2010 - present
2010 - present
During the Middle Ages, a specific breed of dog was formed called the Terrier. These dogs were primarily used for hunting foxes, minks, etc. They were also praised for their outstanding ability to trap mice and rats. The title of the best rat catcher belonged to the Manchester terrier, which is now a cousin to the Russian Toy dog (RT).
“Ladydogs” were often depicted on family portraits. As years went by, terriers became more and more available to the general public and quickly spread all over Europe, and eventually to Russia as well. During the Red October revolution, Russia lost most of its terriers because most owners were capitalists. The capitalists were prosecuted and killed together with their dogs during this period. During Stalin’s regime, decorative dogs were viewed as worthless to the government and to the general public. It took about 60 years for Russia to repopulate itself with terriers. Many terriers were brought from overseas and bred within the country.
Slowly, through the process of intense breeding and gene variations within the gene pool, a new breed of dog emerged, which we know today as the modern Russian/Russkiy Toy dog.
Moscow became the center for breeding the longhaired variety. It was in fact called the Moscow Toy Terrier, but is now generally known as the Longhaired Russian/Russkiy Toy.
On February 21, 2006 this breed was recognized by the Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI) and given the official name of Russkiy Toy. Classification in Group 9 Companion and Toy dogs.
The Manchester Terrier’s sleek and
flexible body, personality, patience and
persistence in achieving its target made
it a perfect dog for the uneasy and, at times, dangerously tricky task of catching rats. Rats were the number one spreader of the bubonic plague, which wiped out one third of the Medieval European population. Four hundred years later, in the 18th century, people all over Europe entertained themselves by organizing rat terminating contests.
They used terriers as hunters, and the dog that could find and kill the largest amount of rats in the shortest period of time was the winner. When this kind of sport became illegal, terriers became more of a decorative dog and were at first mostly owned by the aristocracy.
The men owned hunting dogs and any respectable aristocratic lady would own a ladies dog. The smaller the dog, the more valuable it was.
The ancestor of the longhaired breed is considered to be a dog nicknamed Chikki, who was born on October 12, 1958, from two short haired toy terriers, one of which had slightly longer hair and no family tree. At one year of age, Chikki had grown a beautiful feathery fringe on his ears, legs and neck. Chikki was mated with a female named Irma, whom also had slightly longer hair. They had three longhaired puppies. The decision was made to keep this new type as well as the smooth coat.
The Moscovite breeder/cynologistEugenia Zharova played an important role in the creation of the Russian Longhaired Toy Terrier. She was also instrumental in strengthening their nervous system, creating frost resistance and the accumulation of other useful qualities. In 1966, the Standard of this pedigree group of dogs was written and authorized at the Ministry of Agriculture of the USSR. The breed quickly grew in popularity due to its simple care of coat, ease of transportation, small size and weight, devotion to owner, courage and boldness.
What is the modern Russian Toy dog like?
Small, elegant, lively, agile, hardy and long-limbed. A typical RT is intelligent, loving, fine boned, lean muscled and square shaped. The head is small. Ears are big and raised. Legs are slender. The average height is 8-11 inches and the average weight is between 3-6 1/2 pounds. They are very devoted to their owner, eager to please and seldom aggressive. They stay playful all of their life. They are very portable and like to travel with their owner. They come in a wide range of colors, which adds to their attractiveness.
There is a definite temperament difference between smooth & long haired RTs. The smooths tend to be more “terrier-like” than long haired. However, both have great personality.
Small dogs, such as Russian Toy dogs, have more slender necks and tracheas than large dogs. Therefore we recommended the use of a harness instead of a collar, when walking your Russian Toy. We also feel that you should not leave a collar or harness on your Russian Toy dog while in your home. A collar or harness can get caught on things around the house and injure your Russian Toy dog.
Long haired Russian Toy Dogs were the first imported to the US in 2000. In 2004 Anki Larsson of Ohio purchased her first Russian Toy and fell in love. She went on to import RT dogs from Sweden, Finland, and Russia. She formed a bond with a Russian Breeder, and flew to Moscow to see the dogs picked for her by her Russian friend.
AKC uses the FCI standard for the Russian Toy Dog.
article http://www.russiantoydogbreeders.com/russian-toy-dog-standard/
History of breed
Russian Toy
