"TOY" Dog BREEDS

The Toys are those tiny little dogs, but they follow all the previous groups: the Yorkshire for example, comes from the Terriers; the King Charles, from the Spaniels (hunting dog); the little Italian Lebrel from the lebrels or racing dogs and the Pomerary's Lulu from the Spitz (working dogs). They form an independent group because they were all created through a miniaturization process.

 THE HISTORY OF THE "TOYS"

Animated cartoons, a frequent thing with dogs, captivated some breeders in such a way that they decided to select the smallest dogs of many breeds and use them as reproducers and create, not new breeds, but smaller versions of the existing ones. The miniaturization produced curious and attractive varieties, but also specially adequate to develop certain functions as warming the bed or skin of their owners since, due to their size and weight, they could be easily transported between the folds of a sleeve and their attachment to their owners would lead them to stay still under the bed clothing, warming their owner's feet as if the were hot water bags. Many current Toys love to wrap themselves in soft and warm places and spend some time without moving, reflecting their originality. toy dog clothes

 Some breeders went further and also created bald varieties as the Naked Chinese Dog for example. The baldness might have come spontaneously due to a genetic mutation, but the Chinese breeders selected all the affected dogs to breed them because the naked skin transmits the heat better and faster that the skin with hair. In fact, the traditional shaving of the Lowchen that is not a naked dog, fulfill the purpose of leaving certain parts of the body naked to increase the transmission of the heat.

Until not long ago, miniature dogs were privative of the nobility and royal houses. The Chin for example, was related to the Japanese royal house; the Pekingese, to the Chinese court; the King Charles spaniel, to the British royal house; the Bichon and the Maltese to different European royal houses, just to mention some examples.

Even when its size is original, before turning into a company dog, the Naked Chinese Dog guarded the imperial treasures. Not long ago, this dog's meat was considered an exquisite meal and this, alone with the anti-pet politic of the communist regimen, provokes the disappearance of the breed in its country of origin. However, the breed was also fortunately appreciated in other parts of the world and thanks to this fact, the breed didn't get extinguished and it isn't probable that it will in the future.

TYPES OF "TOY"

Besides the size, the Toys share their past with the company dogs. None of them were created to work, unless it was as a partner, normally for wealthy ladies that used to spend most of the day at home. That is why they are known as "lap-dogs" and there is also where the name of the group "Toy" comes from.

Some Toys are classified in expositions and canine beauty contests along with their correspondent standard varieties. In the United States for example, the Miniature Manchester Terrier is included into the Terrier group and not into the Toy variety. The Toy Poodle is always considered into the other Poodle groups of company dogs. kong dog toy

Due to their size, the Toys are very popular as pets, especially in the city, since their size and temperament allow them to live happily in an apartment. The nerve and courage of many of them make them good guardians, or at least, effective anti-robbery alarms. One of their main inconvenient is the coat, difficult to maintain in many of the cases. Exclusively bred as luxury dog for the high-class people that had enough time to groom their pets and most of all, they used to have money to pay someone to do it for them. The difficulties of the coat maintenance were never considered a problem. However, even the hairless Toys demand a lot of time and work from their owners nowadays, since their naked skin is likely to suffer from sun burns and allergic reactions and it is mandatory to take care of it and protect it. Dog Toys

THE "TOYS" AS PETS

As they were exclusively bred for that purpose, they are the ideal company dogs. They need a lot of time and attention from their owners and they usually can't bear being left alone, even for a short time. They normally don't need intense physical exercise, but they are always full of energy.

Despite their fragile aspect, they are not porcelain toys that break when you look at them; however, and despite their name, they are not toys and you shouldn't allow your children to treat them as if they were so. For a little boy, the tiny Chihuahua is a toy, but if he would take it in his arm and then let it fall, that might cause the dog real serious injuries. Children are not usually very careful and they can walk on them in the excitement of the game or stick their fingers into them and so on, causing them a lot of pain and maybe injure them seriously. For this reason, if you have small children and a Toy variety at home, you must teach your children to treat the dog with kindness and respect and touch them in a safe and appropriate way. Dog doors

The Toys are usually very loyal and they are so attached to their masters that they become very possessive. A correct socialization that includes a lot of contact with people, different from their family and other animals really helps preventing jealousy problems.