Lap dog
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 Reclining Woman and Her Lapdog, Isfahan, Iran (British Museum) Circa 1640 |
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A lap dog (or lapdog) is a dog that is small enough to be held in the arms or lie comfortably on a person's lap. A lapdog is not a specific breed, but is a generic term for a type of dog of small size and friendly disposition.
Lapdogs historically were kept in many societies around the world by individuals with leisure time, as docile companion animals with no working function. Today, most lapdogs fall into the toy dog breed group.
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[edit] Appearance
Some lapdogs have been bred for extremes of small size, such as the Russian and Mexican varieties shown below. Anatomically, lapdogs show distinct differences from their full-sized counterparts. The skull of the immature Russian Lapdog (bolonka) specimen is approximately the size of a table-tennis ball and shows the relatively short muzzle and high forehead. Many lap dogs are bred to retain puppy-like traits (neoteny) such as folded ears. They may also have traits that resemble human babies: size and weight, high forehead, short muzzle and relatively large eyes. Body proportions may also have changed, resulting in relatively short legs and large heads. Selective breeding for such traits can have detrimental effects on tear ducts, dentition and breathing. As well as aesthetic appeal, such traits also serve to make the dogs more dependent on owners that may view them as surrogate babies.[citation needed]
[edit] History and Breeds
Lap dogs have been used for pets, fashion accessories, status symbols, and to provide warmth for the wealthy and fashionable. Lapdogs were also used in earlier times to attract fleas away from their owners.[1] Some lap dogs were developed as pets while others, among the terrier group, for example, were first bred for active work. The American Kennel Club lists lap dog terriers in the Toy group.
Recent genetic study confirms that the Pekingese lapdog, bred in ancient China to fit inside the sleeves of a robe, is one of the oldest breeds of dog.[2] For centuries, they could be owned only by members of the Chinese Imperial Palace.
In the book De Canibus Britannicus published in English in 1576, the author describes lapdogs as a type of dog, "Spaniel Gentle or Comforter". Ancestors of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel were a type of "Spaniel Gentle" kept by English nobility in the 1600s.
Modern breeds of lap dog include the Japanese Terrier, Maltese, Shih Tzu and Australian Silky Terrier.
The Russian Lapdog and the Mexican Lapdog were not breeds in the modern sense, but were types of small dogs from Russia and Mexico respectively. The individuals shown here are juveniles and are shown with a Griffon Bruxellois to indicate scale. The immature Mexican Lapdog is approximately the size of a golden hamster. Adult specimens are not on display. During the 19th Century it was fashionable to mount immature specimens to look like adults, giving a false impression of adult size.
[edit] Lapdogs in Popular Culture
- Lapdogs are referred to in a similé in The Frames' song Fitzcarraldo.
[edit] Idiomatic Usage of Lapdog
Lapdog is also used jokingly to refer to a dog of any size who likes to climb onto people's laps for affection. The term is also used to describe a submissive person, such as a "yes" man, or an institution that very easily controlled (as in the Lapdog Press).
[edit] References
- ^ Bruce Felton and Mark Fowler [1994]. "Fashion and Grooming", The Best, Worst, and Most Unusual. New York: Galahad Books, p.538. ISBN 0-88365-861-5.
- ^ Ostrander, Elaine A. (September-October 2007). Genetics and the Shape of Dogs; Studying the new sequence of the canine genome shows how tiny genetic changes can create enormous variation within a single species. American Scientist (online) page 2, chart page 4. www.americanscientist.org. Retrieved on 03/31, 2008.
[edit] See Also
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