Toto The Dog: Properly Pronounced (Toe-Toe)
- "It was Toto that made Dorothy laugh and saved her from growing as dull and grey as her Kansas surroundings. Toto was not gray; he was a little black dog with long silky hair, and big black eyes that twinkled merrily on either side of his funny wee nose. Toto played all day, and Dorothy played with him, and loved him dearly."
- ―The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)
Toto, the dog is a fictional character, one who serves strictly as an animal companion invented by L. Frank Baum, author and creator of the Oz legacy. He appears in Baum's first Oz book titled 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz', published in 1900. Toto is introduced in the first chapter of the book titled The Cyclone. He also is the beloved pet dog and only friend of the books main character and child protagonists named Dorothy Gale. Toto lives with Dorothy, her Uncle Henry and Aunt Em on a small and joyless farm in the desolate Kansas prairies in circa 1899-1900. When the story begins, a storm hits the farmland. Thus, bringing a cyclone with it. Toto and Dorothy are then transported by this cyclone to the magical realm and enchanted Land of Oz while alfot in the farmhouse due to not making it to the safety of the storm cellar with Uncle Henry and Aunt Em in time. Toto then accompanies Dorothy and embarks on a epic journey throughout this fantasy land in hopes to find a way back home again.
Blame It On Toto!
Toto (1900)
- "Toto jumped out of Dorothy's arms and hid under the bed and the girl started to get him. Aunt Em, badly frightened, threw open the trap door in the floor and climbed down the ladder into the small dark hole. Dorothy caught Toto at last and started to follow her aunt. When she was halfway across the room there came a great shriek from the wind, and the house shook so hard that she lost her footing and sat down suddenly upon the floor. Then a strange thing happened. The house whirled around two or three times and rose slowly through the air. Dorothy felt as if she were going up in a balloon. "
- ―The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)
- Toto is to blame as to why he and Dorothy were swept away to the Land of Oz. If he hadn't scrambled under her bed to escape the horrid sound of the cyclone that hit the farm, then she would have been fast enough to reach the storm cellar in time. And life would have went on as it always did. If it we're not for him, she would have never known the huge gap that would have been left in her life. As she'd remain just another orphaned country girl.
- "It was very dark and the wind howled horribly around her, but Dorothy found she was riding quite easily. After the first few whirls around, and one other time when the house tipped badly, she felt as if she were being rocked gently, like a baby in a cradle. Toto did not like it. He ran about the room, now here, now there, barking loudly; but Dorothy sat quite still on the floor and waited to see what would happen."
- ―The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)
- "Once Toto got too near the open trap door and fell in; and at first the little girl thought she had lost him. But soon she saw one of his ears sticking up through the hole, for the strong pressure of the air was keeping him up in the air so that he could not fall. She crept to the hole, caught Toto by the ear, and dragged him into the room again, afterward closing the trap door so that no more accidents could happen."
- ―The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)
Baums' Description
Dorothy and Toto in Kansas by Charles Santore
Toto is described to be very small in size, very dark or completely all black. In most illustrations he is seen as a Yorkshire Terrier or a Cairn Terrier. He has long silky hair and big black eyes that twinkle merrily on either side of his funny, wee nose. He is very well behaved despite being a farm dog and he is rather brave despite his small size. He is usually portrayed as a friendly, well trained animal, one whom wouldn't hurt even the smallest creature or insect. He loves his little mistress Dorothy very much and stays loyal to her no matter what. Toto is a sweet and smart dog but will growl at or even bite anyone who tries to harm her as he seems at times rather protective over Dorothy when he feels threatened.
- Animals from the outside world can talk once they reach the Land of Oz; but Toto on the other hand remained silent for a very long time and he can speak to humans and other beings but choses to bark instead. And if he speaks it is only sparingly, if ever. Toto does not talk so he doesn't let on, he finds this helpful in chaotic situations. (Tik-Tok of Oz)
Oz History: Toto The Dog!
Toto was a happy and very energetic dog, a little spark plug. He also was the only thing in Kansas that kept his little mistress Dorothy happy and colorful when the reast of the farmland had turned everything else gray and dull. Even Uncle Henry and Aunt Em were as gray as the prairies around them. One random day, a big storm came and brought a dangerous cyclone with it. The cyclone struck the farmland which swept up the house due to the blowing winds. Toto was taken along with Dorothy in the farmhouse all the way to the Land of Oz. When Dorothy began her journey on the Yellow Brick Road, Toto accompanied his little mistress and gladly followed her the whole way. At first he was suspicious of her new friends whom she met in Oz, the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman and Cowardly Lion but came to get along with them. In the end, Dorothy learns about the magic of the Sliver Shoes (Ruby Slippers in the 1939 movie) she had been wearing since her arrival in Oz to finally return home in Kansas. She carries Toto in the arms as the shoes magically fly them both over the Deadly Desert and out of the enchanted realm that Oz is in. However, it is said in the book that Toto didn't care rather he lived in Oz forever, but he disliked seeing Dorothy cry and felt sorry for her because she was so unhappy there and wanted to go back home. Therefore making him unhappy too. (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz).
When Dorothy permanently moved to the Land of Oz, along with Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, Toto joined them, living with them in the Emerald City. (The Emerald City of Oz).
He gained the ability to talk when he was in the Land of Oz, but preferred not to, instead communicating nonverbally with Dorothy. When this came to her attention, she cornered him and got him to say something. (Tik-Tok of Oz)
When Ozma was kidnapped by Ugu the Shoemaker, Toto was left behind at the palace by Dorothy but found out from Jellia Jamb what was going on. He was able to catch the party before they left, hiding in the wagon so Dorothy wouldn't know he was with them until it was too late. The Cowardly Lion knew, but he stayed out of the matter. When Dorothy found out, she allowed him to stay with them.
