Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka breed guide

The Bolonka is a small companion dog that is funny, clever beyond words and intensely loyal to its family. Some are excellent mimics and others sit by the door and monitor who comes and goes.

Spirited yet easygoing and sociable, it is great with children and quick to alert but not a constant barker with early training.

Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonkas live 14 to 20 years. Routine checks should include eye, patella and heart examinations. AKC advises not encouraging young dogs to jump until they are adults to avoid patella injuries.

Keeping the hair on the head tied up helps prevent corneal abrasions and responsible breeders also screen for liver shunt, Legg-Calve-Perthes disease and progressive retinal atrophy.

The coat needs regular brushing, with a wide-tooth comb several times a week to prevent mats, plus routine care for eyes, ears, teeth and nails. Dogs kept in full coat may need the face, mustache and beard washed daily.

As classic lapdogs, Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonkas enjoy walks and playtime but need no great amount of exercise, though they may be very energetic and play driven and should have a good romp at least twice a week.

During Soviet rule in Leningrad almost all exhibitions showed decorative breeds, but their number and quality varied widely. At the first post-war exhibition in 1946 only two decorative dogs were presented, a Lapdog and a Toy Terrier and in 1947 only one.

AKC says those figures show the extremely difficult conditions in which Leningrad fanciers began breeding dogs and the origins of the Russian Colored Lapdog lie in the 1950s.