Toy Dog Breeds: The Dogs Australia Toy Group

What is the Dogs Australia Toy group?

Dogs Australia, the national kennel council, sorts the breeds it recognises into seven groups: Toys, Terriers, Gundogs, Hounds, Working Dogs, Utility and Non Sporting. Most groups describe a job, such as hunting vermin or working stock. The Toy group is the exception: its breeds were developed mainly as small companions, and size is what they share. Its breed standards are where each breed's official size, coat and temperament are written down.

The breed listing dated 18 March 2026 has 28 entries in Group 1, Toys. That counts the Chihuahua (Long Coat and Smooth Coat) and the Russian Toy (Long Haired and Smooth Haired) as two entries each, because they are registered separately. Two of the 28, the Biewer Terrier and the Prague Ratter, are marked “N/a” in the listing's challenge certificate column.

Which breeds are toy dogs, and how big do they get?

Here is every breed in the group, with the size its Dogs Australia standard sets and how many were registered with Dogs Australia in 2025. Breeds with a LocalPetFinder breed page are linked.

Sources: Dogs Australia breed standards and National Animal Registration Analysis 2018 to 2025, both read 10 November 2026. Heights are at the shoulder; where two figures are given they are dogs / bitches. The Russian Toy size is from the Smooth Haired standard. Registrations count purebred dogs registered with Dogs Australia in that year, not crosses or unregistered dogs; they are not population counts. A standard describes the breed ideal, not a promise about any one dog.

Two things stand out. First, the range: a Pomeranian of 2 kg and a Cavalier of up to 8.2 kg are both toys. Second, popularity is lopsided. The Cavalier alone made up more than a quarter of the group's registrations in 2025, and the whole Toy group registered 6,255 dogs in 2025, down from 9,539 in 2021. The Pug fell from 1,324 registrations in 2018 to 410 in 2025.

Which small dogs are not in the Toy group?

Several dogs people think of as toys sit in other groups on the Dogs Australia listing:

• Toy Poodle: Group 7, Non Sporting, with the Miniature and Standard. Its standard sets a height under 28 cm, and its 730 registrations in 2025 beat every Toy group breed except the Cavalier. See our Poodle guide.
• Shih Tzu and Lhasa Apso: both Non Sporting.
• Small terriers such as the Jack Russell, Australian Terrier and Tenterfield Terrier: Group 2, Terriers.
• Miniature Dachshunds: Group 4, Hounds.
• Crosses such as the Cavoodle, Moodle and Shih-poo are not on the listing at all, so they have no breed standard and no official size.

It works the other way too: despite their names, the Australian Silky Terrier and the Yorkshire Terrier are in the Toy group, not with the terriers.

Are toy dogs fragile, and are they good with children?

They are more easily hurt than bigger dogs, and that shapes how they fit a home with young children. Dogs Australia describes the Italian Greyhound as “delicate and fragile looking but very stoic” and says it is better with older children, because younger ones may not have the coordination to pick it up and handle it, and accidents can occur.

Vet surgery records show what those accidents look like. A 2017 case series in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association looked at 102 toy and miniature dogs of 7 kg or less whose broken forearm was repaired with a plate. Toy Poodles (33), Chihuahuas (24) and Italian Greyhounds (17) made up most of the cases, the mean age was 13.5 months, and 90% of the fractures came from minor trauma such as a fall from a low height or play with other pets. It is a set of surgical cases, not a measure of how often toy dogs break legs, but the lesson is clear:

• Steps or a ramp to the couch and bed, especially in the first year.
• An adult in charge of lifting, and young children sitting on the floor to cuddle.
• No unsupervised rough play with bigger dogs.

Temperament varies by breed. The Havanese standard says “He loves children”, and the Cavalier standard describes a dog that is “gay, friendly, non-aggressive”. For a family with toddlers, a sturdier toy breed or an adult rescue that a foster carer has seen with children is often the easier start. Our best family dogs guide goes further.

What health problems do toy dogs have?

Small dogs live longer on average than big ones (our healthiest dog breeds guide has the research), but a few problems are much more common in small dogs. These are the questions to ask a breeder or a rescue, and to raise with your vet.

Sources as linked, read 10 November 2026. This is general information, not a diagnosis; see your vet about any individual dog.

The Pug standard itself now says “well-open nostrils” are wanted and pinched nostrils “should be heavily penalised”. The breed guides go deeper: Chihuahua, Pomeranian, Maltese, Cavalier, Pug and Italian Greyhound.

Are teacup dogs a real breed?

No. Teacup and micro are sales words. No Dogs Australia standard in the Toy group has a teacup variety; the Chihuahua standard, for example, simply sets a weight up to 2.7 kg with 1.8 to 2.7 kg preferred. A teacup dog is a dog sold as smaller than its breed normally is.

The Royal Kennel Club in the UK says it “does not recognise any teacup breeds” and that the term “simply means that a dog is smaller than average”. It warns that teacup breeding often means breeding from the runts of litters, which “may not be the healthiest dogs”, that some sellers sell puppies younger than eight weeks to pass them off as smaller, and it lists breathing problems, fragile bones, joint problems, heart issues and stomach problems as possible health issues.

So a teacup premium is a reason to walk away, not to pay more. Ask about the parents' size and health tests instead. And watch for scams: Scamwatch says scammers set up fake websites and profiles to sell “popular breeds, cute puppies” that do not exist, and advises viewing the pet in person or on a video call and checking the breeder is legitimate.

What is it like to live with a toy dog?

• Energy: small does not mean lazy. Terrier-type toys such as the Miniature Pinscher and Silky are busy and alert; the Cavalier, Japanese Chin and Pekingese are more relaxed. All need daily walks and play.
• Coat: the group ranges from smooth to fully coated. Dogs Australia names the Italian Greyhound and Miniature Pinscher as smooth-coated, says Pugs “have short coats but shed profusely”, and describes the Bichon's coat as non-shedding. Long-coated toys need regular brushing and clipping; see fluffy dog breeds.
• Training: it is easy to carry a toy dog instead of training it. Treat it like any other dog: socialise it, teach recall and lead manners, and let it walk on its own four feet.
• Heat and cold: flat-faced toys struggle in heat, and very small or smooth-coated dogs feel the cold. Dogs Australia says the Italian Greyhound needs a warm coat in winter.
• Apartments: many toys suit unit life. Check your by-laws first; our best apartment dogs guide explains the rules.

For older owners, a small, calm toy breed can be a great match; see our best dogs for seniors guide. For a first dog, read dogs for first-time owners and run the numbers in the dog cost calculator.

Can you adopt a toy dog?

Yes, and adult toy dogs are a good fit for many homes. Purebred toys appear in rescue less often than crosses, but small crosses such as Chihuahua, Maltese, Pomeranian and Shih Tzu mixes are listed regularly by the shelters and rescues we aggregate, often as adults and seniors. With an adult you know the final size, the coat and the temperament, and the foster carer can tell you how it copes with children, other pets and being alone. The RSPCA Knowledgebase notes RSPCA animals are vaccinated, wormed, microchipped and desexed as appropriate before adoption, and most rescues do the same.

If you want a particular toy purebred, buying from a registered breeder is a reasonable choice. Ask the breed club for a Dogs Australia registered breeder, ask about the health tests in the table above, meet the mother, and do not take a puppy before eight weeks (Dogs Australia). Our puppies for sale guide has each state's breeder rules, and the what dog breed am I quiz and adoption readiness check can help you decide.