Toy dog

“ Ladies’ toy dogs—King Charles spaniel, the Blenheim spaniel, the Italian greyhound, the pug dog, the Maltese dog, toy terriers, toy poodles, the lion dog, Chinese and Japanese spaniels. In 1894 Modern Dogs (Rawdon B. Lee) was issued, the simple classification of sporting and non-sporting dog—terriers and toy dogs, being adopted ”

“ All these little requirements and necessities may seem absurd to those who think a dog is a dog and nothing more; but we have bred generation after generation of toys to be in our constant company, and made them almost humanly intelligent, while, naturally, their small brains have no human balance; and that a nervous toy dog does need such consideration will be granted, I am sure, by all successful breeders. At the same time, I am by no means advocating the silly system of over-petting and over-feeding, whereby dogs can be made a nuisance to themselves and every one else. ”

“ Eleanor Pavalo learned the trick from Lottie, and used it herself on her toy dogs. And many a dog works on the stage in a spiked collar, and a clever man can twist a dog's nose and nobody in the audience any the wiser. But it's the fear that counts. It's what the dog knows he'll get afterward when the turn's over that keeps most of them straight. ”

“ Toy dogs will seldom eat what the show authorities provide, and are often too excited to take anything but what is specially dainty. A lunch-basket tin of small pieces of chicken or meat, ready cut up, with the dog's own little plate, will be found useful. Milk at shows is not always reliable, and if any is wanted it should be taken in a bottle, especially for litters. ”

“ Many toy dogs cannot eat vegetables, which of course are to all unnatural and very indigestible, and others are invariably sick if they are given milk, and the dog can no more help these peculiarities than human beings similarly afflicted. ”

“ The whole appearance of the dog should be very smart and cobby, intensely alert, and altogether clean and well put together, qualities difficult to describe, but which "sautent aux yeux."
Toy bulldogs are yearly becoming more popular. They are absolutely ideal dogs as to temper and all the other qualities necessary for a pet and companion, and almost uncannily intelligent, but alas! they are delicate beyond denying. They are hard to breed, and hard to rear; few of the bitches are good mothers, while their babies have little stamina ”

“ Much depends upon character; here and there we find some toy dogs which have mean, cringing spirits, and these are generally the ones which won't go out in rain. They may be vulgarly described as "sneaks," and I would not keep a dog of this description. Mere timidity is a different thing altogether, and can be eradicated by kindness and judicious petting. The "sneak" is no companion, and should not be bred from. It will not follow well out of doors, is seldom a good mother, and is apt to transmit its faults of disposition to its offspring. ”

“ The bitch that has but that number runs an awful risk, especially if she has been well fed. The pups will be large and the dam has great difficulty in whelping.
If toy bitches are bred, look out for breakers ahead; only a very small per cent. live to play with their little ones. A toy bitch, bred to a toy dog, will frequently have but one pup, and that quite a large one in proportion to the size of parents. When a toy bitch is bred, attend carefully to these three things. See that the dog used is small in himself, comes from small stock, and does not possess too large a head. ”

“ Perhaps the question which is most frequently asked anent toy dogs is whether the keeping them as a pleasure and hobby can be combined with profit by means of breeding them and selling the puppies. To such a query it is very hard to give a definite reply, for this reason—whether or not toy dog breeding can be made profitable depends, firstly, on the character of the enterpriser, and, secondly, on that inscrutable factor—Fate. Some of us devote ourselves to our dogs, take endless trouble for them, and spend money on them freely, with the poorest possible return ”

“ After this evidence it will be unwise to jump too readily to the conclusion that the Brussels Griffon is a modern breed fashioned from British materials. We know perfectly well that toy dogs have been in vogue through all ages, and these not only of the spaniel kind. ”

“ The first thing to be thought of where exhibiting is contemplated is getting the dog, or dogs, up to their very best form. A toy which is properly looked after at home ought to be always, more or less, in show condition, that is, as far as Nature's arrangements for the shedding of coat, etc., permit ”

“ LITTLE BOY BLUE The little toy dog is covered with dust,
But sturdy and stanch he stands;
And the little toy soldier is red with rust,
And his musket molds in his hands.
Time was when the little toy dog was new
And the soldier was passing fair,
And that was the time when our Little Boy Blue
Kissed them and put them there. ”

“ Leading into the ring is, of course, the crux of the exhibitor's anxiety, for now comes the critical moment—will the dog show or not? Some dogs are born showers—brisk up, look smart and knowing, accept the judge's overtures graciously, and generally exhibit themselves to the best advantage. ”

“ Another point which must be insisted upon in relation to profitable toy breeding is the necessity for health in the kennel. I say kennel because it is a useful word, but am far from suggesting that toys of any kind should be kept in the way understood by "having a kennel" among larger dogs. The breeder who succeeds best is invariably the one who keeps one or two, or even four or five, pet bitches, running about the house enjoying full liberty and all the happiness of personal favourites, with, it may be, a dog also of the party. ”

“ Thus it is that summer puppies, born in the spring, with all the best weather before them, do so much better than those which have the critical teething period to pass through in winter time.
A toy puppy grows more quickly than, for instance, a terrier, and, of course, is adult far sooner than a big dog; the short-haired varieties, again, coming to maturity sooner than the long-coated ones. A Yorkshire terrier is adult at a year, but does not get his full beauty of coat until he is two years old, or thereabouts. ”

“ Although the profits to be obtained from exhibiting are of a secondary nature, and relative simply to the influence exercised on sales and the way in which showing them brings dogs into public notice, it is well worth the while of the dog owner who has a really good little toy to exhibit it sometimes for the fun of the thing. At a show one can learn more about breeds and points, and all the little details which interest doggy folk, than is possible otherwise ”

