c. 1916
c. 1922
c. 1935
airplanes overhead. Some Japanese Chin will not respond to whistling, key rattling, or other attention getters and should not be faulted for it. Chin have been called “cat-like” and will often display some arrogance and in- difference to their surroundings. This is normal for the breed. When viewing the head and face up close; we should be noticing proper proportioning, color and markings and the overall impact of the flat face. If you have not irritated these little dogs examining the face may do it. It is typical for Chin to go “nose in the air” and refuse to look at a judge. Again, the Japanese Chin is a “flat- faced” breed. It has a square head made up of subtle arcs and curves, attractively framed by the ears and ear fringes. Proper evaluation of the head and the face in particular is very important in determining quality specimens. When viewed head-on, the face seems one dimensional in that it should never seem to fall away to the sides of the head. The Japanese Chin has large round eyes which are dark (in all colors). White show- ing in the inner corner of the eye is a historic breed trait which should not be faulted. The nose is tucked back between the eyes, the top of the nose being on the lateral center line of the eyes. There should not be any length of nose and the stop is very deep. One of the most challenging problems for breeders is retaining a flat face. There is a concept among some breeders that extending the nose and foreface of the Japanese Chin will make the
breed healthier. Even if this were true it creates an undesirable fault and a significant change in the look of the breed. The Japanese Chin is flat faced. The lips are well cushioned and the short muzzle is broad, maintain- ing what are sometimes referred to as “chipmunk cheeks” or “bubble gum cheeks”. The teeth or tongue should not show when the mouth is closed. The bite is slightly undershot. Exam- ining the bite or forced bite examina- tion is not recommended. Chin do not like to be blinded or smothered by hands trying to see the teeth. It is easy to determine the condition of the bite without lifting the lips. There should be ample rise of top skull to allow for large eyes and the forehead curves out and around to the nose. There is a very gentle curve across the top of the skull ending just above the ears. Ears are always down. The ear fold line will elevate slightly when the dog is attentive. The skull should be broad. Heads and skulls that appear to be narrow or small in proportion to the size of the dog are incorrect. Handlers can be asked to pickup their dogs for closer examination of the face. Color should cover the ears and the eyes. There should be a clear white blaze which may extend from the top of the nose to the top of the skull. Symmetrical markings on the face are preferred. The muzzle should be white. When examining the face and head one can determine if there are tan points consistent with the tri- color dog. These red (tan) markings resemble the markings on black and
tan breeds and are above the eyes, on the cheeks and inside the ear leather. It is possible that lack of color caused by a very wide white blaze may elimi- nate the eye pips in a tri-color dog. Also notice the long ear fringe on an adult dog. The shape of the head in profile should resemble the numeral “3” that is in- verted, with the large loop being the forehead and the smaller loop being the muzzle and mouth. The nose will be where the two loops meet. Again any perceived length of nose should be faulted. The muzzle and forehead should be on the same vertical line. The forelegs, ending at the “hare- shaped feet”, are straight and never heavy boned. There should be feath- ering on the back of the leg and on the toes. Another historic trait of the Japanese Chin is to “toe out” in front. This is acceptable but should not be extreme. Elbows are close to the body. There is moderate angulation at both ends. The topline is level. If we wish to measure to check for squareness,though the chest should be wide,the first reference likely en- countered is the point of shoulder. The sternum is often hidden by the point of shoulder. The standard no longer calls for a short, thick neck; moderate and in balance is the rule, never long and giraffe like, but always in balance with the rest of the dog. Adult dogs will be heavily coated on the neck, shoulders and chest. Some parts of the dog (legs and so on) are described as fine boned. The body should have substance and never
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