Interpretative Comments JAPANESE CHIN STANDARD
By Sari Brewster Tietjen
General Appearance T
large, small, and in-between. Th e key is substance—the bone is not heavy or so light that the dog lacks a solid build. Th e dog should not look as though it would “blow away” with the first breeze. Square- ness of body is one of the most overlooked attributes; yet the dog must be square to present the proper haughty, proud, com- pact appearance. An old-fashioned word often used to describe the balance between proportion and substance is cobby. Th is was deleted with the new standard in 1992. However, cobby in its traditional sense of representing a square-bodied ani- mal with substance is an apt description. For the Chin, however, the bone is not heavy or thick as with a Cob horse but properly proportioned for the size of the dog. It is helpful to recall that the Chin is square-bodied; the Pap slightly longer than tall; the English Toy square, albeit heavier boned; and the Peke long-bodied, pear-shaped, and heavier boned. Th ese are key breed features and helps keep all the relatives separate. Head Expression—bright, inquisitive, alert, and intelligent. Th e distinctive Oriental expression is characterized by the large broad head, large wide-set eyes, short broad muzzle, ear feathering, and the evenly patterned facial markings. Eyes— set wide apart, large, round, dark in color,
and lustrous. A small amount of white showing in the inner corners of the eyes is a breed characteristic that gives the dog a look of astonishment. Ears—hanging, small, V-shaped, wide apart, set slightly below the crown of the skull. When alert, the ears are carried forward and down- ward. Th e ears are well feathered and fit into the rounded contour of the head. Skull—large, broad, slightly rounded between the ears but not domed. Fore- head is prominent, rounding toward the nose. Wide across the level of the eyes. In profile, the forehead and muzzle touch on the same vertical plane of a right angle whose horizontal plane is the top of the skull. Stop—deep. Muzzle—short and broad with well-cushioned cheeks and rounded upper lips that cover the teeth. Nose—very short with wide, open nos- trils. Set on a level with the middle of the eyes and upturned. Nose leather is black in the black and white and the black and white with tan points, and is self-colored or black in the red and white. Bite— Th e jaw is wide and slightly undershot. A dog with one or two missing or slightly mis- aligned teeth should not be severely penal- ized. Th e Japanese Chin is very sensitive to oral examination. If the dog displays any hesitancy, judges are asked to defer to the handler for presentation of the bite. Th e Chin is a head breed with about one-third of its standard devoted to
he Japanese Chin is a small, well balanced, lively, aristocratic toy dog with a distinctive Oriental expression. It is light and stylish in
action. Th e plumed tail is carried over the back, curving to either side. Th e coat is profuse, silky, soft and straight. Th e dog’s outline presents a square appearance. When first seeing a Japanese Chin, words which come immediately to mind are those describing a pretty, attractive toy dog with a balanced, square body; a dog that is well-coated and moves jauntily and proudly. Th e “distinctive Oriental expres- sion” is a large, flat head with big, dark, lustrous eyes, which traditionally have a small amount of white showing in the inner corners. Th is dog is mischievous, sometimes stubborn and arrogant, and always a challenge. Size, Proportion, Substance Size—Ideal size is 8 inches to 11 inches at the highest point of the withers. Propor- tion—Length between the sternum and the buttock is equal to the height at the withers. Substance - Solidly built, com- pact, yet refined. Carrying good weight in proportion to height and body build Th ere is a three-inch spread allowed in the ideal size. Traditionally, Chins are
“THE ‘DISTINCTIVE ORIENTAL EXPRESSION’ IS A LARGE, FLAT HEAD WITH BIG, DARK, LUSTROUS EYES, which traditionally have a small amount of white showing in the inner corners.”
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