purpose is that of a loving companion; the breed was developed by the Rev. Maureen van Wormer from 1959 beginning with two Shih Tzu; also used in therapy and service work, conformation, agility and obedience. Wikipedia: kept primarily as a companion and used in therapy work..

Breed sets the odds. The parents set the dog. Every number here shows its source, its spread and how sure we are. Nothing on this page is a prediction about one dog.

0INHeightall null. An ideal from the standard, not a range.
3–11LBWeight, all linesbreed 3 to 11 lb.

The lines

Within one breed the line can matter more than the breed. Where the lines differ, the page says which one a value belongs to.

long_coat

Long coat with facial furnishings (beard and mustache or shaved face grooming), per UKC and the American Mi-Ki Club.

smooth_face

Smooth face: no beard or mustache, shorter body coat, light feathering and a plumed tail, per UKC and the American Mi-Ki Club.

The body

What the breed is built like. Registry standards give an ideal, not a range.

Height at the shoulder

7 to 12 in

Breed clubUnited Kennel Club, 2024

UKC and the American Mi-Ki Club agree on a 10 in ceiling; the two DNA-company profiles (Wisdom Panel to 11 in, Embark 10 to 12 in) run above it and are spanned, not averaged. UKC prints the ideal as a range (7 to 9 in), so center is blank.

Weight

3 to 11 lb

Breed clubUnited Kennel Club, 2024

low/high span every figure read. The American Mi-Ki Club prints its ideal as a range (4 to 8 lb), so center is blank.

Coat

UKC: single-coated, long silky coat over the whole body, no undercoat, may be slightly wavy; long-coated and smooth face varieties; all colours and markings except merle; merle and albinism disqualify. American Mi-Ki Club standard: single coat, long coat variety without curl, smooth face variety with demi-long coat lying close to the body; merle and albino not permitted. Wikipedia: all colours and patterns, solid or parti-colour.

Breed clubUnited Kennel Club, 2024

UKC and the American Mi-Ki Club agree on coats and on excluding merle.

Shedding

American Mi-Ki Club: describes the breed as hypoallergenic and low to non shedding. UKC history: a long, silky, non-shed coat. Wisdom Panel and Wikipedia: low-shedding.

Breed clubAmerican Mi-Ki Club

These are club and company statements; no allergen or shedding study was read and the library asserts neither the hypoallergenic nor the non-shedding claim.

The dog at home

What the breed asks of a day. The first thing most homes get wrong.

Exercise need

American Mi-Ki Club: enjoy playtime, yet require little exercise. Wisdom Panel: a moderately active breed that needs occasional walks or playtime in a fenced yard. Embark: a long daily walk will keep the Mi-Ki well exercised.

Breed clubAmerican Mi-Ki Club

No minutes-per-day figure read from a registry, so exercise_need_min is left out. The sources differ in emphasis (little, occasional, a long daily walk); all stand.

Grooming

UKC: single coat, no undercoat, left to grow to natural length, may be slightly wavy; a sanitary trim is permitted; two equally acceptable grooming styles for the long coat (beard and mustache, or shaved face). American Mi-Ki Club: smooth face Mi-Kis have shorter body hair that requires almost no grooming. Wisdom Panel: low-shedding, but occasional baths and regular brushing are needed to prevent mats and tangles. Wikipedia: the long coat still requires regular grooming to prevent matting.

Breed clubUnited Kennel Club, 2024

No source gives a brushing frequency, so grooming_load is left out. The long coat and the smooth face differ.

The work

What it was built to do in the field, and what a test or trial asks of it.

Role

UKC: an adaptable, intelligent, sweet-natured dog whose primary purpose is to serve as a companion; originated in the 1980s with Mikki Mackin of Wisconsin from a Shih Tzu base with Papillon, Maltese, Yorkshire Terrier and Japanese Chin, exact combination unknown; recognised by UKC on January 1, 2016. American Mi-Ki Club: the primary purpose is that of a loving companion; the breed was developed by the Rev. Maureen van Wormer from 1959 beginning with two Shih Tzu; also used in therapy and service work, conformation, agility and obedience. Wikipedia: kept primarily as a companion and used in therapy work.

Breed clubUnited Kennel Club, 2024

Sources name the founder as Mikki Mackin (UKC) and Maureen van Wormer (club); Wikipedia says they are the same person. Companion breed; no hunting or field role is stated.

How common the problems are

Evaluated dogs skew toward breeding stock; the numbers are still the best there are.

Most common disorders

Wikipedia lists conditions reported in the breed: patellar luxation, progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), congenital cardiac conditions including patent ductus arteriosus, hyperuricosuria (HUU) and chondrodystrophy (CDDY) with intervertebral disc disease (IVDD). Wisdom Panel names CDDY and IVDD as the genetic health conditions on its page.

EditorialWikipedia

Editorial; no prevalence figure and no VetCompass paper or club survey was read.

What to ask a breeder for

The health clearances the breed’s own club and registry name. Reference only: what to ask for, never a statement about any dog’s health.

How to read this page

Every value carries a label. Measured means peer-reviewed data on many dogs. Studied means peer-reviewed, smaller or indirect. Breed club means a club or registry states it. Editorial means expert opinion with no measurement behind it. Where two good sources disagree, both are shown and neither is averaged.

Published when the entry rests on the best information available from no fewer than three independent sources, checked by a second pass that did not write it. 4 sources on this page. Found something wrong? Tell us and the correction is logged with its date.

Also called
Miki, Mi-ki

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