Toy Dog Group
The diminutive size and winsome expressions of Toy Dogs illustrate the main function of this Group: to embody sheer delight. Don’t let their tiny stature fool you, although many Toys are tough as nails. If you haven’t yet experienced the barking of an angry Chihuahua, for example, well, just wait. Toy dogs will always be popular with city dwellers and people without much living space.
They make ideal apartment dogs and terrific lap warmers on nippy nights. (Incidentally, small breeds may be found in every Group, not just the Toy Group.) We advise everyone to seriously consider getting a small breed, when appropriate, if for no other reason than to minimize some of the problems inherent in canines such as shedding, creating messes, and cost of care. And training aside, it’s still easier to control a ten-pound dog than it is one ten times that size.
The most recent edition to the AKC Toy Group is the Biewer Terrier which became the 197th recognized AKC dog breed in January 2021. The Biewer Terrier is closely related to the Yorkshire Terrier.
- Affenpinscher
- Biewer Terrier
- Brussels Griffon
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
- Chihuahua (dog)
- Chinese Crested
- English Toy Spaniel
- Havanese (dog)
- Italian Greyhound
- Japanese Chin
- Maltese (dog)
- Manchester Terrier
- Miniature Pinscher
- Papillion (dog)
- Pekingese
- Pomeranian (dog)
- Pug
- Shihtzu
- Silky Terrier
- Toy Fox Terrier
- Toy Poodle
- Yorkshire Terrier