After doing lots of research, I'm beginning to narrow my search for our new dog down to a Tibetan Spaniel or Japanese Chin (the Chin is winning out at this point). I'll be honest in saying I'm a great dog owner, but do want a puppy who will be a bit of a 'baby' as I miss our daughters away at college and am frequently alone as my hubby travels. We previously had a Giant Schnauzer and I'm quite ready for a small breed. I'd love to hear from owners of both breeds as to your first-hand experiences with these two breeds or similar breeds. I'm home during the day, hubby travels frequently, and our two girls are away at college. We're all quite loving and patient with dogs, but I'll be the primary caregiver and puppy lover. We have a large backyard and I've got a loving lap they can cuddle up in ;-) I'd love to hear from any and all, especially those with first-hand knowledge of these breeds. I'm continuing to read about them, but your personal experiences would be quite helpful. Thanks
hallo!!! 2 fabulous little breeds there!!! i own a papillon, they look a little like a chin with a pointy face!!! from my own experiences and other people i know who have toy breeds they are not necessarily easy dogs!!! i have found our pap harder than our dogue de bordeaux, our lab akita cross and our collie(who has behavioural problems) i found body language difficult to read at first because they are so small, and they can be reactive with other dogs, they will also try and get away with murder and walk all over you if you give them half a chance!! and it is so important to get them into a good training class as well!! there is nothing worse than a spoilt badly behaved little dog!!they love their walks out and seeing the world, just cos they are small it doesnt mean you can escape exercise!! have you tried talking to breeders? if you can visit the breeder and see the adults, it will also give you an idea of what you are getting yourself into!! the breeder can also give you advice about the breed and most importantly ask about the bad points!! if the breeder says there are none they are lying!! i hope thats helped?? good luck in your search!!!
i own two tibetan spaniels,they are so easy to live with,very stubborn,very clever and very independant.quite aloof with strangers,but friendly with people they know,are fearless and have selective deafness,many people in the breed advised me to never let them off lead when i first got my older one.however both mine can be let off,but there are occasions when they will just ignore,resulting in me running fast to catch up with them! one of mine is silent most of the time but her daughter will bark if she hears anything which is one of the things they were originally bred for-being a watchdog on the walls of the monastery.they have no doggy smell and are very clean,good eaters too. but they arent really dogs that like to be cuddled for too long, theylike to have their own space,preferably your sofa or bed! i liken them to little vikings, they are quite tough little dogs,that rarely back down if attacked,they suffer from mainly pra but if u buy one make sure both parents are eye tested clear for it.they are one of the easiest breeds to live with ive found. hope this helps,roy.
Great tips, thanks. I would like a breed that would tolerate at least a moderate amount of cuddling, well maybe even more! I love that both these breeds have such personality. Visiting breeders will be next. I'm also looking for local dog shows to attend.
tibs do like cuddling/sitting beside or on you, but i have found they like thier own space too.my other breed,the king charles spaniel/english toy spaniel, are far more pushy in terms of affection,to the point they will sit on one of the tibs till they move,so they can sit with you! there are always exceptions to the rules though.
Ooh I love tibetan terriers, they were on my doggy rehome list but I was told they suffer very badly from separation anxiety though so am resigned to admiring them from afar!
Whoops sorry,that's what a get for posting when knackered with a dog lying over the edge of the keyboard! Tib spaniels are gorgeous too!
I'm the owner of a Japanese Chin, and if you're looking for a sweet, cuddly baby, then this is the breed for you! She can be a bit stubborn at times and likes to have things her own way, but she's always entertaining, very clean and never barks unless someone comes to the door - and it's not a yappy bark. She's happy to be left on her own, although I go home from work at lunchtimes to feed her and take her for a short walk. She is definitely a lapdog and loves nothing more than lots of love and attention. My husband, who never liked dogs, is absolutely besotted with her, and treats her more like a child than a dog .
I'm delighted to hear back from someone who actually owns a Chin! I've been researching this breed and I'm taken with them from afar, although I've yet to visit any breeders. I think my heart will melt if I cuddle a little Japanese Chin puppy at this point. I found your description of your Chin positively enchanting and her personality sounds exactly like what I'm looking for! I love dogs with personality and thought your description of her as sometimes "stubborn" was darling, but did you mean she was difficult to train or just that she has a distinct personality of her own? My husband's preference is for larger breeds, but he's lovingly acquiescing to me in this because he knows I need a little "baby" to love after our (his) Giant Schnauzer passed away and our twin girls (our only children) moved off to college for their first year shortly after. I keep busy, but it's not the same. I'm afraid I'm too far gone now and entirely convinced a Japanese Chin puppy is for me. I only needed the slightest nudge! How will I keep my head about me when we're looking?
