Exploring the Wonderful World of Dogs
Pekingese
Toys or 'lap-dogs' were designed to sit on human laps so they could be stroked and petted. Historically developed over centuries by the aristocracy, these small dogs possess great dignity as they were pampered, fed gourmet delicacies and slept in privileged sleeping places. Although some Toy breeds may not be as robust as their larger counterparts and prefer to live indoors, they make wonderful companions for people living in small houses and apartments.
The classification of the dogs in the Toy Group varies from country to country. For simplicity of navigation and accessibility, the table below lists the breeds alphabetically as they appear in the Australian classification. They are divided into five sections based broadly on their historical purpose. »» Read more...
This section examines the Asian Toy breeds which served no other function than live as Companion Dogs for the wealthy aristocracy. So they enjoyed privileged lives! Among the earliest Companion Dogs were the "short legged" and "short-headed" "Pai" dogs known to exist in China more than three thousand years BC. »» Read more...
The History of Toy Spaniels indicates that they developed independently in England, Europe and Asia simultaneously. Today we have distinctly different modern pure breeds descending directly from these ancient Spaniels. The line between Spaniels (Toy) and Spaniels (Sporting) historically dates back to over one thousand years ago to the days of using dogs for hunting. Here we shall consider Toy ... »» Read more...
In the mid to late 1800's, ratting or vermin killing was important to maintain human hygiene. As the show dog scene developed, individual breeds were recorded in the first English Stud Books. Over the next century or so, the traditional role of ratting terriers diminished because of the use of more sophisticated means of vermin destruction. However, in this section ... »» Read more...
The fore-runners of today's Maltese are among the most ancient of all Toy Breeds. They were originally called 'Melitaie', an ancient name for the Island of Malta from which the Phoenicians traded between the East and the West. Around 300 BC Aristotle described these as 'about the size of a Maltese dog of the little, tiny sort'. Consequently, we have ... »» Read more...
This section contains Miniature Toy breeds that were always bred to be tiny like the Chihuahua and the Russian Toy. It also contains breeds like the Pomeranian that has been miniaturized from the family of Spitz breeds. »» Read more...