A lapdog or lap dog is a dog that is both small enough to be held in the arms or lie comfortably on a person's lap and temperamentally predisposed to do so. Lapdogs are 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. Genetic analysis reveals that lapdogs are among the earliest specific types of dogs to live with people. Today, most lapdog breeds fall into the Toy breed group.
Read more about Lap Dog: Appearance, History and Breeds, Extinct Lapdog Breeds, Idiomatic Use
Famous quotes containing the words lap and/or dog:
“Beatrice. Will you go hear this news, signor?
Benedick. I will live in thy heart, die in thy lap and be buried in thy eyes; and moreover, I will go with thee to thy uncle’s.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“The black dog gets the food; the white dog gets the blame.”
—Chinese proverb.