What can I believe about the "Japanese chin" a dog breed from Japan?

I own a pet that is called the Japanese Chin or Japanese Spaniel in the West due to its supposed historical origins in Japan as the exclusive pet of the Imperial family - thus the historical connection.

Yet I have found no current Japanese literature that refers to it, at least none that is translated into English so I can read it.

This total lack of information the Japanese Chin with a clear connection to Japan has made me wonder if everything I've read about this most wonderful animal and its Japanese roots are great exaggerations at best and just total fabrications at worst.

Following is the basic story of the breed as I can find in Western reference materials.

The basic form of the dog came from China, to Japan with Korea perhaps being a stop on the way. Those that remained in China eventually developed into the modern Pekingese.

Once in Japan, Japanese sensibilities took the refinement of the breed in a direction that fit Japanese sensibilities,.

Eventually it became so distant in nature from its chinese dog roots that the Japanese ceased considering it a dog.

This happened, because I understand that "dogs" are "work animals." The Japanese chin had no such obligations to its owners. In fact it was poorly designed to anything but sit on one's lap and provide a sense of calmness and contentment its owner via its calm, quiet personality and its looks which under Japanese development became extremely baby-like with a big forehead, tiny jaws - very very instantly cute to most people, more so than any other dog.

Is any of this true?

If so do the Japanese have any particular affection for this breed, or did that disappear in recent history due to the diminishment of its specialness after the West adopted the breed and made it just another in the long list of dog breeds.

Was the Japanese Chin truly once a royal pet that only the upper classes, ruling classes were allowed to own?

What are the historical connections of this animal if any to Japan. I'd love to know. Thanks to anyone who answers

What you've written is believed to be true by the Japanese.

Although these are Japanese webpages on the breed, you can click "Translate this page" and read. The grammar may be horrible, but I think you'll be able to understand what the Japanese think about its history.

Google results for "dog" and "chin" in Japanese

My first pet dog was a "chin"!

thank you very much. Your reply was the kind of help I was hoping to receive. I already read some pages. The translation is not hard to read at all. Grammar is secondary to "concept" and that is clear.