*The Japanese Chin (also known as the Japanese Spaniel), is the dog of Japanese Royalty. A lap dog and companion dog, this toy breed is a small Spaniel with a distinctive heritage.
*Japanese Chins have an "oriental" appearance, with a short, upturned muzzle and large, wide-set eyes that have white visible in the inner corners, creating an astonished expression.
*These dogs commonly have a black spot or blaze in the middle of the white fur on their heads known as Buddha's Thumbprint. This designation can be attributed to the Emperor Ming of Han China, who owned many of these dogs.
A FAMOUS CHIN MOMENT IN HISTORY:
*An American naval officer, Commodore Perry, helped make this dog famous in England in 1853 when he presented a breeding pair to Queen Victoria after returning from Japan. This was the first canine gift given to the royal family.
FUN FACTS ABOUT PUGS!
*The Pug is a toy dog breed with a wrinkly face and medium-small body. Pug puppies are often called puglets. The word "pug" may have come from the Old English pugg, which was an affectionate term for a playful little devil or monkey. The breed is often summarized as multum in parvo ("much in little"), describing the Pug's great personality and small size.
*The stern expression of the Pug belies its true sense of fun. Pugs are sociable dogs, and usually stubborn about certain things, but they are playful, charming, clever and are known to succeed in dog obedience skills. Pugs are sensitive to the tone of a human voice, so harsh punishment is generally unnecessary.
*While Pugs usually get along well with other dogs and pets, they generally prefer the company of humans and require a great deal of human attention; they may become slightly anxious or agitated if their owner ignores them or does not play with them; however, some may happily occupy themselves when the owner is away.
*Bred to adorn the laps of the Chinese sovereigns during the Shang dynasty (1600-1046 BC), in East China, they were known as "Lo-Chiang-Sze" or "Foo" (ceramic foos, transmogrified into dragon, with their bulging eyes are very Pug-like). The Pug's popularity spread to Tibet, where they were mainly kept by monks, and then went onto Japan, and finally Europe.
NOTABLE PUGS:
*Odie the talking Pug - First appearing on David Letterman's "Stupid Pet Tricks", Odie went on to win America Online's Top TV Moment of the Year 2004.
*Frank the Pug was featured in the films Men in Black and Men in Black II.
*Marie Antoinette had a pug named Mugs.
*Molly Moon, the main character in the series by Georgia Byng, has a Pug named Petula, whom she keeps with her at all times.