Have fostered a couple of chins in the past and they are lovely dogs! Very very affectionate and people oriented. Mine both had HORRIBLE dental disease, and lost most of their teeth, but then they were neglect cases to begin with. Might be worth training them with a tooth brush from youngsters. Good luck as I think they are lovely little dogs.
Hi, So glad you're leaning towards the Chin; you definitely would not regret it. By "stubborn", I think I'm referring to their sort of cat-like characteristics. Cats won't always do whatever you ask, and Chin are a bit like this. Having said that, BeBe was very easy to toilet train, she knows words like "stay" and "sit", and has been trained not to beg at the table. If she's outside in the back garden enjoying herself though, she won't always come when I call - that's the sort of "stubborness" I mean (a bit like a toddler I guess ). She is an absolute delight, and I would never own any other breed. If you cared to PM me, I'd be happy to e-mail you some photos of her. I can't seem to post them on this site; I think they're in the wrong format. Miranda
How lovely you've fostered Chins and how difficult it must have been to give them back up until you knew they were going to very loving homes. Our Giant Schnauzer required a lot of dental followup, which is unfortunately typical of the breed. We've learned to keep up with it and be aware of it in any breed. Our vet told me she sees a lot of dental neglect in the dogs that come through her office. Very sad! Thank you for your help! Do you still foster dogs now?
Hi Miranda - I'm of the mind that an otherwise disciplined dog whose inherent personality is "stubborn" is simply quite intelligent! If yours were to talk, she'd probably say "Mom, I'm enjoying the garden ... it's a lovely day. Please!" It appears I can't PM you because I need 20 messages on this forum before I'm enabled to do so and I'm just shy of that. Thank you for offering and I hope I can take you up on your kind offer of photos in the future. There's a "fly in the ointment" since yesterday. When I discussed a Chin further with my hubby he said he's now hesitant because he wants to use this time with our twins away at college to travel without any "encumbrances." We traveled with our Giant Schnauzer and boarded him, so I'm confused. No, I'm more bordering on livid ! We have a beautiful boarding facility we've used in the past. I may need to simply insist. Some men just don't understand how easily they could please their wife. A beloved dog is a "forever gift" from the heart. :-( Any tips on how to convince him from you or other forum members would be gladly appreciated. I could do this on my own, but a puppy should enter a happy home from the very start and not be pushed upon anyone. Janet
I neglected to add in my previous message that my husband's reluctance to get a new puppy at this time has nothing to do with his love of dogs. He's actually quite allergic to cats (although is fine with dogs), so it's not a choice over what type of pet to get. We've always been a dog household. Janet
Hi Janet, I can really sympathise with you. Husbands can be so frustrating sometimes . We have only just taken our first proper holiday without BeBe (you can see my thread "Reassurance Needed" in the General Dog Discussion forum) when she had to be boarded. It was quite straightforward, not overly expensive, and she was looked after extremely well. Apart from getting her to and from the kennels (and the cost of course) I didn't really consider this an "encumbrance". Five years ago, my husband would not have even considered having a pet in the house. I'm not even sure what finally changed his mind. But if your hubby could see the fun he has every night when BeBe greets him joyfully at the front door and they have a play "tussle", he might reconsider. There are some delightful videos posted on YouTube of Japanese Chin that you might like to show him. And you might wish to remind him that a Chin eats nowhere near the amount a Giant Schnauzer would, and doesn't require much exercise or grooming. Good luck!
Miranda - Your reply came at the very best time. I haven't even been back to this forum because hubby and I have disagreed so much lately on the subject of a new puppy. I finally laid it on the line with him this weekend that I never ask for anything, but this was extremely important to me. Then, quite impatient (waiting for months) and secretly angry I told him, "I could seek love somewhere else that's not quite as innocent if you prefer." Come on, it's a puppy. How naughty of me... shame, shame. I would never do that and I'm quite easy to live with, but my anger got the best of me. I've been teasing myself watching the Chin puppies and adults on YouTube videos, and I hope they impress him just as much. If he doesn't think the Chins are precious babies, perhaps I should check to see if he's breathing? I could hold out hope thinking he might be surprising me, but I know he'd never do that with something as serious as choosing a puppy. Time will tell. Thanks again for all your helpful tips! Janet
