Teething

Japanese Chins and toy breeds overall have a tendency to retain their puppy teeth, particularly the canines. Around 5 months of age you should start watching the teeth closely. The teeth are part of the digestion process, proper chewing is important. Chew toys are not stressed enough for the Japanese Chin with the undershot bite they have. Bacteria and tartar build up rapidly on misaligned overlapping teeth, and many Chin are prone to excessive Tartar which causes premature teeth loss. There are a number of products out there to keep the teeth clean. If you do not brush the teeth, you will need to have them professionally cleaned at the vet, and it can also lead to bacterial infections that cause an additional expense to you, and pain to your friend. Chins hate having their mouths messed with but they can and do learn to allow you to brush and examine their teeth. Start brushing early, a small K-9 brush and a tender touch will pay off in the end.

Japanese Chin Grooming

Japanese Chins require regular grooming-two to three times a week if their hair is full length. As a part of the brushing routine you should check behind their ears for matted hair and check their skin for abnormal skin lesions or bumps.  Their hair should also be trimmed occasionally and the tail area checked for excrement build up. It is important to check their eyes and ears regularly and a good time to do it is when you groom them. Chins have protruding eyes that can easily be damaged if you're not careful.

Chins should also be given a bath every few weeks. When you give them a bath be very careful not to let water into their nose. The shampoo needs to be thoroughly rinsed out and the hair completely dried.

Chin Obesity

The number one nutritional disorder among dogs and cats is obesity. Research shows that approximately 25% of dogs and cats are overweight.

"But," you say, "my dog doesn't look fat." True, in fact your dog may look absolutely fine. Unfortunately that doesn't mean he's not carrying extra weight. You'd be surprised how much bulk can be well hidden under a full coat of fur.

A healthy chin is lean, firm and well muscled with an adequate layer of fatty tissue under supple elastic skin. How much fatty tissue is adequate? Well, enough to keep the ribs from being plainly visible, but not so much that it totally hides them. If your dog has the proper amount of fatty tissue you should be able to press gently on the skin over the ribs and be able to feel them without effort.  If you have to press hard to feel anything, and if you can fold more than 1/2 inch of skin over his ribs, your dog is probably over weight. If he has no waistline definition or "tuck up" between his ribs and hindquarters, or his body appears square shaped, his isn't fat anymore, he's obese.

Some owners think extra weight is a sign of good health and do not want to follow a weight reduction program. Others are reluctant to admit their pet is fat while some wonder what's wrong with a little extra weight. Here's a few good reasons why there's something wrong with a little extra weight.

-Heart, respiratory and digestive impairment
-Slower healing process
-Poor resistance to viral and bacterial infections
-Skin irritations and disease caused by friction within fatty rolls of skin
-Higher surgical risk
-Diabetes
-Stain on skeletal systems

How you can help

The first step is to visit your veterinarian. Most dogs are overweight because of overeating combined with less physical activity.  However your vet can rule out other causes such as a reaction to a medication or a metabolic disorder. Your vet can also set a weight goal and give you food and feeding guidelines.

Stop all table snacks! Food is often used as a reward or a sign of affection. And for some owners it becomes a way to handle those guilty feelings like "I can't resist those sad eyes watching me while I'm eating." As a result many dogs end up eating too many unbalanced snacks and it's up to you to keep this under control. You need to be especially careful with giving your chin too many snacks because they are not a very active dog.  Restricting calorie intake is the first step in shaping up your dog.

Move it and lose it. Exercise is a very important part of slimming down your dog that is often overlooked. Chins are very good at developing "couch potato habits" and it will do both of you good to get out of the house for a stroll around the block. Or if you're not feeling up to that, play a game of fetch in the backyard. Start slowly into your exercise program if your dog has been sedate. Take a 20-minute leisurely stroll the first day and gradually work up to a brisk 1 hour walk. Plan your walks for the coolest time of day. If you don't enough time, or the weather is nasty, have your dog follow you around while you do chores. Have your dog sit while you make the bed or do some dusting. This is basically the canine equivalent of sit-ups and works to tighten his hindquarters and abdomen.

You need to keep tabs on your dog's progress throughout his weight loss routine. You may think he's looking thinner, but the scales do not lie. Occasionally take him to the vet to weigh him and to keep track of his progress. Very few, if any, vets charge for this and most of them are glad that you're taking your dog's weight problem seriously. Don't get discouraged if it seems like your dog isn't losing weight. It could take a little while and will occur more gradually on chins or any small dog. With patience and commitment you should see significant weight loss in 4 to 8 weeks. When you've reached your goal, celebrate...with playing, or a fun walk, or a new toy, but definitely without too many snacks!

A-Z Instructions on Adopting Your Chin

Here are a few very important things for you to know before you buy your chin puppy.

Breeder Qualities
1. A reputable breeder will not sell you a chin puppy before 8 weeks of age. There are dog breeders who love the breed and are breeding to improve the breed. But then there are those who can think of money and nothing else. Never purchase a Japanese Chin before 8-9 weeks of age.
2. When you purchase your Japanese Chin you should recieve a written and signed- Purchase Agreement, Contract, Bill of Sale. The Terms of Sale need to be in writting. It should contain names and addresses of the buyer and the breeder, with phone numbers and purchase price and sire and dam information.Be sure to read these and make sure you understand them before you buy. The contract should also state the terms following the sale. You should also recieve Care Info, Vaccination Record and basic grooming info when you purchase your Chin.
3. Most breeders ship their dogs. If this is how you get your puppy you need to be very involved to make sure every thing goes smoothly. Some airlines do not ship pets and others place "summer embargoes" on excess luggage in addition to federal restrictions on shipping animals during extreme temperatures.
4. A reputable breeder will recommend premium food for your puppy as part of the Care Package. Breeders recommend the food they are feeding themselves- someone who is running a reputable kennel is not feeding his dogs junk. If you decide to use different feed than what your puppy is used to eating you need to mix it in slowly to switch him over.
5. Get the breeders phone number and address. You should get this upfront when you contact the breeder, especially if you find someone online. After the sale you need to be able to contact the breeder if any problems arise.
6. Toys breeds are prone to Hypoglycemia. Your breeder should give you instructions on how treatments for your puppy if he gets it.

Male or Female
Japanese Chins are a pleasant, loving, and happy breed. There isn't a significant difference between male or females. They can and do live with the same sex without problems. A male may pull off a few more antics, but an altered male will have basically the same temperament as a female.

Amber's Litter

One thing that I failed to mention is Amber and Mr. Big's litter, born July 1st. There are two males and three females in this litter. And I will also be getting pictures out soon of Smokey's litter.