In 732, according to the FCI standard, the Chin’s ancestors reached Japan’s court as gifts from Korean rulers. Elegant, graceful and charming to this day, the breed’s broad face and very short nasal bridge nevertheless have consequences to understand before buying.
| FCI | Group 9 (Companion and Toy Dogs), Section 8 Japanese Chin and Pekingese, Standard No. 206, without working trial |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Japan |
| Height at the withers | Males approx. 25 cm, females slightly smaller |
| Weight | Not specified in the FCI standard |
| Life expectancy | Median 12,5 years in a British analysis of 584.734 dogs (McMillan et al. 2024) |
| Coat | Silky, straight and long, abundant except on face; ears, neck, thighs and tail richly feathered |
| Colours according to the standard | White with black or red markings, as symmetrical as possible, broad white blaze desirable; tricolour disqualifies |
Lap dog at the shoguns’ court
Under Shogun Tsunayoshi Tokugawa, the standard says the Chin became a little lap dog at Edo Castle. An English captain brought one to England in 1613; Commander Perry introduced numerous dogs to the USA in 1853, two going to Queen Victoria. The same FCI section includes the Pekingese.
Bright and good-natured
The standard calls the dog bright, good-natured and charming, with elegant, light-footed and proud movement. Quiet walks, little search games and plenty of closeness suffice day to day. Brush silky hair several times weekly and inspect eyes daily.
Short nasal bridge, narrow nose
The standard places the nose level with the eyes and requires wide-open nostrils. A British study assessed 46 Chin after exercise for brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (Tomlinson et al. 2026). Only 17,4 per cent were unaffected, level with Pugs, French and English Bulldogs. 5,8 per cent had open nostrils. The authors describe quieter nasal noises in small breeds such as Chin, easily missed.
What large eyes mean
The FCI requires large, round, wide-set eyes. The British standard even wants some visible white in the inner corners. In a clinical study of 700 dogs, visible eye white was associated with nearly triple corneal-ulcer risk; short-headed dogs had twenty times the risk (Packer et al. 2015). British practice data also gave short-headed types 11,2 times the odds (O’Neill et al. 2017).
A rare genetic defect and lifespan
GM2 gangliosidosis, a fatal nervous-system storage disease, was described in related Chin (Sanders et al. 2013). A HEXA mutation is responsible; none of 128 healthy tested Chin carried two copies. Ask whether the parents are tested. Median lifespan was 12,5 years, versus 12,0 for crossbreeds.
Who a Chin suits
People seeking a gentle, elegant housemate, avoiding heat and demanding both parents’ breathing tests and eye results.
Who should choose differently
Anyone expecting a sporting companion or unable to budget eye and airway veterinary costs.
Before committing to a breed, try the breed quiz, with greater depth in our book “Welcher Hund passt WIRKLICH zu dir?” (book in German). If a small, gentle companion appeals, compare the longer-muzzled Havanese (Bichon Havanais) and the Tibetan Spaniel. Find every breed in the Dog Breed Encyclopedia. Small dogs wait for homes in shelters and rescue organisations too. For starting life with a puppy, there is the free Puppy Starter Pack.
Further reading
- French Bulldog: the everyday cost of breathing difficulties
- The socialisation period: why “as much as possible” is poor advice
- Puppy will not sleep: what really helps on the first night
Sources, accessed on 20.10.2026: FCI-Standard Nr. 206 Chin (Japan-Chin) (fci.be, German version dated 30.01.2020; englische Originalfassung vom 03.06.2016); Tomlinson F et al., A cross-sectional study into the prevalence and conformational risk factors of BOAS across fourteen brachycephalic dog breeds, PLOS ONE 2026; Packer RMA et al., Impact of facial conformation on canine health: corneal ulceration, PLOS ONE 2015; O'Neill DG et al., Corneal ulcerative disease in dogs under primary veterinary care in England, Canine Genetics and Epidemiology 2017; Sanders DN et al., GM2 gangliosidosis associated with a HEXA missense mutation in Japanese Chin dogs, Molecular Genetics and Metabolism 2013; McMillan KM et al., Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death, Scientific Reports 2024.
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