Russkiy Toy
Encyclopedia
The Russkiy Toy is a very small breed
of dog
originally bred in isolation in Russia from the English Toy Terrier. There are two types, smooth haired/coated and long haired, which were known by a variety of different names until brought together under the same standard as the Russkiy Toy in 2000. The breed was nearly wiped out twice; first following in the 1920s with the rise of Communism
due to the toy dog
's traditional link to the aristocracy and secondly in the 1990s with the influx of foreign breeds following the fall of the Iron Curtain
. The smooth haired type is the older of the two, with the long haired type first appearing in 1958.
Until the 1990s, the breed was almost unknown outside of Russia, and so relatively few details on associated health issues are known. The Russkiy Toy was bred as a rat fighter and as a watchdog originally, and can still exhibit the vocalisation expected from the latter. It is a friendly dog and can become very attached to a family unit. The breed has been recognised by a couple of international kennel clubs, and is registered in the Foundation Stock Service of the American Kennel Club
.
is prohibited, the tail is curved in the shape of a sickle
. There are two types in the breed, distinguished by their coats; one is long haired, and the other smooth coated. The only differences between the two types is the long hair on the ears of the long haired type which is usually 3–5cm long and can be straight or with a slight wave. Long haired dogs will grow a fringe on their ears by the age of three which should completely cover the outer edges and tips of their ears.
The smooth haired type of the breed closely resembles the Pražský Krysařík
breed of the Czech Republic
. The Pražský on average is a little shorter, but a little heavier than the Russkiy Toy.
Both of the varieties can be crossed and produce smooth and long haired puppies from the same litter. In addition, when two smooth coated dogs are bred together, they may occasionally bear a long haired offspring if the long hair blood is present in their pedigrees. However there have been no records of two long haired Russkiy Toys bred together and producing smooth coating offspring.
The breed has five main colors, black and tan, blue and tan, brown and tan, sable or solid red of various shades.
assistance in changing from its puppy teeth to its adult set. Without this surgery, two rows of teeth will form which can cause gum infections, bad breath and prevent the permanent adult set from coming forward.
As with most breeds of dog, the Russkiy Toy can suffer from patellar luxation, which is where the knee cap slips out of place when the knee bends as the groove that normally holds it in place is too shallow. It is usually an inherited defect, which occurs during the development of the foetus and rarely by trauma.
Russkiy Toys can suffer from bone fractures due to their small and sometimes delicate nature. There have been reports of severe allergic reactions to certain types of flea medication and the rabies vaccine, causing epileptic seizures
in some dogs.
. On display is an English style terrier dated 1716–1726 with a sign that reads "This dog is a short hair terrier named Lizetta. It personally belonged to the Russian Emperor Peter the Great. Towards the start of the 20th century, the English Toy Terrier was one of the most popular toy dog breeds in Russia. Between 1920 and 1950, their numbers were greatly diminished following the October Revolution
as these types of dogs were linked to the aristocracy and frowned upon. When the breeding was re-started almost all of the dogs used had no pedigrees or were even purebred.
The original long haired Russkiy is considered to be a dog named Chikki who was born on 12 October 1958 from two smooth haired terriers. One its parents had no recorded pedigree, but had slightly longer hair than normal. Chikki was mated with a female named Irma, who had longer hair than normal and together they had three long haired puppies.
The political isolation of the country at the time caused the creation of a whole new breed as breeders sought to stabilise the toy sized terriers at the time into a standard breed. The first standard for the two varieties was written in 1966 and authorised by the Ministry of Agriculture
. After the fall of the Iron Curtain
, a number of foreign small breed dogs were imported, and this caused the popularity of the Russkiy Toy to decline. By the 1990s, the long haired type of Russkiy Toy had hit critical numbers, but luckily a resurgence occurred due to a new generation of dog breeders. Until this time the breed was virtually unknown outside of its homeland.
It was recognised by the Federation Cynologique Internationale
in 2006 and the United Kennel Club
in 2008. It is also recognised by the American Rare Breed Association
, North American Kennel Club and International All Breed Canine Association. It has recently been admitted into the Foundation Stock Service of the American Kennel Club
which can be seen as a first step towards full AKC recognition. In July 2009 the Russian Toy was approved to compete in AKC companion
events from 1 January 2010 onwards.
