Toto: Every Damsel-in-distress’ Best friend

Fairy-tale heroes are often known for their superhuman abilities and long, tumultuous adventures; but a superhero could never make it through the toughest missions and challenges without his trusty sidekick. If Batman had Robin and Shrek had Donkey, Dorothy Gale would not have made it through her trek along the yellow brick road without Toto— Toto in a basket, that is.

If you’ve seen Toto in the movie, Wizard of Oz with Judy Garland, you might have thought that a dog as smart and disciplined as he is would have been played by a fake dog, a doll, or something computer generated; however, around the time the movie was made, CGI or computer generated imagery was not available so they had to get a real dog to play Dorothy’s sidekick!

In L. Frank Baum’s novel, Toto’s breed was not determined but he was described to be a “little black dog with long, silky hair.” The movie producers, on the other hand, picked a female Cairn Terrier Terry to play the highly coveted role. The pocket-sized pooch has starred in 6 movies prior to doing the Wizard of Oz, so she definitely had the experience to play with another leading actress at the time, Judy Garland. Obviously, being a sidekick of a popular star has its perks—Terry, who was later renamed to Toto, was paid $75 more than the human minor actors; each week, she brought home $125 while the munchkins left with $50 each. After Wizard of Oz, Toto played in 7 more movies until her death at the age of 11 (or 77 in dog years).

Toto’s performance in Wizard of Oz made her a popular animal star and she became a permanent fixture in every Dorothy Gale costume. Toto is usually seen in Dorothy’s basket, making her one portable pup.

Unless you have a Cairn terrier of your own that can fit into a basket, Toto in Basket Deluxe can top your Dorothy Gale look. With your own Toto nearby, you’ll never be alone on any journey!