“Japanese Chin Poodle Mix”
The furry and lovable Poochin is a cross between the Japanese Chin and the Poodle. With its playful, happy and quiet demeanor, it is a great companion dog. While it enjoys long hours of lap time, and being cuddled, it also needs some physical activities.
General Breed Information
While a Poochin doesn’t bark a lot, it will bark to warn you of other people entering your home.
For its nutrition, your Poochin needs to be fed with half to a cup of dog food (dry) each day, divided into 2 meals.
The Poochin doesn’t like extreme weather conditions. You may need to cover it with a blanket or sweater when the weather is very cold. In case it is extremely warm, keep your Pooching cool and well-hydrated.
Poochin Origin
Because it is not a pure breed, the Poochin is not recognized by the AKC. To get a good idea on its qualities, it is best to first understand the parent breeds.
- The Poodle – An old breed, the Poodle has been popular even during the ancient Egyptian and Roman civilizations. You can find images of the breed in tombs and artifacts dating back to as far as the first century. While a lot of people think that the Poodle originally came from France, it actually originated from Germany where it was popular for hunting waterfowl like ducks.
The breed became even more popular and distinct when it was brought to France. Many French aristocrats had toy Poodles that they carried around. The breed also became popular with traveling circuses that trained the Poodles to perform. For better stage appeal, the Poodle’s fur was clipped into interesting shapes. The aristocracy later adopted the practice. The breed was formally recognized in 1874 by England’s Kennel Club, and in 1886 by the American Kennel Club.
Today, the Poodle is known as an intelligent, easy to train, and eager to please dog. It is loving and devoted to its human. While it is a bundle of energy, you can calm it down with socialization, exercise, and training.
- The Japanese Chin – Another old breed, the Japanese Chin actually originally started in the Chinese court. Japanese Chins were given to foreign visitors as gifts. It became very popular when it reached Japan. The Japanese crossed it with other small native dogs to produce what we now know as the Japanese Chin. It was soon exported to Britain and the US where it became even more popular.
The Japanese Chin is known today as an affectionate and happy dog. It is intelligent and can be quite chatty. It can charm people and is very sensitive to its human’s emotions. When living with a reserved and quiet owner, the Japanese will grow up with the same traits. But, if adopted by a more outgoing pet parent, the Japanese Chin will also be outgoing. It has a tendency to be shy and it suffers from separation anxiety. This is why socialization at an early stage is important.
Appearance
The Poochin is a small dog, just like its parent breeds, the Japanese Chin and the Poodle. On average, it weighs only anywhere from 3 -13 pounds, and stands from 7 to 15” tall. While it is categorized as a small dog, it is sturdy. It has a tiny round head, a broad muzzle, and round, dark, and wide-set eyes. Its ears are floppy and have some feathering. They hang down almost up to the jaw.
The dog’s coat is of medium to long length. It can be anywhere from wavy to curly. The common coat colors are white, black, gray, tan, gold, and brown.
Character
The designer breed is known to be affectionate, and it craves for human interaction. It is the perfect companion for singles or seniors who have no time for, or are otherwise unable to insert rigorous exercises in their daily routine. But, if you are not careful, the pooch may gain unnecessary weight or develop behavioral problems. This is because it also needs its fair share of daily exercise. Playing and running around the backyard is enough for your pooch.
By nature, the dog can be very accepting. Early socialization training will help it fare well with children, strangers, and other pets. They enjoy being with kids, and enjoy playing with them.
General Health Concerns
The Poochin may inherit the usual health concerns of its parent breeds, although it is not known to be particularly sickly. These health issues include bloating, Addison’s disease, epilepsy, Cushing’s disease, Von Willebrands disease, hypothyroidism, eye problems, Legg-Perthes disease, hip dysplasia, heart ailments, and skin problems.
You can improve your chances of avoiding these health concerns by getting your Poochin from a reputable breeder. Ask to see the puppy’s and its parents’ health clearances.
Ideal Living Environment
Your Poochin loves to be outdoors, even for only short periods of time. It enjoys being around kids and other pets. It also loves sitting on its human’s lap.
