Terriers were originally bred for the purpose of catching rodents, presumably in England. Only then were they noticed by society ladies and began to be used as decoration.
Soon the fashion for small dogs spread to Russia, where their own breed was bred - the Russian Toy Terrier .
The fashion for this breed was heterogeneous: it increased and then fell. In the nineties of the last century, another decline occurred. Then dog handlers developed an even smaller variety of the breed – mini toy terrier . Result: in the 2000s, the fashion for these dogs reached its peak. Now it has weakened, but has not disappeared.
Origin of the breed
The first miniature dogs appeared in Russia from England back in the times of Peter the Great: Tsar Peter personally kept with him an English terrier, a bitch named Lisette. Those who saw her stuffed animal in the Kunstkamera of St. Petersburg can note the striking dissimilarity of this dog with the modern breed of Russian Toy Terrier mini. The reason is that the history of this breed in Russia was divided into 2 stages.
At the first, relatively small pets were brought to the Russian Empire (the size of an adult dog was about 35 cm at the withers), which instantly became the favorites of society ladies. These dogs were the result of crossing Italian greyhounds, English greyhounds and whippets with the old English breed of black and tan terrier. By the way, it was from them that black toys inherited red eyebrows.
During selection, litters of puppies of varying sizes appeared. The larger ones were engaged in hunting, as befits terriers, and the smaller ones (weighing less than 2 kg) were used for breeding and producing the English Toy Terrier breed. These little dogs had no practical use; their purpose was to decorate the exquisite salon interiors of the nobility. After the October Revolution, most of the wealthy nobles left Russia, as a result of which the number of toy terriers decreased significantly, but the breed remained. Unlike larger purebred dogs, Toi survived all the vicissitudes of those times relatively safely; before the war they could be seen at dog shows.
After the war, when dog handlers decided to restore this breed, they used what was left. Therefore, for selection they took what most suited the standards. Soviet dog breeders could not use foreign breeding material, since the political isolation that existed at that time affected other spheres of society. As a result, a Soviet Toy Terrier standard was developed, which was different from the English one.
Appearance - color and size
If we consider the Mini and Standard Toy Terrier breeds, the difference is that, in fact, there is no breed standard for the Mini Toy Terrier. For a long time, the standard for the Russian Toy Terrier was relevant, according to which the dog’s height could not exceed 25 cm at the withers for a male and 23 cm for a female. A characteristic feature of this breed is a round head with a prominent prominent forehead. The tail must be docked. Toy colors from shows in the late 60s were limited to black or brown and tan, and all shades of red.
There are two types of mini toys:
- smooth-haired;
- long-haired.
Modern colors of mini toy terriers are pleasing to the eye: from the historical black, brown and red to blue, chocolate, fawn and lilac. Moreover, each shade corresponds to the standard color of the nose, and sometimes the eyelids. Mini-toys are less common:
- marble;
- brindle;
- piebald;
- white;
- spotted color.
Tan can be found in almost any color.
Description of the breed: a fine-boned dog with a characteristic rounded skull, round eyes, flat cheekbones, high legs and a narrow chest. The ears are large, erect, with pointed ends. The tail has recently been allowed to be undocked, thin, and curled with a saber.
The modern description of the general standard of the toy terrier indicates that the weight of an adult dog is up to 1.5 kg and the height is less than 20 cm at the withers, which is the basis for classifying the dog as a mini breed. A supermini toy terrier can weigh less than 1 kg. Once they reach two years of age, mini toys stop growing.
Character
This breed of dog is distinguished by truly human quarrelsomeness and a love of argument and bickering. The bad temper of these little dogs does not depend on their upbringing or age. Both in childhood and in old age, they are equally prone to hysterics, are too emotional, painfully jealous and selfish, demanding attention and affection 24 hours a day. The owner should belong only to them. Mini Toys can treat other family members with contempt, sometimes aggressively, or at best, simply not notice other people in the house.
The Mini Toya girl is more flexible, she has a calm, complacent disposition. A boy of the same breed (especially a spoiled one) is a tyrant and petty despot, demanding love, attention and worship every minute. If you set yourself the goal of at least minimal training, then Mini Toy females are more suitable for this.
With the owner whom these dogs choose for themselves, they have love and mutual understanding, complete obedience. It is better for the owner of a mini toy terrier:
- do not have other animals in the house;
- do not leave home often, especially for a long time;
- carefully accustom your pet to the arrival of a child in the family;
- raise the dog as gently as possible, without resorting to violence and harsh training methods.
On the Internet you can find funny videos of well-trained mini toy terriers. But few people know what kind of diligence and patience such successes require. To achieve such obedience, you need to find a common language with your pet and never offend it, even with a loud shout.
This breed does not tolerate loneliness, so one mini toy can be left only after he has lived in this house for enough time. You need to teach him to be alone gradually - go out, leaving him in the apartment, first for 5 minutes, then for 10, gradually increase the time range. But this little dog is very smart, he can tell the difference between 30 minutes and 6 hours. A lonely one will bark and howl and try to get out of the room. And separation from a beloved owner can cause stress and even death. This is one person's dog.
