Toy Dog
Dogs
Toy Dog
The
Bichon Frisé is an example of a toy dog that requires considerable
grooming.
A toy dog is a very small
dog kept as a
pet, as compared to a
very small
working
dog, although both pet and working dogs can be very small. When an all-breed
association or
kennel
club divides
dog breeds
into groups for purposes of competition, the Toy Group contains most of
the smallest
dog breeds in the club's registry. There has been much discussion as to
whether the designation signifies only a dog's size (weight, height, or both),
or also refers to how a breed is used or its temperament. This has sometimes led
to misunderstanding or bad feeling in the world of
purebred
dogs; there seems to be no consensus.
The
Chinese Crested Dog is one of the more fragile toy breeds.
It seems safest to define toy dogs as being determined by the size of the
dogs, and leave discussion of function and temperament to the various breed
clubs. However, this can also be problematic, as there is no firm agreement on
what height or weight makes a dog a toy, and the upper height limit of
some toy dog breeds is over 12 inches at the
withers,
which places these dogs within the height range of dogs in some other groups as
well.
The
English Toy Terrier (Black & Tan) shows yet another type of toy dog.
The use of the word "toy" to describe small dogs that belong to a toy breed
is redundant and also incorrect, suggesting that the breed comes in different
sizes—there is no such thing, for example, as a "toy Chihuahua"; all
Chihuahuas are toy dogs. (However, some breeds do come in different sizes,
such as Poodles,
which come in standard, miniature, and toy varieties).
What makes a toy breed?
Does size matter?
Inconsistency in the placement of small
terriers into
various kennel clubs' groups illustrates the point. The
Tenterfield Terrier, for example, is in
Group
2, Terriers of the
Australian National Kennel Council (ANKC). It was slated for placement in
Group 1, Toys, but quickly reclassified after objection from owners, who argued
that the Tenterfield was a
working
terrier. In the
American Kennel Club (AKC), the
Toy Fox Terrier, a dog of similar type to the Tenterfield, was placed in the
Toy Group without objection from owners, but is in the Terrier Group in the
United Kennel Club (UKC). The diminutive
Yorkshire Terrier is undisputedly a toy. The
Australian Terrier is one of the smallest terriers, but is in the Terrier
group.
Form versus function
Another area of contention is the idea that toy dogs are only
companion animals, slow moving, with little need for exercise and with low
endurance.
Papillons give lie to this; although dainty and small they are quite capable
of taking long walks with their humans and often excel at the energetic sport of
dog
agility. The UKC defines
Italian Greyhounds as having been bred exclusively as pets; the AKC states
that these dogs were bred as
gazehounds, dogs that hunt by sight, and are quite fast and hardy, but they
are nevertheless members of the AKC Toy group.
Boston Terrier getting a treat. Although not classified as toys by kennel
clubs, they usually stand between only 12 and 14 inches.
The
Papillon is a very popular toy dog.
The
Yorkshire Terrier is one of the most popular of the Toy breeds.
Teacup dogs
The terms "teacup" or ("tea cup") and "tiny toy," have increasingly come to
be used to describe adult dogs that are very small. The terms, however, are not
used officially by any kennel club, and their use remains controversial. Since
the terms are unofficial, there is no accepted standard of definition for the
terms; thus, an eight-pound chihuahua (much larger than the maximum defined in
the
breed standard) can be described as a "teacup." The increasing frequency of
use of the terms by laypersons has led some to believe that the terms are
official, however (see also
Deer-face chihuahua).
Many who are involved in dog breeding and judging argue that the whole
concept of the "teacup" is nothing more than a marketing ploy to charge
exorbitant prices for dogs that are frequently runts or that may have health
problems due to dwarfing. Dogs that are exceedingly small, particularly those
that are two pounds or less fully grown, often have shortened life spans and
require special care.
List of toy breeds
See also
Home | Up | Badger-Baiting | Bulldog Breeds | Dog Fighting | Hairless Dogs | Hounds | Rat-Baiting | Spaniel | Terrier Group | Mixed-Breed Dog | Dog Hybrids and Crossbreeds | Purebred | Crossbreed | Bichon | Bird Dog | Bulldog Breeds | Cocker Spaniel | Collie | Companion Dog | Coonhound | Cur | List of Dog Fighting Breeds | Eskimo Dog | Farm Collie | Fox Terrier | Foxhound | Gun Dog | Herding Dog | Hound | Hunting Dog | Hypoallergenic Dog Breeds | Lap Dog | Livestock Guardian Dog | Longdog | Lurcher | Mastiff | Munsterlander | Pariah Dog | Pastoral Dog | Pinscher | Pit Bull | Pointer | Poodle Hybrid | Redbone Hound | Retriever | Scentc Hound | Schnauzer | Setter | Sheep Dog | Sight Hound | Sled Dog | Spaniel | Spitz | Springer Spaniel | Terrier | Terrier Group | FCI Terrier Group | Terriers of Scotland | Toy Group | Toy Dog | Water Dog | Welsh Corgi | Working Dog
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