Japanese Chin

(Breed Standard)

Partha Sekhar Chatterjee

International All Breeds Dog Show Judge

The Japanese Chin are elegant, aristocratic, smart and compact with a profuse coat. They are intelligent, happy and lively little dogs who have a look of astonishment, peculiar to this breed. It is a gay, happy, gentle and good natured dog. 

The head is long in proportion to the size of the dog. It has a broad skull, rounded in front, and between the ears, but never domed. The nostrils are large, black, except in red and whitens where the colour can be appropriate to markings. The muzzles are very short, wide and well cushioned. Its upper lips are rounded on each side of the nostrils and the jaws are level. 

The eyes are large, dark and set far apart. Most desirable is that the white shows in the inner corners, giving a characteristic look of astonishment (wrongly called squint), which should on no account be lost. It has small ears set wide apart, high on the head, carried slightly forward, V-shaped and well feathered. The bite is level or slightly undershot; wry mouth or tongue showing is highly undesirable. Its neck is of moderate length and carried proudly. 

They have straight legs, finely boned, giving a slender appearance, and well feathered down to the feet. The body is square and compactly built, wide in chest and ‘cobby’. Length of body is equal to height at withers. 

The hind quarters appear straight when viewed from behind. The back of the thighs are profusely feathered. The feet are slender and hare footed. The tail is curved and plumed over the back. The chin’s movement is stylish. The coat is profuse, soft and silky in texture without curls or waves. 

The Japanese chin is either black and white or red and white. The brighter and clearer the red the better. Colour is evenly distributed on cheeks and ears and as patches on the body.

They weigh about 1.8 to 3.2 Kgs. 

All the male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended in to the scrotum.

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