Being a low-energy dog, it just loves to be loved and cuddled most of the time.
Thus, the dog will do well and can easily adapt to living even in small spaces such as an apartment unit.
It can also be the perfect daily companion for a senior who spends most of the day indoors.
It doesn’t need a lot of exercise time. Some indoor play time with its human family will be enough. Your Poochin prefers the warm temperature indoors. In fact, you need to pay more attention to him during cold days.
Exercise Needs
As mentioned, the Poochin isn’t too active and energetic. Thus, as its owner, you do not need to exert a lot of effort to make it happy and healthy. You can just give it some time to explore and play inside your home to meet its daily exercise needs.
From time to time, you can take it out for a walk in the park, around the block. Even just playing catch in your backyard would be a good idea. These outdoor playtime and activities, however, are not really necessary to keep it happy and healthy.
Training
Like its parent breeds, your Poochin is intelligent, loves to please, and tends to listen to your commands. While it is not a particularly quick learner, it is moderately easy to teach and train. The earlier it is exposed to training and socialization, the better-behaved dog it will turn out to be as an adult.
When training your pooch, it is best to use positive reinforcement as it does not receive harsh training methods well. It may even bite if you hurt it during training.
You need to be patient, firm, and consistent when training your pup. As early as possible, you need to make it understand that it is not the pack leader, but you are.
If you allow your puppy to think that it is the head of your household, you will encounter discipline problems in the future. It will expect you to give in every time it wants something. It will also be more difficult to house train.
Temperament
In general, a Poochin is a smart, loyal, and obedient dog. Thus, it is a great companion for the entire family. It is also not too difficult to train. By nature, it is a happy dog that loves to have fun and play. But, it can also be very quiet as it does not bark a lot. It loves cuddling, and craves for loving and affection.
The dog is friendly and gentle – even with children. This makes the breed a great pet for families with small kids. It is an alert dog that enjoys the company of people and other animals.
Grooming Needs
The Poochin is a low-shedding dog. Cleaning up is easy. But, it can be hypoallergenic. Take your puppy to regular visits to the vet to check if your pet has allergies. This way, you will know which grooming products are safe to use, and which ones are not safe for you pooch.
In terms of grooming, the Poochin has moderate to moderate-high needs. You need to brush its coat on a daily basis. This is because, even if it doesn’t shed a lot, its fur tends to tangle easily.
You also need to take your pet to a professional groomer every other month or so to have its coat and nails clipped. You can bathe it only when it is necessary. Just make sure to only use dog shampoo.
Its face may require frequent cleaning (especially if its coat is white) like other white dogs because it is prone to having tear stains. You also need to check if the facial hair is distracting your dog’s sight. Trim or tie up the hair if it does.
Check the ears, and if they need cleaning, just wipe them clean. You can do this once each week. Make sure to cut the nails once they get too long. But, you need to make sure that you don’t cut too short. Brush your dog’s teeth at least 2 to 3 times every week.
Socialization
The Poochin fares quite well with kids. It is playful and loving with them. However, it is important to make sure that your children understand that they need to be very careful when playing with your dog to avoid hurting it. After all, it is a small dog, and as a puppy, its bones are not yet well-developed. To avoid accidents, make sure to supervise your children when playing with your Poochin.
Cost of Becoming a Pet Parent to a Poochin Puppy
A Poochin puppy costs anywhere between $300 and $750. Depending on the kennel or breeder you are getting your pup from, it may already include some basic necessities.
At any rate, you need to make sure that your pup has been blood tested, spayed, chipped, dewormed, and vaccinated before taking it home. Also, before welcoming the newest member of your family, make sure that it already has everything it needs to be comfortable in its new home such as a crate, bowls, carrier, leash, collar, and some toys – which will cost around $400.
For its annual medical needs, you need to prepare around $500 for insurance, vet check-ups, and various shots. You also need to prepare around $600 each year for various non-medical expenses like food, licenses, training, grooming, treats, and toys.