| Size at withers | 15–23 cm |
|---|---|
| Weight range | 3–6 kg |
| Life expectancy | 12–15 years |
| Size class | Toy (< 10 kg) |
| Normal resting vitals | Heart rate 90–140 bpm · Respiration 15–30/min · Temperature 38.3–39.2 °C |
| Coat | Long, coarse double coat with a heavy mane |
| Temperament | Confident, aloof, affectionate with family |
| Common health issues | Brachycephalic airway (severe); intervertebral disc disease; cherry eye; entropion; heart disease |
| Exercise needs | Low |
| Climate & housing suitability | Poorly suited to hot climates; the brachycephalic build raises heat and welfare concerns. Best in temperate, air-conditioned settings. |
| Owner notes | An ancient Chinese imperial companion breed with brachycephalic welfare concerns. |
Origin and purpose
Toy (AKC). Origin: China.
An ancient Chinese imperial companion breed with brachycephalic welfare concerns.
What a breed was built to do explains most of what it will do in your home. A dog selected for hundreds of years to run, guard, herd, or hunt does not stop wanting to because it now lives in an apartment — the drive is the breed, and the owner's job is to give it somewhere to go.
Temperament and training
Stated temperament: Confident, aloof, affectionate with family
This is an independent-minded breed that was developed to make its own decisions, and it will not work for you simply because you asked. That is not stubbornness or stupidity — it is the trait the breed was selected for. Training must be genuinely rewarding to the dog, and expectations of instant, military obedience are misplaced. Recall, in particular, is often unreliable in these breeds; be honest about that before letting one off-lead near traffic.
Conditions this breed is predisposed to
Intervertebral disc disease (IVDD)
Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS)
Cherry eye
Entropion
Health screening — what to test, and when
| Screen for | Test | When |
|---|---|---|
| Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) | BOAS functional grading (an exercise-tolerance assessment) | Before breeding, and before any anaesthetic — and before buying the puppy |
| Entropion | Eye examination | Annually |
| Intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) | DNA test for the chondrodystrophy variant; imaging if signs appear | DNA once; imaging urgently on any back pain or hind-limb weakness |
Every dog, every breed: an annual health examination (twice yearly from seven years), body-condition scoring at each visit, dental assessment, year-round parasite control, and the core vaccinations.
For breeders — test before you mate
- Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) — BOAS functional grading (an exercise-tolerance assessment)
- Entropion — Eye examination
- Intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) — DNA test for the chondrodystrophy variant; imaging if signs appear
Feeding
Small stomachs, fast metabolisms. Feed a diet formulated for small breeds, split across three or four meals a day as a puppy and two as an adult; toy puppies can become dangerously hypoglycaemic if a meal is missed. Portions are tiny, which means treats and table scraps overwhelm the daily allowance startlingly fast — a single biscuit can be a meaningful share of a 4 kg dog's intake. Dental disease is near-universal in small breeds, so ask your vet about diet texture and dental care from the start.
Exercise and enrichment
Stated requirement: Low
Modest exercise needs, but 'low exercise' is not 'no exercise' — this dog still needs daily walks and enrichment, and is prone to obesity if it does not get them.
Coat and grooming
Long, coarse double coat with a heavy mane. Brush daily; clean the facial folds. Brachycephalic and heavily coated — a hard dog to keep cool.
Climate and living conditions
Stated suitability: Poorly suited to hot climates; the brachycephalic build raises heat and welfare concerns. Best in temperate, air-conditioned settings.
Ageing and senior care
Life expectancy: 12–15 years. This dog is a senior from around 9–10 years, at which point wellness examinations should move to twice a year and senior blood and urine screening begins. Small dogs age slowly and often live into their mid-teens. Dental disease and heart-valve disease are the two things that most often shorten a small dog's life, and both are catchable early. Senior care →
Before you take one home
- Ask the breeder for the health-test results listed above — for BOTH parents, on paper, before you pay a deposit. A breeder who has done the tests will be proud to show you; one who deflects, or who tells you the tests are unnecessary in this line, is telling you what you need to know.
- This is a short-skulled breed. Choose the puppy with the most open nostrils and the longest muzzle you can find, and reject any that snores, snorts, or struggles for breath at rest — those are not endearing breed traits, they are signs of a dog that cannot breathe properly. Ask whether the parents have been BOAS-graded. In a hot climate this decision has consequences you will live with daily.
- Consider adoption. Shelters and rescues have dogs of every kind, including purebreds, and the local native or landrace dog is often healthier, better adapted to its climate, and more in need of a home than almost anything you can buy. See Part XII.
