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A lap dog is a dog that is small enough to be held in the arms or lie comfortably on a person's lap. Most lap dogs fall into the toy dog category. A lapdog is not a specific breed, but is a generic term for dogs of a small size and friendly disposition. Lapdogs were bred primarily as pets rather than for functionality.
Ever since the domestication of the dog, small breeds have been developed. Many, such as the terriers, were primarily bred for working purposes, but others were bred as docile companion animals. These were kept and pampered by individuals with leisure time. Some lapdogs were bred for extremes of small size, such as the Russian and Mexican varieties shown here.
Russian Lapdog and Mexican Lapdog
These were not breeds in the modern sense, but were small dogs brought back from Russia and Mexico respectively. The individuals shown here are juveniles and are shown with a Bruxelles Griffon to indicate scale. The immature Mexican Lapdog is approximately the size of a golden hamseter. 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.
The skull of the immature Russian Lapdog specimen was 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 (neotony) 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 be 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.
Breeds
A few modern breeds were apparently bred solely as pets; these include the Japanese Terrier, Maltese Terrier and Australian Silky Terrier. The Pekingese was bred as a lap dog in China and reputedly bred to fit inside the voluminous sleeves of a court robe.
Usage
Lap dogs have been used as pets, fashion accessories, and status symbols. It is widely believed that the lap dog originally served a purpose; to provide warmth for wealthy or fashionable European women. There are also lap dogs, among the terrier group, for example, which were first developed for active work.
Idiomatic usage
Lap dog 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 sometimes used to describe a person who is very easily controlled, such as a "yes" man.
Appearances in popular culture
Popular culture presents the image of the spoiled or pampered ‘pooch’ who is the obnoxious companion of a spoiled or pampered lady. Lapdogs are referred to in a similé in The Frames' song Fitzcarraldo.
"Lap dog"