Russian Toy Terrier

Russkiy Toy

The Russian Toy Terrier is rather easy to live with, train and please, as long as he stays close to his master and participates in family activities. Sociable and active, he needs to move and be with his family to be happy. If left alone, he will tend to bark more often. Since he is an indoor dog, it is important to make sure you are present regularly to prevent neighbors that live nearby to start hating him because of his constant barking when he is alone. This unique and special-looking little apartment dog is an excellent life companion in all possible and imaginable situations. Everybody, without exception, can make him happy, just as he can bring happiness to all kinds of owners. Whether you are 7 or 77 years old, this funny little dog is available. He is to be discovered absolutely.

Height 20 to 28 cm
Weight 1 to 3 kg
Life expectancy 11 to 13 years

Quick Overview of the Russian Toy Terrier

Temperament

  • Sparkling and lively
  • Active and player
  • Enjoys life very much
  • Excellent character

Appearance

  • Noble
  • Lively pace
  • High on legs
  • Straight ears

Health

  • Very robust
  • No particular health issues
  • Generally in excellent health
  • Rarely ill

Temperament of the Russian Toy Terrier

The Russian Toy Terrier is a small dog that enjoys life very much and is always in action. Lively and agile, he is cheerful, and remains very playful until a very advanced age. He loves everyone, from the very young to very old.

His playful temperament makes him an excellent companion for children. He never refuses to play, or to participate in all kinds of activities with them. He never gets tired of toddlers.

Sociable by nature, he can live with everyone, other dogs as well as cats in the house. Only small rodents can sometimes awaken his ancestral burrowing instinct, but the other inhabitants of the house all become his friends without exception. He makes a very poor guardian, as he is totally devoid of any form of aggression.

Breed Appearance

This graceful, lively and spirited noble little dog has fine bones and rather lean muscles.

Very alert, he's pretty high on his feet. His general appearance, with his straight and sometimes fringed ears, is original and unique. His physique lets you perceive his spirit, his liveliness and his constant desire to play and move.

Height

Between 20 and 28 cm (7.87 to 11.02 inches) for the male
Between 20 and 28 cm (7.87 to 11.02 inches) for the female

Weight

Between 1 and 3 kg (2.20 to 6.61 pounds) for the male
Between 1 and 3 kg (2.20 to 6.61 pounds) for the female

Color

The color of his coat can vary from black and tan, brown and tan, blue and tan, as well as all reddish shades.

Hair

His coat can either be short, glossy, smooth and close to the body, or long and straight or long and slightly wavy.

Morphology

His head, with a high skull, has a clearly marked stop. His large round eyes are dark color.

His large ears are long, thin and carried high and erect. For the long-haired variety, the ears also have very pretty fringes.

His nose is all black. His sickle-shaped tail when natural, is carried upwards when cut.

According to the FCI breeds nomenclature, this breed belongs to group 9, section 9 and is #352

Tips About this breed

He also makes an excellent companion for the elderly, bringing a beautiful joie de vivre into the home.

His sparkling character makes the older ones smile and amuses the younger ones. He is a dog that can adapt to all family situations.

Only for companionship, the Russian Toy Terrier is a house or apartment dog.

He likes going out and walking, but he must be in constant contact with his master and does not live outdoors.

This little companion is easy to train. As he loves games, just use this method, and his learning will be all the easier as he will enjoy participating in his education.

Education must be playful and gentle. His socialization also causes no issues.

Health of the Russian Toy Terrier

Despite his small size, the Russian Toy Terrier is very robust and does not suffer from any particular health issue. No pathology or genetic disease affects the breed.

Specimens of all varieties generally enjoy excellent health and are rarely ill. Some specimens have a more than appreciable life expectancy.

GROOMING

The short-haired variety does not require any special maintenance. Specimens with a long, fringed coat require brushing at least once a week to keep the pretty coat clean and healthy.

Sometimes, in winter, he tends to develop dandruff, but the use of an anti-dandruff shampoo usually solves this problem. However, no other special care is necessary.

History of this breed

His ancestor, the English Toy Terrier, was very popular in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century. Between 1920 and 1950, the popularity of this small dog declined so much that the breeding of the pure breed was almost abandoned.

The number of puppies had even fallen to a very critical level, greatly threatening the breed with extinction in Russia.

In the mid-1950s, some Russian breeders decided to revive the breed, but as the dogs used didn't have any pedigree, the evolution of these new breedings led to a dog very different from the original English Toy Terrier. Thus, these new specimens slowly evolved into a new breed.

In 1958, the crossing of two smooth-haired dogs resulted in a longer-haired puppy with beautiful and original fringes on the limbs and ears.

This character was retained and the specimen was then mated to a female with a longer coat. The longhaired Russian Toy Terrier variety was born. Later, the smooth shorthaired variety was also created.

The current official standard of the Russian Toy Terrier was created in 2006.

Essentially a companion dog, this funny little dog with big ears brings an affectionate presence to his family, as well as a communicative joie de vivre. He makes an excellent life companion.

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