Toto from The Wizard of Oz is generally considered a small terrier , and in the famous 1939 film he was specifically played by a Cairn Terrier.

Book vs. movie Toto

  • In L. Frank Baum’s original book, Toto is only described as a “little black dog with long silky hair,” and no exact breed is given.
  • Early illustrations make him look like a small black terrier, which led many readers to think of Cairn Terriers or Yorkshire Terriers.

The 1939 film dog

  • The real dog who played Toto in the 1939 movie was a female Cairn Terrier named Terry.
  • Because of that performance, most people now say “Toto was a Cairn Terrier,” even though the character in the book was never officially assigned a breed.

How fans usually answer

  • For quick answers, fans and pet sites almost always say Toto is a Cairn Terrier, since that matches the beloved movie version best.
  • More detailed discussions add that on the page he’s simply a small black dog, visually terrier-like, without a confirmed pure breed.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.