Photo gallery
Let's look at photos of these tiny dogs that require special care. After all, they become attached to only one owner and will not tolerate it if he decides to leave him.
Care and maintenance
A smooth-haired mini toy terrier requires less cost, effort and time to care for its coat, but a long-haired one requires daily brushing. There is no need to bathe your pets often; if they get dirty during a walk, it is enough to wipe their paws and other contaminated parts of the body.
Walking is a necessary part of the life of such an energetic and emotional dog. She must understand that she needs to relieve herself only on the street.
A mini toy will get a lot of pleasure from communicating with other dogs: he will be selfish only in his closed territory, and outside of it he is an inquisitive creature, like all terriers, enthusiastically exploring the world around him. Mini Toys, even long-haired ones, do not tolerate cold weather well. The owner must take care of purchasing clothes, and, if necessary, shoes for the pet.
You need to feed with high-quality premium and super-premium food. Feeding with wet food is acceptable, but for owners of long-haired Toys it is an additional hassle to wipe the long ear hair that falls into the food bowl. The mini toy terrier does not need a lot of food, so food must be given in doses. If your weight changes while the amount of food you eat remains the same (weight loss or obesity), you should immediately contact your veterinarian.
For a toy, all veterinary procedures are a lot of stress, so it is better to find a permanent doctor who will perform all procedures and examinations. Be sure to trim nails, clean ears, and get vaccinations according to age.
The peculiarities of caring for these miniature dogs take into account not only their small height and weight, but also their thin bones. Therefore, if you hold a mini toy in your hands, you need to secure it well so that it does not escape. This is fraught with multiple fractures. In the same way, you cannot jerk any object from his mouth: you can not only deprive your pet of several teeth, but also damage his jaw.
Pros and cons of the breed
This breed has many disadvantages and advantages. Main problems and solution:
- High injury rate. The thin-boned breed can break bones even when jumping vigorously on the floor. Falling from a height can sometimes be fatal. Therefore, the owner must adapt his home to the small pet, and while the energetic mini toy is leaving, in order to avoid injury, it is better to place it in a spacious cage with a cozy lounger, food and water, and a diaper for the toilet (although the dog will usually endure until the owner arrives).
- Mating is contraindicated for Mini Toy bitches: not only will they not be able to give birth on their own, but pregnancy itself is fraught with fatal consequences for them. That's why they are not knitted. Standard toy terriers are suitable for breeding, but smaller puppies are distinguished in their litter. In fact, this is a tribal marriage. But in this case it is a mini toy terrier. But, like any actual breeding breed, it is not allowed to reproduce also because the offspring may inherit other, much more serious genetic defects.
- Reduced immune status. It is necessary to properly feed and monitor the health of your pet.
Separately, it is necessary to mention the difficulties with diagnosis. It is difficult for a small dog:
- take blood from a vein, not to mention giving an injection or IV;
- calculate the dosage of the medicine and, what is especially dangerous, anesthesia.
A mini toy may not tolerate vaccination or treatment with anthelmintic drugs (and this must be done). In addition, it is difficult to collect a urine sample from such a baby in sufficient quantities for research.
But at the same time, the mini toy terrier is, although harmful, a faithful and devoted dog that will die from its own courage, but rush at a stranger who, in its opinion, threatens the safety of its owner. In a calm environment, this is the sweetest, kindest creature that you can take with you in a small purse if necessary.
Where to buy and price
For that. To purchase a purebred puppy, it is better to contact the nurseries: Solnyshko Alexi, Zvezda Dona, Pocket happiness. Unlike other breeds, a puppy should be adopted later, from four months of age, when it is already possible to predict its possible future size. The breeder must document the toy's age; this will exclude the possibility of selling a very young puppy under the guise of a small adult dog.
How much a dog costs depends on the name of the kennel, the qualities of the mini toy, and its exterior. Mini puppies cost no less than 30,000 rubles. The price can rise to 50,000 and above with a rare exotic color. The high cost is justified by the complexity of care and other details, but you need to know that there is no show class for mini-toys, there are only breeds and pets. Pedigree is required.
Price range
The cost of a purebred toy terrier puppy , depending on the region in which the puppies are sold, as well as their pedigree and quality, can range from 20 to 85-90 thousand rubles .
Puppies with obvious defects in the exterior, which are sold exclusively as pets, are slightly cheaper.
Diseases and life expectancy
Mini Toy Terriers are considered long-livers; ten years is not an age for them. How long dogs of this breed live depends on care, nutrition and heredity. Under favorable circumstances, a mini toy can live up to 30 years. Most often, these miniature dogs suffer from hydrocephalus; this congenital defect is immediately noticeable. Other diseases are caused by reduced immunity (allergies) and brittle bones.
You need to correct your health with the help of vitamin supplements, as well as cottage cheese for bones, egg yolks, boiled fish and fish oil, lean boiled meat, and vegetables. Soft boiled cartilage is useful for such dogs.
Possible colors
The following colors are allowed in Toy Terriers::
- Black and Tan
- Brown and tan
- Blue and tan
- Lilac and tan
- Pale yellow
- Ginger
- Red with brown
- Red with black
- Red and blue
- Red with lilac
- Cream
The main color should be as bright and rich as possible.
