Height: 9 inches
Weight: 4-11 lbs.
Life Span: 12-14 yrs.
Breed Group: Companion Dogs
Overview
Also known as the Japanese Spaniel.
Japanese Chins are intelligent, sociable, responsive dogs that need very
little obedience training. They get along well with people and other animals
and are fine with children over eight years old, provided the children are
reasonably gentle.
These dogs do well in the city, suburbs, or country. They have catlike tendencies
in that they use their paws to scoop food and clean their faces, and will
climb into cozy places for naps.
Appearance
The Japanese Chin's profuse coat is long, soft, straight, and silky, with
a thick mane, or ruff, on the neck and abundant feathering on the thighs
and tail.
Coat color is black and white or red and white. The head is round and broad
with large, dark, wide-set eyes.
Grooming & Exercise Needs
Surprisingly, the Japanese Chin needs to be brushed and combed just twice
a week. This dog considers jumping up on people's laps a vigorous workout.
Origins
The Japanese Chin is thought to have originated in China, where it was kept
only by royalty. Likenesses have been found in Chinese temple paintings
and on ancient pottery and embroidery.
Introduced to Japan around A.D. 700, it became a favorite
of Japanese royalty. In Japanese, the word chin means "royalty."
Breed-related health concerns include undescended testicles.
Reference: AKC - American Kennel Club |
