Mary Allen
As expected, the four-legged friend’s name comes from Japan. Chin is the Japanese short form of “chiinuu inu” and means “little dog”.
Some Japanese Chins have a round patch on their forehead. A legend says that Buddha left his fingerprint like this when he blessed the little four-legged friends.
Not only Buddha but also the fine Japanese society in the Middle Ages and Chinese empires kept the little four-legged friends. Japanese Chins have therefore been very prized and valuable animals.
Based on old records, it is believed that the history of the Japan Chin begins as early as 732. Accordingly, the chin’s ancestors were brought to the Japanese court as a gift from the Korean ruler. In the following 100 years more and more of these dogs came to Japan.
In 1613, the English captain brought the dog breed to England. The dog breed was not only introduced in Europe but also in the USA in 1853. From 1868 onwards the Japanese Chin was the preferred lap dog of high society. Today it is considered a widespread domestic dog.