The Shih Tzu is a member of the toy dog group which got its name from the Chinese, meaning “Lion Dog”. However, even though this dog breed is typically associated with China, research shows that the Shih Tzu’s original origins actually date back to the 17th century in the land of Tibet. Most dog breeds…
An adorable member of the toy dog group, the Yorkshire Terrier is a mixture of England’s finest terriers, made up of the Clydesdale terrier, English black and tan terrier, waterside terrier, and the Paisley terrier. By the late 1800s, Yorkies had made their way to America but because there were so many variety of sizes,…
Originating from the Mediterranean during ancient times, the Havanese dog comes from a family of small dogs known as the Barbichon (now called Bichon) family. They showed up in large quantities throughout Cuba when Spanish traders brought them as gifts to give to the Cuban women. This allowed open trade between the two peoples. The…
The Maltese dog has been around for thousands of years. In fact, these dogs were specifically mentioned in writings that date back to as early as 300 B.C. The Greeks also have artwork that depict Maltese dogs from as early as the 5th century. This information tells us that this breed is the most ancient…
Papillon dogs are ancestors of the Dwarf Spaniels that were extremely popular throughout Europe as early as the 16th century. The name Papillon is French which means “butterfly”. It was given to these dogs because of the resemblance to a butterfly shape that their face and ears make. Dwarf Spaniels were very popular with the…
As you can probably tell by its name, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels have Spanish roots. These dogs are also said to be the reason why European Toy dogs existed in the first place. People bred small spaniels with various Oriental Toy breeds and the results were small Tudor lapdogs, otherwise reffered to as “comfort” spaniels.…
Although the Italian Greyhound has been in existence for centuries, the exact origin of this beautiful breed of dog is completely unknown. There is evidence of artwork that dates back more than 2000 years ago that depicts these dogs in areas such as the Mediterranean, Greece, and Turkey. Italian Greyhounds were known as “Miniature Greyhounds”…
The Silky Terrier has an interesting point of origin. During the late 1800s, many Yorkshire Terrier dogs from England were brought to Australia. Most of these dogs were colors of tan and steel blue. They were then bred with Australian Terriers whom had tan and native blue colors. These breeding efforts were designed to create a…
The best dog to get for those of you who are looking for something small, beautiful, and noble in stature, should be the Maltese. These adorable little white creatures were literally bred for companionship. After taking one look at a sweet Maltese, how could anybody ever get angry at this dog? Is so gentle, friendly,…
The Chihuahua is a popular favorite of the toy dog group among dog enthusiasts. This spicy little character of a dog is extremely devoted and loyal to its owner. Although reserved with strangers and a little aggressive towards other dogs, the Chihuahua can get along great with other indoor pets that you may have. Not…
