toy group

That’s a good question. Historians have long debated the breed’s beginnings. Some maintain it was a product of China; others say Korea. Various origin tales credit Buddhist monks, Chinese emperors, or European merchants with the Chin’s introduction to Japan anywhere from 500 to 1,000 years ago. But all agree that it was Japanese nobles who cultivated the breed as we know it today. Chin were unknown in the West until 1854, when Japan was reopened for trade after 200 years of isolation.

Quick Facts

Temperament: Charming / Loving / Noble

Height: 8-11 inches

Weight: 7-11 pounds

Life expectancy: 10-12 years

Toy Group

Health

The Japanese Chin is a generally healthy breed, and responsible breeders screen for health concerns such as luxating patellas (slipping kneecaps), cataracts, epilepsy, and early-onset heart murmurs. Japanese Chin can be affected by a fatal neurological condition called GM2 gangliosidosis, or Tay-Sachs disease; using a DNA test, breeders can identify carriers and plan breedings to prevent the disease from manifesting in their puppies.

Malta lies 60 miles due south of Sicily, in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. In ancient times, the island was a crossroads for pilgrims, mariners, and wealthy merchants from three continents. As far back as 3500 B.C. Malta was a thriving seaport and a seat of finance and culture.

During a 2,000-year period beginning in 1500 B.C. this strategic gateway was conquered and occupied by successive waves of seafaring empire-builders—Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs, and Normans—for whom the island was a clearinghouse for precious commodities, such as spices, silks, gemstones, and a certain little white lapdog favored by leisured ladies the world over. It is likely that the Maltese was introduced to Malta by the Phoenicians, who ruled the Mediterranean before the rise of Greece.

The Greeks of the fourth and fifth centuries B.C. were fascinated by the Maltese’s geometric beauty and left behind a rich legacy of breed-specific treasures: The “Melitaie Dog” is depicted on Golden Age ceramics, and Aristotle refers to it as “perfectly proportioned,” notwithstanding a diminutive stature.

Aristocrats of the Roman Empire perfected the Maltese’s role of status symbol and fashion statement. A Roman matron wasn’t fully dressed without a “Roman Ladies’ Dog” peeking out of her sleeve or bosom. Even the crusty Emperor Claudius succumbed to the breed’s charm. The Maltese was a persistent motif in Roman myths, poems, and fables in which the breed symbolized loyalty. One legend concerns Saint Paul, the peripatetic apostle of early Christianity. The Acts of the Apostles recounts Paul’s shipwreck on Malta, where he miraculously healed the father of the island’s Roman governor, Publius. The grateful Publius, so the story goes, presented Paul with a Maltese.

After the fall of Rome, it was Chinese breeders who kept the Maltese from extinction during Europe’s Dark Ages. The Chinese effected judicious crosses with their native toy breeds and exported a more refined Maltese back to Europe. With its immense charm and eye-catching looks, it comes as no surprise that the Maltese was a fixture at dog shows from the very beginning. At New York’s first Westminster show, in 1877, the breed was exhibited as the Maltese Lion Dog.

Quick Facts

Temperament: Gentle / Playful / Charming

Height: 7-9 inches

Weight: under 7 pounds

Life expectancy: 12-15 years

Toy Group

Health

The Maltese is a healthy breed with few health issues, and will usually live well into the double digits. Responsible breeders screen their stock for health conditions such as luxating patella and heart anomalies such as PDA (patent ductus arteriosus). It is recommended that Maltese puppies be bile-acid tested to rule out congenital liver issues such as liver shunt and microvascular dysplasia (MVD). There have been reported incidences of Maltese developing encephalitis (aka as GME). At this time, there is no screening test available. The American Maltese Association is working with researchers to come up with answers and perhaps a genetic test in the near future. As in all toy breeds, dental maintenance is important, and Maltese should have their teeth brushed daily with a toothpaste specially formulated for dogs, as well as routine cleanings at the vet.

Papillons were originally bred as charming and attentive companions for noblewomen, and for hundreds of years these enchanting lap warmers were great favorites in the royal courts of Europe. They appear in many portraits of long-ago queens and princesses painted by Europe’s most renowned artists. Rubens, Rembrandt, Goya, and Toulouse-Lautrec are among the masters who included Papillons in their paintings. Paps were developed in Renaissance times by crossing existing toy breeds with spaniels (the breed’s early ancestors were known as “dwarf spaniels”) in keeping with the era’s mania among nobles for miniaturized versions of their favorite breeds. The sporting-spaniel blood in the Pap’s background might explain why these dainty dynamos are among the more athletic and biddable toy dogs in the canine kingdom. With admirers like Madame de Pompadour, Louis XIV, and Marie Antoinette (whose Pap, named Thisbe, stood faithfully outside the prison where the hapless queen awaited beheading), the breed’s French connection is strong. But it was in the early breeding centers of Italy and Spain that Paps were refined and popularized. The AKC registered its first Papillon in 1915.

Quick Facts

Temperament: Happy / Alert / Friendly

Height: 8-11 inches

Weight: 5-10 pounds

Life expectancy: 14-16 years

Toy Group

Health

Papillons are tough and gutsy, but they are very small. Owners need to be careful with them, especially when they are puppies, around stairs, furniture, and other, larger animals. A small child can accidentally hurt his puppy friend very easily. Responsible breeders screen their stock for health conditions such as a fontanel in the top of the skull, similar to a human baby’s soft spot; and patellar luxation, or kneecaps that can “slip” or dislocate, sometimes briefly, sometimes completely.

Though not classified as a terrier, the Affenpinscher was originally bred to work like one. His job was to exterminate rats and other pests in German stables of the 1600s. (The name Affenpinscher is German for “monkey dog” or “ape terrier.”) Eventually, Affens were brought indoors to rid the kitchen of mice. In time, they became dual-purpose dogs: ratters by day, and by night devoted bed-warming companions for the lady of the house.

The Affen is thought to have been an influence on the development of such later European breeds as the Brussels Griffon and the Miniature Schnauzer. Clubs devoted to the breed sprung up around France and Germany in the late 1800s, and in 1936 the American Kennel Club welcomed Affens into its ranks. The immense charm that propelled them from stable to the kitchen to boudoir has made Affens a force in the show ring. In 2013, an Affen named Banana Joe delighted America by winning the Westminster Kennel Club’s Best in Show. Affens have also succeeded in agility, obedience, and therapy.

The grit that made them such effective ratters has never left the breed. Writer Desmond Morris reports that during a trip to Alaska he witnessed a tiny but fearless Affenpinscher chase off a grizzly bear!

Quick Facts

Temperament: Confident / Famously Funny / Fearless

Height: 9-11.5 inches

Weight: 7-10 pounds

Life expectancy: 12-15 years

Toy Group

Health

Affenpinschers are generally healthy dogs, and responsible breeders will screen their stock for health conditions such as luxating patella, heart anomalies, vision problems, and hip dysplasia. Like other shorter-faced breeds, Affens can experience breathing problems during hot weather if they are permitted to overheat and then have difficulty panting in order to lower their body temperature, as dogs don’t sweat to keep cool.