The Poochin is an uncommon mixed breed of a Japanese Chin and Poodle. This toy-sized dog is typically kept as a companion animal, though they are among the rarer Poodle mixes.

While many “doodle” mixed breeds have become common over the years, the Poochin is not one of them. This is likely because the Japanese Chin is a rare dog breed, making this mixed breed rare as well.

Breed Overview

Since this is a mixed breed, their traits can vary quite a bit. Some Poochins are relatively active, while others are much more laidback.

When you adopt a mixed breed, you’re inevitably going to deal with many unknowns.

Poochin Puppies

The primary difficulty of adopting a Poochin is finding a puppy to adopt! These dogs are not as commonly produced by breeders as some other mixed breeds or purebred dogs. Therefore, you often have to look long and hard before you find one.

Luckily, their demand is also not that high. Once you find a breeder, the odds of you getting a puppy sooner rather than later are quite high, assuming that they regularly produce puppies.

Choosing a more expensive puppy with extra health care and genetic testing to back it up is almost always the better choice.

You can sometimes find this breed at rescues. However, they’re significantly rarer than most other dogs out there. Japanese Chins are not that common in the United States, which often means that this mixed breed isn’t common either.

Temperament & Intelligence of the Poochin 🧠

The Poochin was bred largely as a companion animal. Therefore, they tend to make a relatively great family pet. They get along with just about anyone, given that they’re provided with the appropriate socialization and training.

This breed tends to be a bit more intelligent than some other breeds out there. They can often pick up on new commands easily and are obedient enough to listen in real-world situations.

While they are easy to train, this trait comes with a few downsides. Without training, it is easy for them to become bored. Their high intelligence requires them to be regularly entertained. Otherwise, they can attempt to make their own fun, which usually involves destruction of some sort.

This breed is generally quiet and doesn’t make much noise. Therefore, they are often suitable for apartments and those who simply don’t like yappy dogs.

In many cases, this mixed breed will be playful. However, they are usually not nearly as active as a purebred Poodle. Their smaller size also means that their exercise needs can sometimes be met without even leaving the house. A quick play session is sometimes all that this breed needs to thrive.

Usually, these dogs are quite affectionate. They love to hang out with their people and generally appreciate a good cuddle session. However, they may also be prone to separation anxiety, especially if they are not crate-trained from an early age.

Are These Dogs Good for Families?

Yes. The Poochin was bred as a companion animal, so they are often quite good with families. They bond equally well with everyone and are affectionate enough to provide plenty of cuddles.

However, this breed may not be best for families with small children. Due to their smaller size, they are easily injured by children, which can lead to biting. Most bites of children are the result of the dog being injured or scared by the child.

Also, once a Poochin has been injured by a child, they often become fearful. In the future, this can lead to even more biting and aggression.

Typically, it is best to purchase a larger dog if you have small children in your home.

Does This Breed Get Along With Other Pets?

Yes. With the proper socialization, this breed can get along with other pets. They are often fine with other canines, especially if they have been properly socialized.

Occasionally, though, they can become a bit nippy and territorial with other dogs. It isn’t uncommon for them to resource-guard their food and people. However, this behavior is typically the result of improper socialization.

Due to their Poodle parent, this breed can be a bit unpredictable with cats and other small animals. Often, they are perfectly fine as long as they are socialized properly. However, on other occasions, they have a strong prey drive.

Sadly, if you adopt a dog with a stronger prey drive, there isn’t much that you can do about it. You cannot typically use socialization or training to overcome these innate instincts.

Things to Know When Owning a Poochin

Food & Diet Requirements

For the most part, these dogs do not have any specific food or dietary requirements. They thrive on just about any high-quality commercial food. They are not more prone to food allergies or any similar food-related problems.

However, it is often best to feed them food specifically designed for smaller dogs. The small kibble size is often best, as they may have trouble eating big kibble.

That said, larger Poochins are often just fine with an average kibble size.

You should also be careful to keep your Poochin at a healthy weight. These dogs are often food-driven and can get quite lazy. Therefore, they are prone to obesity. Just like in people, obesity can cause all sorts of secondary illnesses.

Exercise

Poochins have low to moderate exercise needs. Puppies are often more energetic than adults and typically need more play sessions throughout the day. However, hardly any Poochins require hours of walking or anything of that sort.

In fact, this mixed breed is often adaptive to apartment living, especially if they are on the smaller end. In some cases, you may be able to meet your dog’s exercise needs without even leaving your home.

