On 12 October 1958, a male puppy was born with striking fringes on ears and legs, although both parents were smooth-coated. Breeders preserved the feature, says the FCI standard, beginning the long-haired variety of the Russian Toy (Russkiy Toy). Today both coat types have a three-kilo weight ceiling, and that very smallness places the breed within the debate over breeding that compromises welfare.
| FCI | Group 9 (Companion and Toy Dogs), Section 9 Continental Toy Spaniel and Russian Toy, Standard No. 352, without working trial |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Russia |
| Size (height at the withers) | males and females 22 to 27 cm, preferably 25 cm |
| Weight | males and females up to 3 kg, preferably 2.3 kg |
| Life expectancy | no reliable study figure found (N/A) |
| Coat | smooth coat short, close-fitting and glossy, without undercoat; long coat 3 to 5 cm, with ear fringes and feathering on legs and tail |
| Colours in the standard | black, brown, blue or Isabella, each with tan; red with black, blue, brown or Isabella; red, fawn or cream |
From Toy Terrier to a separate breed
In the early 20th century, the English Toy Terrier was very popular in Russia. Few purebred dogs were bred between 1920 and 1950; breeding restarted in the 1950s, often using dogs without pedigrees, and the standard soon differed markedly from the English one.
Three kilos as the breeding target
The standard describes a dog standing 22 to 27 cm at the withers and weighing up to 3 kg, preferably 2.3 kg. Russian Toys under 1.5 kg or over 3 kg are disqualified. The breeding target is deliberately tiny; the smaller a dog is bred, the less room there is for bones, skull and organs.
Open fontanelle and fine bones
The standard lists an open fontanelle, a gap in the skull roof, as disqualifying only in dogs older than nine months. A clinical study of radius and ulna fractures in 17 dogs weighing up to 3.5 kg included one Russian Toy (Manchi et al. 2017). Ramps instead of jumping from heights protect the fine bones.
Liver shunts: a notable finding
A Moscow veterinary clinic examined 84 dogs with congenital liver shunts, abnormal blood-vessel connections around the liver. Six were Russian Toys, including five of the twelve dogs with a connection between the splenic and phrenic veins (El-Sebaey et al. 2020). Breed prevalence remains unknown. No lifespan figure is available; McMillan and colleagues’ analysis does not include the breed.
Curious about the outside world
Lively, cheerful, neither fearful nor aggressive: that is the standard’s description. These dogs need sniffing walks and small learning tasks; being carried does not replace walking.
Brush, toothbrush and a whole tail
A soft cloth suffices for smooth coats; comb the long-haired variety’s ear fringes regularly. Dental care matters: even missing incisors count as faulty in the standard. The standard allows tail docking; in Germany it is generally prohibited under § 6 of the Animal Welfare Act.
If you still want this breed
Ask the breeder about the parents’ weight and size, and diseases in parents and littermates. Dogs towards the upper end of the standard are a better choice than particularly tiny ones.
Who they suit and who they do not
They suit adults who calmly guide a very small companion and budget for veterinary costs. They are less suitable for families with toddlers.
Before a dog this small joins you, try the breed quiz; our book “Which Dog REALLY Suits You?” (book in German) provides further guidance. The quiz also introduces small companions with sturdier builds, such as the Miniature Pinscher or the Papillon. Ask shelters and rescue organisations about small dogs too. For the first weeks, there is the free Puppy Starter Pack; find more breeds in the Dog Breed Encyclopedia.
Further reading
- Chihuahua: why yapping is a problem we create
- Yorkshire Terrier: three kilos of terrier, no accessory
- Housetraining your puppy: the first 4-week plan
Sources, accessed on 21.10.2026: FCI Standard No. 352 Russkiy Toy (fci.be, German version dated 05.12.2017, valid publication date 07.11.2017); Manchi G et al., Radial and ulnar fracture treatment with paraosseous clamp-cerclage stabilisation technique in 17 toy breed dogs, Vet Rec Open 2017; El-Sebaey AM et al., Clinical Characteristics, Serum Biochemical Changes, and Expression Profile of Serum Cfa-miRNAs in Dogs Confirmed to Have Congenital Portosystemic Shunts Accompanied by Liver Pathologies, Vet Sci 2020; McMillan KM et al., Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death, Scientific Reports 2024 (breed not analysed); Tierschutzgesetz § 6 (gesetze-im-internet.de)
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