Everyone remembers the basket. Everyone remembers the "lions and tigers and bears" chant. But honestly, if you look at the 1939 classic with fresh eyes, the real engine of the plot isn't the girl in the gingham dress. It's the dog. Toto of the Wizard of Oz is basically the most important supporting actor in cinematic history. Without him, Dorothy never misses the storm cellar. Without him, the Wizard's curtain stays closed.
He's a tiny powerhouse.
Most people think of Toto as a cute accessory, a "prop" that barked on cue. That is a massive understatement. The dog who played him was a legitimate professional with a higher weekly salary than some of the human actors on that set. Seriously. While the actors playing the Munchkins were taking home about $50 a week, the dog was pulling in $125. In the late 1930s, that was a small fortune.
The Real Star: Who Was Terry?
The "he" was actually a "she." Toto of the Wizard of Oz was played by a female Cairn Terrier named Terry. She wasn't some pampered Hollywood purebred from birth, either.
Terry had a bit of a rough start. Her first owners actually gave her up because they couldn't housebreak her. She was a "carpet-wetter." They dropped her off with Carl Spitz, a legendary Hollywood dog trainer, and basically never came back for her. Their loss. Spitz saw something in her—that specific, alert terrier "spark"—and turned her into a star.
By the time she landed the role of Toto, she had already appeared alongside Shirley Temple in Bright Eyes. She was a veteran. But The Wizard of Oz was the one that nearly did her in.
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The Near-Fatal Accident on Set
Filming in 1938 was a mess. It was dangerous. You've probably heard about the Tin Man’s silver makeup poisoning the actor, or the Wicked Witch getting actual second-degree burns from a pyrotechnic mishap.
Toto didn't escape the "Oz Curse" either.
During the scene where the Winkie Guards are marching, one of the actors accidentally stepped right on Terry’s paw. It didn't just hurt; it broke it. Imagine that for a second. A 13-pound dog in a chaotic, loud movie studio getting crushed by a full-grown man in heavy boots.
Production ground to a halt. They actually had to bring in a "double" for a few days—a stuffed dog—to keep filming background shots while Terry recovered. Judy Garland, who was only 16 at the time, became incredibly attached to her. She actually took Terry home to her own house for two weeks to nurse her back to health.
Garland loved that dog. She tried to buy her from Carl Spitz when filming ended. He said no. You can't blame him; Terry was a gold mine by then.
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What Breed Was Toto, Really?
If you read L. Frank Baum’s original 1900 book, he’s a bit vague. He describes Toto as a "little black dog with long silky hair." In the original drawings by W.W. Denslow, he looks a lot more like a Yorkshire Terrier.
But for the movie, they went with a Cairn Terrier.
Why? Because Cairns are tough. They were originally bred in Scotland to hunt vermin in "cairns"—heaps of stones. They have this wiry, weather-resistant double coat that stays looking "scruffy-cute" even after a simulated tornado.
Characteristics of the Cairn Terrier:
- Tenacity: They don't back down. Think of the scene where Toto barks at the Cowardly Lion. That’s not acting; that’s just a Terrier being a Terrier.
- Intelligence: Terry had to learn over 100 different cues for the film.
- The "Scruff" Factor: Their coat is supposed to look a bit messy. It gives them that "farm dog" realism.
Interestingly, Terry’s name was officially changed to "Toto" in 1942 because that’s all anyone ever called her. She lived to be 11 years old, passing away in 1945. Her final resting place was at Spitz’s ranch, but her grave was actually destroyed in the 1950s during the construction of the Ventura Freeway.
Sorta sad, right?
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Thankfully, fans eventually raised money for a permanent memorial at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in 2011. You can go see it today. It’s a small, bronze statue that looks exactly like the little dog who pulled back the curtain on the "Great and Powerful" fraud.
Why Toto Still Matters in 2026
Look, we live in a world of CGI. If they remade The Wizard of Oz today, Toto would probably be a digital render. It would look "perfect," and it would feel completely fake.
The reason Toto of the Wizard of Oz resonates 80+ years later is that physical presence. When Dorothy is crying, she’s holding a real, breathing animal that is licking the salt off her face. That bond is the emotional anchor of the whole movie.
He’s the only character who stays by her side from the black-and-white Kansas fields to the Emerald City and back again. The Scarecrow wanted a brain, the Tin Man a heart, and the Lion courage. Toto? He just wanted to stay in the basket.
Lessons from a 13-Pound Legend:
- Size is irrelevant. He took on a "witch" and a "wizard" without blinking.
- Loyalty pays. Literally—get that $125/week.
- Always investigate the noise. If he hadn't gone sniffing around that curtain, Dorothy would still be stuck in Oz.
If you’re thinking about getting a Cairn Terrier because of the movie, just a heads-up: they aren't all as well-behaved as Terry. They dig. They bark at the mailman. They have a mind of their own. But if you want a piece of movie history in your living room, there’s no better breed.
To truly appreciate the legacy of the world's most famous terrier, your next step should be to watch the "unmasking" scene again. Pay close attention to the dog’s timing. He doesn't just wander over to the curtain; he waits for the specific beat of the dialogue. It’s a masterclass in animal acting that hasn't been topped since.
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