During the adventure, Toto spent a lot of time talking with the other animals in the party: the Cowardly Lion, Sawhorse, and Woozy. He also came to believe he had lost his growl, and that it had been stolen by the same thief who stole Ozma, Glinda's Great Book of Records, and Cayke's Magic Dishpan. After Dorothy and The Frogman defeated Ugu, Toto noticed his growl had come back. (The Lost Princess of Oz)
When Dorothy was replaced by a Mimic, Toto was the only one who immediately saw through the deception. While she was at a dinner with the rest of the Oz celebrities, he declared that the girl sitting there was not her. This blew their cover and ran. (The Magical Mimics in Oz)
Book Appearances
- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (first appearance)
- The Road to Oz
- The Emerald City of Oz
- Little Wizard Stories of Oz
- The Patchwork Girl of Oz
- Tik-Tok of Oz
- The Scarecrow of Oz
- The Lost Princess of Oz
- The Tin Woodman of Oz
- The Magic of Oz
- Grampa in Oz
- Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz
- The Magical Mimics in Oz
Judy Garland with Terry
Background
Toto did not speak until the final chapter of the eighth Oz book, Tik-Tok of Oz, and continued to say very little in Baum's books. Some later Oz writers make him more talkative.
Modern Oz writers have used Toto as a protagonist in several works, including Roger S. Baum's Toto of Oz and the Surprise Party and Toto in Candy Land of Oz, Chris Dulabone's Toto in Oz, Ian Fink's "Toto's Tale," Atticus Gannaway's "Toto and the Truth," and Gina Wickwar's Toto of Oz.
In Magic Land Toto is usually called by the diminutive form of his name "Totoshka". He begins speaking from his first trip and continues to speak much more frequently than in Baum's books. In the later books he is too old for adventuring, and is replaced by his grandson, Arto.
In The Great Wishy Woz he is Nono.
In Todd MacFarlane's 2007 pitch for an Oz movie, a reimagined Toto - or race of Totos - played a big role, as MacFarlane revealed in an interview with MTV: "There's still a thing called Toto, except it's the biggest thing in the movie and not the smallest thing. The beast called Toto basically ate the first dog, and it's this big thing that the inhabitants of Oz ride. They've given this generic word... so instead of horses, people ride Totos." [1]
Alternate Histories
There are many reimaginings and alternate versions of Oz which present alternate histories of many of the Oz characters. Here are some different versions of Toto.
Dorothy (Comic Book Series)
Toto is a mechanical (but living) dog who is native to Oz. However, when he meets Dorothy he quickly becomes her loyal companion. (Dorothy)
Was/Novel
Was is a book written by Geoff Ryman, the same author of the novel Air. It is a very sad and tragic tale intended for adult readers. The story is about the realistic and dark life of a fictional Dorothy, who becomes a shattered soul through many traumatic experiences since losing her family as a small girl and forced to live a miserable existence on a bleak farm. The book questions just what if Dorothy was a real person, and what her life probably could have been like, and the lives she could have touched if she was indeed an actual person. Toto plays a small but heartbreaking role in this story. Toto lived with Dorothy as a puppy along with Dorothy's real birth mother before they moved in with a cold blooded Aunt Em and a sexually abusive Uncle Henry after her mother's death. Aunt Em somewhat mistreated Dorothy and especially Toto, much to Dorothy's horror, and he eventually ran away because of it. He hid in the marshes near their Kansas farm, returning occasionally to see Dorothy and get some food or fresh water from her. He finally got his revenge on Aunt Em by digging up the bones of a dog she'd had as a child. Infuriated, Aunt Em chased him away. After that, he disappeared and didn't return.
- It is implied that Aunt Em or Uncle Henry may have killed him.
The Wizard of Oz 1939
Terry as Toto with Judy Garland as Dorothy on the Kansas farm 1939
In the 1939 movie, surprisingly Toto even got paid more than the Munchkins.
Terry as Toto 1939
In the 1939 film Toto was played by a female cairn terrier named Terry. She was paid $125 a week in the film while the Singer Midgets who played the Munchkins reportedly received $50 to $100 a week). Afterward, her name was changed to Toto.
Judy with Terry 1939
She took some time off during filming because one of the Winkie Guards tepped on her paw during one of the castle sequences with the Witch and broke it. She died at age 10 or 11. Willard Carroll wrote her "autobiography," I, Toto (2001).
Journey Back to Oz 1974
In the all star cast animated sequel to the 1939 film, Toto is swept away to Oz once again with Dorothy who is voiced by Liza Minnelli.
The Wiz 1978
In the African-American version of The Wizard Of Oz Toto plays as Dorothy's animal counterpart like in the original story. Except in here, he is from New York instead of Kansas.
Return to Oz 1985
Toto is not a main character in Walt Disney's Cult Classic Return to Oz, but he is in the film towards the beginning and in the very end of the film. Toto finds Dorothy in the Kansas search party when she wakes up after her adventure in Oz.
The Muppets' Wizard of Oz 2005
Toto is played by Pepe the prawn in the 2005 made for TV movie starring pop and R&B singer Ashanti as Dorothy.
Legends of Oz, Dorothy's Return 2014
Toto is a main character in the CGI animated film Legends of Oz, Dorothy's Return.
Toto in 'Legends of Oz' Dorothy's Return
Credits
- The Wizard of Oz (1939): Terry
- The Wiz: Nancy
- The Muppets' Wizard of Oz: Pepe the Prawn