Wiktionary
alt. 1 A small dog, kept as household pet, whose light weight and companionable temperament make it both suited and disposed to spend time resting in the comfort of its master's lap; a dog bred to behave in this manner. 2 (context idiomatic by extension English) A person who behaves in a servile manner, such as a sycophantic employee or a fawn#Etymology 2 lover. n. 1 A small dog, kept as household pet, whose light weight and companionable temperament make it both suited and disposed to spend time resting in the comfort of its master's lap; a dog bred to behave in this manner. 2 (context idiomatic by extension English) A person who behaves in a servile manner, such as a sycophantic employee or a fawn#Etymology 2 lover.
Wikipedia
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.
Usage examples of "lap dog".
He ran directly at Cat, flung himself into her arms as if he were a lap dog, pushing her to the floor.
Keelin was at his feet on a small cushioned stool, like a lap dog.
O'wa made the little clicking sound reserved for those rare occasions when he was at a loss for words, and his face was a web of convoluted wrinkles like that of a worried Pekinese lap dog.