Japanese Chin

Behavior

The Japanese Chin is known to be a very loving down. They are devoted to their owners and will give a lot of attention to them. For this, they expect just as much attention in return and want to be the star of your life. They are often compared to cats in some of their behavior as they do like to climb and be at very high spots in your home, but they are unlike cats in that they do not like to be by themselves. They crave attention and contact, so if you own this type of dog you need to be prepared to spend a lot of time with it.

Because of this trait, the Japanese Chin does not do well in an environment where it is left alone for a large portion of the day. If you work long hours or the dog will be home by itself a lot, this may not be the best breed for you. Also, the Japanese Chin is not really a great dog to have when you have young children. Kids, especially toddlers, obviously do not always know when to keep hands off and do not understand boundaries that many pets have. The Japanese Chin does not respond well to this type of behavior and has been known to snap or bite.

Appearance

A Japanese Chin is a very tiny member of the spaniel family, so it possesses many of the traits found among other spaniel dogs when it comes to appearance. They have a very short face that is broad in appearance. They are also noted for having a very soft, silky coat that can have long, flowing hair when allowed to grow. They also have very dark eyes that protrude a bit from their head like many other spaniels do. Their tails, like the rest of their coat, tends to be very feathery with soft hair and it will curl up.

Most Japanese Chins are only about eight to eleven inches long and usually weigh no more than eight or nine pounds at the most. They have very long coats on their body and tail but the hair on their heads and face tends to be very short.

Grooming

Even though the Japanese Chin is noted for its long, silky coat, they are actually quite easy to take care of from a grooming standpoint. Daily brushing is necessary if you want to keep their coat manageable and free of any tangles or debris. If you do a full, thorough brushing once a week, your dog will greatly appreciate it and their coat will be very well maintained.

Like many other breeds, the Japanese Chin does not require a lot of bathing. They really only need a bath as needed and many owners actually prefer to use a dry shampoo on them so you can lengthen the time needed between baths even more. You should also regularly check their ears for any buildup of wax or chance of infection. Spaniels often have this problem, but regularly cleaning can help to avoid it.

History

As the name indicates, the Japanese Chin has its history founded in Japan. The dogs are actually descendants of the Chin dogs that are noted to have been kept by Chinese aristocracy since around 600 AD, meaning this dog has been around for nearly 1,500 years. There are many different theories about how the dog began to appear in Japan, with most of them relating to some form of royalty from China or Korea bringing the dog over. The dog was then spread to the west when traders regularly visited Japan in the 1800s and brought the dog back to Europe with them.