Toy crazy

T he American Kennel Club registers more than 200 breeds of dogs and categorizes them into seven groups, based on the function for which most breeds in that group were initially bred to perform: sporting, hound, working, terrier, toy, non-sporting and herding. The toy group currently contains 22 breeds, some among the most popular breeds in the U.S.

Many of these small and toy breed types include dogs that have been bred down in size, either to perform a job in a smaller area or to be companions. At one point the category name was almost changed from “toy” to “companion,” given that these small dogs are not playthings but excellent companions. Toy breeds might be small, but they are not short on personality.



They are known to be affectionate to their owner or family, intelligent and adaptable to a wide range of lifestyles. Many have strong protective instincts. Toy dogs are popular with city dwellers because they make ideal apartment dogs, great companions, alert watchdogs and terrific lap warmers on cold nights.

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Get to know some of the toy breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club: Italian greyhound Italian greyhound is alert, playful and highly affectionate. They are beautiful couch dogs, but they will dash when their instinct for pursuit kicks in. Standing at 13 to 15 inches at the shoulder, Italian greyhounds combine the attentiveness of lapdogs with the complexity of ancient hounds.

Cavalier King Charles spaniel This spaniel i.