noun
Japanese Chin; Japanese Spaniel
A small companion dog breed with a distinctive pushed-in face and silky coat.
うちの狆はとても人懐っこい。
Our Japanese Chin is very friendly.
狆は昔、貴族に愛玩されていた。
Japanese Chins were once kept as pets by the nobility.
The kanji 狆 is a kokuji (Japanese-made character) combining the dog radical 犭 with 中 (ちゅう), possibly chosen for its phonetic value. The exact origin of the breed name is uncertain, but it may be related to the Chinese word for 'dog' or an old term for a small dog.