The Moscow Toy Terrier is loved for his excellent temperament, outstanding trainability and general good health and longevity. Old Russian Aristocracy loved dogs. Purebred dogs were the sign of wealth, with men having hunting dogs such as Borzoi and Hounds. At traditional hunts, the owner of the best hunting dog had the best opportunity to get closer to the Czar’s family. And ladies had to have a lady dog. The smaller and more elegant, the more valuable. The Lady’s Dog was valued up to 10 times his weight in jewelry. The pup was the most valuable gift during the 17th and 18th century, and Russian sailors while going to Europe were looking to purchase the cutest and tiniest Dog they could possibly find. so that there are several toy breeds involved in the make-up of the Moscow Toy Terrier. The Lady’s Dog, as they were called during the 18th and 19th century, were always found in the portraits of the ladies, so the most popular name for a Russian Portrait of that period is “The Lady with Dog”. After the communist revolution. 1917, the Toy Terriers were saved only by a very few surviving Breed enthusiasts, and the total population of these dog was minimal, as very few people could take chances having something that reminded them of the Czar Family, like antiques in a Russian Museum.
The Breed was recognized as Moscow Toy Terrier and the USSR Kennel Club claimed that this is the only real and very special Russian Toy Breed, developed by a communist government. The Papillion, Chihuahua, and Manchester Toy Terrier were used for crossbreeding before WW2. At the time of Perestroika (1990’s) it became legal and desirable to have these tiny Lady’s Dogs. The demand still outweighs the supply available in Russia today.

Standard
General : Tiny. Elegant, Lively, Hardy, Well muscled, agile dog. Typical terrier type, intelligent and loving.

Head: Large compared to body, skull is almost round, with no protruding bones. Muzzle is clearly defined, slightly shorter than skull. Elegant, well filled, equal circumference smoothly tapering to the nose. Top is slightly domed; and nose slightly turned up. Nose is dark (from dark brown, dark blue to black) Lips are thin, dry, well tinted. and tight to the mouth. Scissors or level bite, full dentition preferred.

Eyes: Medium size, round, straight set, not protruding. Full of life and always with full dark pigment:

Ears: Large, gentle, prick or can be tipped if the ear possess a profuse amount of fringing, well animated. Open. smoothly narrowing to the tip. Set high directly above the head, always well covered in coat and fringing.

Neck: Even, medium length, high set, straight, no dewlap. Top is elegantly arched,
 

Body: Strong compact, topline is almost horizontal. Shoulders are slight. Back is strong and short, and straight. Loin is short, slightly rounded and well muscled. Rump is wide, long, and falls gently off, Chest is oval well sprung ribs. Body should be less than 50% of the dog’s height at shoulder. Belly is strong and moderately tucked up.

Tail: Should be held at or above the top line, dry elegant, covered with hair and docked.
 

Front: Legs are straight and parallel, long. Shoulder is short; elbows close to the body, lower is straight and well muscled, as well are the pasterns. All joints are very flexible. Hare Footed. Nails and pads are always black.
 

Hindquarters: Parallel, relatively long, with good angulation. Upper and lower sections of the leg are of the same lengths. Hocks are straight. Hare foot. All joints are clearly open.
 

Movement: Lively, very flexible, springy gait, with extremely high animation in the front.
 

Coat: Straight to slightly wavy, coarse, shiny, well covering the body. 3-4cm long on body, up to 10 cm on the ears, this coat should be thin and delicate. Long fringes on the legs. Even undercoat all over.
 

Color: Black/tan. brown/tan, all shades of fawn, and all shades of sable. The only white allowed is a tiny spot at the chest area.
 

Size: 2O-28 cm at shoulder; 2-5 kg weight.