Mary Allen
The Japanese Chin is very popular with dog beginners, families, and seniors. The animal is made for everyday life, a short walk in the city or a visit to friends. However, the Japanese Chin dog is not a great athlete. The Japanese Chin belongs to FCI Group 9. The dog breed is assigned to Section 8. The breed portrait reveals what makes the animal so special.
#1 The exact origin of the Japanese Chin dog breed is still disputed to this day.
The sources refer to either a Chinese or Korean origin story, whereby the dog is said to have come to Japan via Buddhist monks. According to stories, the Japan Chin could also have been a gift from Korean envoys to the Japanese Emperor in 732 AD.
#2 On the other hand, there is agreement on the circles in which the dog breed was kept: the circle of noble families.
Like the Pekingese, the animal was only reserved for the highest circles of noble families. The veneration of this dog breed was shown in extremes that have nothing to do with keeping a dog appropriate to the species. Small specimens of the Japan Chins were sometimes kept in gilded cages. The worship of the little four-legged friend was also on the daily agenda of cultural life in Japan.
#3 Although it was strictly forbidden to export the breed, an English commander flouted this ban.
He smuggled some copies to England. The first official gift was the Japan Chin to Germany in 1890. The Japanese Empress presented a purebred pair of Japan Chin to the German Empress Auguste of Germany. In the same century, the fluffy lap dog with the broad face and short nose also reached the USA. There he was also called Japanese Spaniel in the 70s.