Dog breed
Dog breeds are groups of closely related and visibly similar domestic dogs, which are all of the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris, having characteristic traits that are selected and maintained by humans, bred from a known foundation stock....
of dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
originally bred in isolation in Russia from the English Toy Terrier. There are two types, smooth haired/coated and long haired, which were known by a variety of different names until brought together under the same standard as the Russkiy Toy in 2000. The breed was nearly wiped out twice; first following in the 1920s with the rise of Communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
due to the toy dog
Toy dog
Toy dog traditionally refers to a very small dog or a grouping of small and very small breeds of dog. A toy dog may be of any of various dog types. Types of dogs referred to as toy dogs may include Spaniels, Pinschers and Terriers that have been bred down in size. Not all toy dogs are lapdogs,...
's traditional link to the aristocracy and secondly in the 1990s with the influx of foreign breeds following the fall of the Iron Curtain
Iron Curtain
The concept of the Iron Curtain symbolized the ideological fighting and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1989...
. The smooth haired type is the older of the two, with the long haired type first appearing in 1958.
Until the 1990s, the breed was almost unknown outside of Russia, and so relatively few details on associated health issues are known. The Russkiy Toy was bred as a rat fighter and as a watchdog originally, and can still exhibit the vocalisation expected from the latter. It is a friendly dog and can become very attached to a family unit. The breed has been recognised by a couple of international kennel clubs, and is registered in the Foundation Stock Service of the American Kennel Club
American Kennel Club
The American Kennel Club is a registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States. Beyond maintaining its pedigree registry, this kennel club also promotes and sanctions events for purebred dogs, including the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, an annual event which predates the official...
.
Description
The Russkiy Toy is one of the smallest breeds in the world, measuring between 8 inches (20.3 cm) to 10 inches (25.4 cm) and weighing anywhere between 3 lbs and 6 lbs. It has a small distinctive head with large eyes and triangular ears. In countries where dockingDocking
Docking may refer to:* for ships, the use of a Dock, e.g. mooring or drydocking.* Spacecraft docking, the process of joining one spacecraft or space station module to another.* Docking , the practice of trimming the tail of an animal....
is prohibited, the tail is curved in the shape of a sickle
Sickle
A sickle is a hand-held agricultural tool with a variously curved blade typically used for harvesting grain crops or cutting succulent forage chiefly for feeding livestock . Sickles have also been used as weapons, either in their original form or in various derivations.The diversity of sickles that...
. There are two types in the breed, distinguished by their coats; one is long haired, and the other smooth coated. The only differences between the two types is the long hair on the ears of the long haired type which is usually 3–5cm long and can be straight or with a slight wave. Long haired dogs will grow a fringe on their ears by the age of three which should completely cover the outer edges and tips of their ears.
The smooth haired type of the breed closely resembles the Pražský Krysařík
Pražský Krysarík
The Prazsky krysarik is a small breed of dog from the Czech Republic that is rarely seen outside its country of origin. It is the smallest breed in the world by breed standard, because of the maximum height of the dogs, unlike Chihuahua's who are measured by weight.-Appearance:The dog's coat...
breed of the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
. The Pražský on average is a little shorter, but a little heavier than the Russkiy Toy.
Both of the varieties can be crossed and produce smooth and long haired puppies from the same litter. In addition, when two smooth coated dogs are bred together, they may occasionally bear a long haired offspring if the long hair blood is present in their pedigrees. However there have been no records of two long haired Russkiy Toys bred together and producing smooth coating offspring.
The breed has five main colors, black and tan, blue and tan, brown and tan, sable or solid red of various shades.
Health
A Russkiy Toy will often require veterinarianVeterinarian
A veterinary physician, colloquially called a vet, shortened from veterinarian or veterinary surgeon , is a professional who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals....
assistance in changing from its puppy teeth to its adult set. Without this surgery, two rows of teeth will form which can cause gum infections, bad breath and prevent the permanent adult set from coming forward.
