Crested Chin

The Chinese Crested and Japanese Chin are both ancient dogs that combine to make the rare designer dog, the Crested Chin, that likely originated in the late 20th century or early 21st century. Both parent breeds have long and debated histories. The Chinese Crested is a truly global dog that became widely known in the 16th century when explorers and traders found these small creatures throughout city ports across the globe. This peculiar looking breed is thought to have descended centuries earlier from either from the African hairless dog or a similar looking dog kept by the Aztec community in current day Mexico. The Chinese Crested became particularly popular in China where they earned their their name. Depictions of the Chinese Crested in European art and architecture started to emerge in the 19th century. Not long after, Americans “discovered” the breed and started bringing it to the United States where there was an effort to propagate the Chinese Crested in the 20th century. The breed did become established and was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1991, but it never took off in popularity as it did in China. The origin of the Crested Chin’s other parent, the Japanese Chin, is somewhat mysterious. Some believe it originated in Korea, others in Japan, and still others in China. Nonetheless, the Japanese Chin is thought to have been around as early as 500 A.D. It is most popular in Japan where it has a long history of being considered a status symbol for elite and royal families. Merchants brought the Japanese Chin to Europe around the 16th century. In fact, an American naval officer who was travelling through England after a trip to Japan presented Queen Victoria with a pair in 1854. The breed eventually migrated to North America and was recognized by the AKC in the late century as the “Japanese Spaniel.”  In 1977, the AKC changed the breed name to the Japanese Chin. Today, the Japanese Chin is still extremely popular in Japan.