Toy Breeds: What you need to know
October 12, 2014
by Natalie Secretan
Toy breed is a name given to dogs that have been crossbred and bred down from their larger ancestors to produce a classification of small dogs devoted to companionship.
Weighing in under 11 lbs, the consummate lap warmer like the Toy and Miniature Poodle, Miniature Dachshund and Yorkshire Terrier are easier to manage and less expensive to care for and so remain the favourite toy breed among city dwellers.
While you can now find many toy breeds for sale like the pomsky, cojack, morkie and cockerpoo, many of these breeds are too young to be registered with the American Kennel Club. Based on their track history of breed information, there are only 21 toy breeds officially registered with the AKC.
AKC Toy Breed Group
- Affenpinscher
- Brussels Griffon
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
- Chihuahua
- Chinese Crested Dog
- English Toy Spaniel
- Havanese
- Italian Greyhound
- Japanese Chin
- Maltese
- Manchester Terrier
- Miniature Pinscher
- Papillion
- Pekingese
- Pomeranian
- Poodle
- Pug
- Shih Tzu
- Silky Terrier
- Toy Fox Terrier
- Yorkshire Terrier
Despite challenges with housetraining and barking, these smaller companion dogs have been popular for as many as 15,000 years when the first DNA evidence of our fascination with the shrinking of dogs exists. The Shih Tzu and Lhasa Apso are the oldest and sturdiest among the toy breeds, while many other toy dogs suffer health problems associated with too much in-breeding:
“Because there was good profit in following fashion, breeders intentionally bred from the runts…I now see Yorkshire Terriers, Pomeranians, Chihuahuas, and Pekingese that as adults weigh less than 1.5 kg (3 lb). This is terrible. Their personalities are often terrific, but invariably the medical problems these dogs have are challenging, and their life expectancies shortened. This is a pointless trend that I’ll be happy to see the end of,” Bruce Fogle, DVM.
If you’re thinking of adopting a toy breed, do some research and find a reputable breeder or seller. Toy breeds are often more expensive than other dogs because of their popularity, but watch out for scams or people asking for more money because of rare colouring or exceptionally small size.
References:
http://www.animalplanet.com/tv-shows/dogs-101/videos/top-10-best-lap-dogs.htm
https://www.akc.org/breeds/toy_group.cfm
Bruce Fogle, Dog: The Definitive Guide for Dog Owners (New York: Firefly Books, 2010).
Image Source: kconnors at Morguefile
Keywords: Toy dog breeds, toy dog breeds list, toy dog breeds for sale