Dog crossbreed status symbol?" "Designer dog" puppies sometimes bring higher prices than the purebreds from which they are bred. The fanciers of designer dogs respond that all modern dog breeds were created from earlier breeds and types of dogs through the same kind of selective breeding that is used to create designer dogs. The Toy Poodle was bred down in size from larger poodles, most likely by crossing with various very small Bichon types, such as the Maltese and Havanese. Most of the modern breeds have ancestries that include various older dog types and breeds; see individual breed articles for details of
Russkiy Toy older of the two, with the long coat type first appearing in 1958. Until the 1990s, the breed was almost unknown outside of Russia, and so relatively few details on associated health issues are known. The Russian Toy was originally bred as a rat fighter and as a watchdog, and can still exhibit the vocalization expected from the latter. It is a friendly dog and can become very attached to the family unit. Due to its size and similarities to the chihuahua, the two are often compared. The Russian Toy is one of the smallest breeds in the world, measuring