Adopting an adult Japanese Chin is quite different from adopting a puppy. An adult dog may have a harder time adjusting to her lifestyle based on her previous treatment and social life. Japanese Chinstraps are by nature a very loyal pet and with firm rules and a lot of love and attention, even the most difficult ones will become an excellent companion. For an adult dog to truly become yours, it can take anywhere from six months to a year. It varies depending on each dog’s social life with its previous owner, but don’t expect much before six months.
When you first bring your new pet home, keep it fenced or on a leash for the first few months. Take him for frequent walks during this time, in as many directions as you can. Regular walks are a great way to bond with your dog and always returning to the same place will get him used to his new home.
Training an adult Japanese Chin is not much different than training a puppy. If your adult dog has been trained, it will be much easier for you to adapt it to its new home. If not, you will have it much more difficult. Always ask the breeder or adoption shelter what the extent of the dog’s training has been.
Housebreaking
During the first month, keep your dog on a leash when he is inside the house. Let him run outside in your yard off-leash, but keep him indoors on a leash and, if possible, close to you. Make sure his bed and/or playpen is clean and comfortable with plenty of food and water.
After the first month, you should start letting him loose for short periods of time inside the house. Let him out often until he can start telling you when and how often he needs to go out. It varies with each dog and depends on their previous training. Some may be dependent from the first week and others may take several months.
Each domestic dog should have its own bed and preferably a pen around it. This way you can leave him inside if he is going to be alone for a few hours. Until he is house trained and has a way to get out if he needs to, your pet should not be allowed to roam indoors.