Cuteness Overload: American Kennel Club Recognizes 2 Cute New Breeds

The Russian Toy, after three years in the Miscellaneous Class is new fully recognized as a member of the Toy group.

These types of dog go back to the Russian Revolution and were companions to Russian aristocracy. Only when breeders looked outside the borders of Russia did they notice the Russian Toy looked nothing like the English Toy Terriers they compared too.

They are rare in the United States only amassing a population of 775.

The best home for the Russian Toy is one without large dogs and small children but it really depends of the individuals. Russian Toy dogs are athletic, intelligent, loyal, humorous, trainable, are low-maintenance, and have a life-span of 10-12 years.

The Mudi, pronounced moody, are a breed of Hungarian herding dog and are very rare with only an estimated 3,000-4,000 in the world.

The Mudi looks like a cross between a Miniature Poodle and a German Shepard. The other two breeds related to the Mudi, the Puli and Pumi, all were near extinct.

Also, what you get when the Mudi is a puppy is not what you will end up with when the dog matures. The puppy’s floppy ears gradually become pointed and Mudi’s are born without or with a stumpy tail.

Some call the Mudi stubborn but all they need is challenges to keep them going. They are smart, fast learners, protective, loyal, driven, and need to be given tasks to keep its mind busy. The life span of a Mudi is 13-14 years.