“ Where a sire must be chosen from among strangers, his points should correct any in which the bitch is deficient; your toy pug may have too small a head, with little wrinkle—you must look for a dog with good head properties as her mate; your Pom may be long in back, and you must seek a male with the opposite quality, and a plume well over and touching his frill.
The first puppies of two young dogs are generally larger than the parents, but I do not believe the theory often advanced that the first litter is always the best. Puppies by a very old sire are usually small. ”

“ Others are variable, and cannot be depended upon; will sometimes show well, and at other times—if they are a little out of sorts, for instance, or do not like the look of their rivals in the ring—will not do themselves justice. Others, again, obstinately, lower tail and ears, crouch and cringe, or, worst of all, roll over on their backs. If a dog, after several attempts at showing him, persists in such conduct, it is generally best to give him up as far as exhibition is concerned. But a good deal may be done beforehand to teach little dogs how to show themselves. ”

“ Don't you love his little monkey face, with its beard and mustache? He's a hardy, intelligent, affectionate little dog, too. Some folks think he's the smartest of all the toys.
"There," she concluded, passing them the book to look over again, "I guess you've had enough for one day. You'll begin to think I'm as bad as my husband. But I didn't want you to get the idea that the only real dog is a big dog. Don't you think that some of these toy breeds deserve some respect, now that you know something of their honorable history?"
"Well, I should say so," said Ernest. ”

“ He is, in the strict classification a toy, it is true. The reader may sneer at the word “toy” and fancy that the Peke, as he is popularly called, is as useless and difficult to rear as the proverbial hot-house plant, but such is not the case. He is a hard, strong, easy-to-raise animal, and one of the gamest for his inches of any breed in existence. His shaggy mane, resembling that of a lion, his dark markings [3] about muzzle and eyes, and his tawny coat, together with his sturdy frame, suggest a big little dog, and he is all of that. ”

“ Nature will bring the puppies into the world far better than our clumsy hands, and the merest little tyro of a year-old bitch generally possesses the marvellous instinct teaching her to put her babies [Pg 10] comfortably afloat on the sea of life. The disregard of a pet dog's feelings at which I have hinted may take the form of sending a tiny bitch out to the stable to pup under the care of a coachman or groom, and this may or may not be cruel according to whether she has any affection for the man or any knowledge of her temporary quarters ”

“ In a toy it is perfectly legitimate to lay stress upon colour and marking, for his main object in life is to please the eye, but in a working dog conformation and stamina should have precedence over everything else. Fire and courage are essentials, without which a fox terrier, or a terrier of any kind, is but a sorry impostor, suitable only to adorn a cushion by the fireside. There may be individuals who prefer this kind of creature, but happily few are to be found in the ranks of terrier breeders. ”

“ Cressey suggested that it would be nice to make it a “toy party”—that is, each boy and girl who came should bring his or her favorite toy. And when this was told to Donald and Jane they clapped their hands in delight.
The invitations were sent out. Dorothy was to come with her Sawdust Doll and Dick with his White Rocking Horse. Sidney would bring his Calico Clown, Herbert his Monkey on a Stick, Madeline her Candy Rabbit, Arnold his Tin Soldier and Mirabell her Lamb on Wheels. There were to be other toys—the China Cat, the Stuffed Elephant and many more. ”

“ The Toy Black and Tan Terrier is another breed that is rather difficult to rear, although his short black and tan soft coat commends him as an indoor dog, for he is clean at all times and only a slight brushing once a day will keep him in condition. They have been breeding this variety so small that most of the specimens seen at the present time, have become apple-headed and they are as lacking in intelligence as they are in appearance. ”

“ The very heavy dogs such as Saint Bernards, mastiffs and great Danes are clumsy and will require outside quarters, as they are too bulky to have in the house. On the other hand the small toy breeds such as Pomeranians, black and tans and King Charles spaniels and pugs, are too delicate to be a real boy’s dog. ”

“ The standard calls for dogs under ten pounds in weight for the toy varieties, though there is a large poodle, which, however, does not come within the scope of this group. The toy poodle, while not as hardy as some breeds, can nevertheless stand considerable hardships and when he is reared like his larger brethren and not petted and pampered until health and vitality are gone, he is an easy dog to keep. The greatest objection some have to him is, that because his coat is white he is difficult to care for, which to a certain extent, is the truth. ”

“ A toy Schipperke is, so to speak, grown-up at ten or eleven months, but goes on thickening and improving in shape, and probably increasing and hardening in coat for another year at least. A Pom's jacket gets grander at each moult until he is three years old. As a general rule it may be laid down that the dog is a puppy no longer at ten months, when his teething is almost always entirely completed. This same teething is a tiresome process, comprising the change of the first set of wee ivories for the permanent forty-two which are to carry the owner through life. ”

“ Toy White Poodles, consequently, are very popular. The toy variety should not exceed fifteen inches in height at the shoulder, and in all respects should be a miniature of the full-sized dog, with the same points. ”

“ Here is the bull-dog, in his full growth, with his legs bowed, his tail inclining to the spiral, his broad chest, thin flanks, defined ribs, moist nozzle, hare lip, bloodshot eyes, protruding fang, and symmetrical patch over one eye; or else, in a state of puppyhood, peeping from his proprietor’s side-pocket, all pink and white like a morose sucking-pig become a hermit. Here is the delightful little toy English terrier, with his jet-black coat, erect neck, and tan paws ”

“ If you want to succeed with toy dogs, you must, at any rate until you have considerable experience and, in addition, the ability to direct others and make them understand, which is never an easy task, look after the pets yourself, not spasmodically, but regularly ”