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Japan Chin: Essence and Temperament

In terms of character, the Chin is a happy and open-minded housemate. He is adaptable and very playful until old age. Despite his small size, he really appreciates long walks.

Characteristics Japan Chin

  • Life expectancy: 12 to 14 years
  • Weight: 1.4-6.8kg
  • Height at the withers: males: approx. 25 cm | Female: 23-24 cm
  • FCI Standard No. 206
  • Origin: Japan
  • Pleasant house and family dog, gentle nature, watchful
  • Tendency to diseases such as: clouding of the lens of the eye, trichiasis (rubbing of the eyelashes), breathing problems (brachycephalic syndrome)

Nature of the Japan Chin

He is alert and intelligent, alert but not aggressive. When dealing with other dogs, he is extremely peaceful, and he is also very easy to train. He is very affectionate and completely absorbed by his owner. These lively and entertaining dogs have excellent manners and a great sense of humor. Since he also likes to be the center of general interest, he naturally feels very comfortable at exhibitions.

He owes his amused, slightly squinting facial expression to his widely spaced eyes. He is a very clean and sensitive family dog ​​that can adapt to almost any living situation in the home. This graceful and lovable little dog can certainly bring a lot of joy, especially to older people who may even be housebound and therefore very lonely.

Coat Colors

The Japanese Chin has a long and dense coat with no undercoat. The hair is fluffy and silky, straight and should be neither curled nor wavy. The neck is heavily feathered, forming a protruding ruff there. The colors allowed are either black and white, which is the original and also the most popular breed, and all shades of red including orange, lemon, fawn and brindle, each with white.

With regular combing, the long coat proves to be surprisingly easy to care for, but the eyes must be carefully wiped every day. Its tail resembles a plume with long hair and is covered with fluffy hair. It is carried and rolled sideways over the back.

History of the Japanese Chin

As with so many breeds, there is no consensus about the exact origin of the Japan Chin. Some sources claim the Chin was a gift to the Japanese emperor by a Korean envoy in 732 AD, while others believe it was as early as 520 AD with Buddhist monks and teachers who emigrated to Japan from China , came into the country.

Another thesis assumes that the Japan Chin came from China to Japan 2700 years ago. What is certain is that the Chin has the same ancestors as the Pug and the Pekingese and that all three breeds are descendants of the Tibetan Spaniel. Like the Pekingese in China, the Chin could only be kept by the highest nobility. They were carried in the sleeves of silk kimonos and, to keep them as small as possible, they were said to be fed only rice and rice wine.

Some specimens were so small that they were kept in gilded bamboo cages like exotic birds. Worship peaked when one day the Japanese Emperor ordered the Chin to be worshiped.

Strict laws protected the breed from wanton injury, and old or sick dogs were entitled to housing and care. This exaggerated reverence may have been due to the breed because the emperor was born in the year of the dog.

They were very popular as valuable gifts, but it was strictly forbidden to take them out of the country. In 1853, the English commander Perry managed to smuggle some specimens of the breed to England. He gave a pair to the dog-friendly Queen Victoria as a gift.

However, the first purebred pair is said to have left the country only in 1890 as a gift from the Japanese Empress to Empress Auguste of Germany. Since then, the western lovers of this breed have also had the opportunity to enjoy these delightful and charming dogs.

Their appearance in Europe created a huge demand, and hundreds of small chins were shipped from Japan to Western Europe. However, the original Chin was larger than today’s specimens and probably only became smaller when King Charles Spaniel was crossed into England.

In 1892, 10 Japanese Chins were shown for the first time in New York at an exhibition. Unfortunately, the breed almost fell victim to the distemper virus there. In 1912 the Japanese Chin Club of America was founded and around the same time, the first dogs came to Canada.

There is now a steadily increasing number of healthy animals of this breed on both sides of the Atlantic so the circle of owners includes much more than just the Japanese nobility. The Japanese Chin is valued all over the world as a popular pet and family dog.

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