As playful dogs, this breed often enjoys a game of tug inside just as much as they enjoy a walk.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t walk your Poochin at all. Walking provides them an opportunity to stretch their legs and minds. Sniffing is a bit like reading for dogs — it requires a decent amount of mental effort.

As this dog grows older, it isn’t uncommon for their puppy-like playfulness to fade. However, you should still ensure that they are properly exercised. Otherwise, they may become overweight, which can significantly impact their health.

Training

The Poochin is relatively easy to train. These exuberant dogs are extremely intelligent, so they can quickly learn most commands. They tend to love training in general, especially when it is with their favorite people.

That said, their high intelligence can be a problem for dog owners who aren’t interested in training. Without the proper mental stimulation, these dogs can easily become bored. Sometimes, this leads to destructive behaviors.

An under-stimulated Poochin can be difficult to control.

Therefore, we only recommend this breed for those who can regularly train them (and who wants to train them regularly). Even after your dog has mastered the basic commands, their training should continue. Practice commands in new and distracting areas to help your dog master them. You may even run out of practical commands to teach your canine! In many cases, these dogs are also great at tricks.

Grooming ✂️

As a Poodle hybrid, this canine often requires professional grooming, especially if their hair is Poodle-like. Most people choose to keep their dog’s fur shorter to limit the amount of grooming required.

If you decide to grow out your dog’s fur, you’ll need to dedicate extra time to grooming.

Typically, these dogs are low-shedding, which is a plus. You won’t have to worry about removing loose fur or vacuuming your house every day. However, their coat can tangle easily and tends to trap debris. Therefore, a daily brushing session is often required. We highly recommend investing in good grooming equipment to make these sessions easier.

You should also start sooner rather than later. The more grooming a dog is exposed to, the more laidback they’ll be about the process. Don’t forget to make grooming sessions fun. Treats and plenty of affection are necessary.

These dogs do have problems with tear stains. Therefore, you’ll usually need to clean their face regularly.

You should keep the fur around their eyes and ears trimmed even if you decide to keep them long. This fur can trap dirt and debris near your dog’s sensitive face, which can lead to both eye and ear infections.

Of course, you will also need to trim their nails and brush their teeth a few times a week.

Health and Conditions

As a mixed breed, the Poochin is quite healthy. They inherit from a rather large gene pool, which means they are much less likely to inherit genetic health problems from either parent.

However, that doesn’t mean they are completely healthy. These dogs are prone to a few different health conditions.

Male vs. Female

There are no significant differences between the males and females of this breed. Since the Poochin is a mixed breed, most differences between the dogs can be attributed to differences in genetics, not sex.

There is no significant size difference between males and females. Larger females can be found, as can smaller males.

That said, a few behavioral differences will occur. For instance, females will go through a few heat cycles a year, during which they may experience personality changes. Many females are also more affectionate during this period.

Males are more prone to marking behaviors. They will also react if they smell a female in heat, which may lead to behavioral differences for a few days.

Males are more likely to bite than females, though the difference is likely not significant. Socialization and training likely affect the chance of bites more than the sex of the dog.

3 Little-Known Facts About the Poochin

1. They aren’t that common.

With the rise of Poodle mixed breeds over the last few years, you’d expect that Poochins would be more common. However, they are an extremely rare mixed breed that isn’t produced by many different breeders.

2. They are not hypoallergenic.

Due to their Poodle ancestry, many people refer to these dogs as hypoallergenic. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. In all honesty, there is no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog. All studies ever done on the subject have found that “hypoallergenic” breeders produce the same number of allergens as any other breed.

3. Poochins are usually laidback.

It is easy to assume that this breed would be more energetic due to their Poodle parentage. However, this isn’t always the case. In many cases, the dogs are more laidback and require little exercise.

Final Thoughts

The Poochin is a rarer mixed breed. Unlike other Poodle mixes, this mixed breed has not taken off in popularity. However, they can make great companion animals for those looking for a smaller dog.

They are known for their affectionate and laidback nature. They are not as yappy as other small dogs and do well in apartments, as long as their small exercise need is met. They are also great for those who are looking for a smaller breed but aren’t interested in one that barks frequently.

These dogs are exceedingly intelligent. Often, this makes training easy. Their people-oriented nature also helps. However, they also need regular mental stimulation, or they can become bored.

We only recommend this dog for those who have the time to commit to their training. Otherwise, you could end up with a difficult-to-manage dog.

This breed works well for seniors who can’t provide ample amounts of exercise and families with older children. Due to their smaller size, these dogs often aren’t the best for families with little kids.

Featured Image Credit: Olga Aniven, Shutterstock, Pixabay