As with most breeds of dog, the Russkiy Toy can suffer from patellar luxation, which is where the knee cap slips out of place when the knee bends as the groove that normally holds it in place is too shallow. It is usually an inherited defect, which occurs during the development of the foetus and rarely by trauma.
Russkiy Toys can suffer from bone fractures due to their small and sometimes delicate nature. There have been reports of severe allergic reactions to certain types of flea medication and the rabies vaccine, causing epileptic seizures
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or hypersynchronous neuronal activity in the brain.About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and nearly two out of every three new cases...
in some dogs.
Temperament
Active and cheerful, the Russkiy Toy was originally bred both as an anti-rat dog and a watch dog. The second quality is still active in the breed, and they can be very vocal. They can become quite attached to their family, regardless of the ages of the family members.History
The first evidence of English style terriers in Russia can be seen in the Museum of Zoology in Saint PetersburgSaint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
. On display is an English style terrier dated 1716–1726 with a sign that reads "This dog is a short hair terrier named Lizetta. It personally belonged to the Russian Emperor Peter the Great. Towards the start of the 20th century, the English Toy Terrier was one of the most popular toy dog breeds in Russia. Between 1920 and 1950, their numbers were greatly diminished following the October Revolution
October Revolution
The October Revolution , also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution , Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution, was a political revolution and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
as these types of dogs were linked to the aristocracy and frowned upon. When the breeding was re-started almost all of the dogs used had no pedigrees or were even purebred.
The original long haired Russkiy is considered to be a dog named Chikki who was born on 12 October 1958 from two smooth haired terriers. One its parents had no recorded pedigree, but had slightly longer hair than normal. Chikki was mated with a female named Irma, who had longer hair than normal and together they had three long haired puppies.
The political isolation of the country at the time caused the creation of a whole new breed as breeders sought to stabilise the toy sized terriers at the time into a standard breed. The first standard for the two varieties was written in 1966 and authorised by the Ministry of Agriculture
Ministry of Agriculture (Russia)
The Russian Federation Ministry of Agriculture, headquartered at Orlikov pereulok, 1/11, in Moscow, is the cabinet-level agency responsible for support of agricultural production, soil conservation, rural development, agricultural market regulation, and financial stabilization of the farm...
. After the fall of the Iron Curtain
Iron Curtain
The concept of the Iron Curtain symbolized the ideological fighting and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1989...
, a number of foreign small breed dogs were imported, and this caused the popularity of the Russkiy Toy to decline. By the 1990s, the long haired type of Russkiy Toy had hit critical numbers, but luckily a resurgence occurred due to a new generation of dog breeders. Until this time the breed was virtually unknown outside of its homeland.
It was recognised by the Federation Cynologique Internationale
Fédération Cynologique Internationale
Fédération Cynologique Internationale is an international federation of kennel clubs based in Thuin, Belgium. The English language translation, World Canine Organisation, is not often used.Its goals are described in Article 2 of their regulations:...
in 2006 and the United Kennel Club
United Kennel Club
The United Kennel Club is the second oldest all-breed registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States and the second largest in the world. According to the website, the club records 250,000 registrations annually. The UKC is not part of the International Canine Organisation, Fédération...
in 2008. It is also recognised by the American Rare Breed Association
American Rare Breed Association
The American Rare Breed Association or ARBA is a national dog association of the United States, based in Cheltenham, Prince George's County, Maryland. The club was formed to register, show, educate and promote the breeding of uncommon dog breeds...
, North American Kennel Club and International All Breed Canine Association. It has recently been admitted into the Foundation Stock Service of the American Kennel Club
American Kennel Club
The American Kennel Club is a registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States. Beyond maintaining its pedigree registry, this kennel club also promotes and sanctions events for purebred dogs, including the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, an annual event which predates the official...
which can be seen as a first step towards full AKC recognition. In July 2009 the Russian Toy was approved to compete in AKC companion
Companion dog title
Companion Dog refers to a title offered by the American Kennel Club for dog obedience. Other kennel clubs also offer similar CD titles...
events from 1 January 2010 onwards.