Jatese

The Jatese is a designer dog, a deliberate cross between two ancient companion animals. The origins of the Japanese Chin have been obscured by the passage of time as has been the true meaning behind its name. Many experts believe that the Chin in Japanese Chin is a reference to China, while others maintain that it means cat-like, referring both to its size and its proclivity for climbing. We do know that the little dogs were valued by royal families in both China and Japan for many centuries and the breed became distributed worldwide when they started being given as gifts to certain expeditionary forces in the mid-1850s. This allowed the tiny companion dog to gain popularity outside of Asia as well, particularly in both England and in the United States. They were first recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1888 as the Japanese Spaniel but the name was officially changed to the Japanese Chin in 1977. The Maltese may be even older than the Japanese Chin, traceable to Malta, a small island off of the coast of Italy, as far back as 3500 BC. They were widely traded even before the time of Christ and have favored by the rich and famous throughout the world since the time of the ancient Greeks. The first Maltese shown in the United States was white with black markings on the ears and was listed as a Maltese Skye Terrier. A great deal of crossbreeding has occurred since this little canine was introduced to America, and the modern Maltese dog in America is likely to have Pomeranian or Poodle ancestors sprinkled in their family history.