HOW MUCH MORE WILL MY PUPPY GROW?

As a breeder, I get asked this one quite a lot from my own puppy families as well as others who have found a chin elsewhere,

If there is one thing that I have learned about Chin, it's that size can be really unpredictable.

I've been told, and I have recently experienced in one of my own litters, you can have a 4 pound and a 14 pound chin in the same litter!

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The Japanese Chin is a square dog.  It should be as long as it is tall.  Long legged animals may be taller than shorter stocker dogs that may be heavier.  Therefore exact size/weight is never an exact science.  The best way to get an idea of size is to talk to the breeder about the lines and what they are known for producing. Line bred dogs tend to be more predictable in size/weight than out crossed pairing. In my experience, five pound dogs can produce twenty pound offspring just as fifteen pound parents can produce three pound get. 

In the Japanese Chin breed standards, unlike some other breeds, size is not a disqualifying criteria in the Japanese Chin. However, being a toy breed, the ideal size of a Japanese Chin is under 10 pounds and less than 11 inches tall.  An in size dog can be heavier and correct, and a lighter weight taller dog incorrect.

Predicting Size

To estimate the adult size of a Japanese Chin puppy:  * Note that this formula only works for square puppies.  Puppies that are long legged will probably be much taller and puppies that are too squat will be shorter.

1. Weigh and measure the height of the puppy at 12 weeks of age.

               - For weight: multiply the weight times two then add a pound for males and ½ a pound for females
               - For height: multiply the height times 2.5 for males and 2 for bitches
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