The Jindo evolved as a breed on an island off the coast of South Korea. They are loyal, alert, and intelligent. They are revered as independent hunters, perceptive guardians, and devoted friends due to their medium size and natural appearance. The Jindo canine is a medium-sized, well-proportioned canine used for hunting and guarding. It should be a vibrant display of agility, strength, awareness, and dignity, with erect ears and a rolled or sickle-shaped tail. The Jindo has a strong hunting sense and is bold, fearless, attentive, and cautious, not easily persuaded or hasty. Most importantly, he is devoted to his master. In general, he dislikes other animals, particularly males. He also has an excellent sense of direction. He is a one-man dog who instantly accepts a new master but never forgets his loyalty to the previous owner who raised him from puppyhood. He maintains himself clean and eats in moderation.
Jindo
alert / loyal / intelligent
Average sizes and life
expectancy of the breed.
Height
19-22 (males)
17-20 (females)
Weight
40 -50 (males)
30-40 (females)
Life Expectancy
14-15 years
Breed Traits & Characteristics
Shedding Level
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.
Coat Grooming Frequency
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.
Drooling Level
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.
Coat Type
Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.
Coat Length
Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.
Affectionate With Family
How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.
Good With Young Children
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.
GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.
Shedding Level
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.
Coat Grooming Frequency
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.
Drooling Level
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.
Coat Type
Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.
Coat Length
Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.
Openness To Strangers
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!
Playfulness Level
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.
Watchdog/Protective Nature
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.
Adaptability Level
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.
Trainability Level
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!
Energy Level
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.
Barking Level
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.
Mental Stimulation Needs
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.
About the Breed
What To Expect When Caring For a Jindo
Owning a dog is not just a privilege; it’s a responsibility. They depend on us for, at minimum, food and shelter, and deserve much more. When you take a dog into your life, you need to understand the commitment that dog ownership entails.
Health
Jindos are a typically healthy and long-living breed with few documented health problems. Jindos have a lifespan of 14 years or more, and most live long, healthy lives. The breed has very few recorded health concerns, with hypothyroidism and discoid lupus being two to be wary of.
Systematic health testing was not previously the norm, therefore the breed's true orthopedic and eye state has yet to be completely studied.
Grooming
The Jindo is a fastidious breed whose double coat requires weekly brushing with a slicker or pin brush. They are known for being extremely meticulous and clean. Their double coat repels dirt and water, and they do not normally produce an odor. Throughout most of the year, their coat requires little more than weekly brushing to keep shedding at a minimum and the occasional bath for them to look their best. As with all double-coated breeds, twice a year the Jindo 'blows' its coat. During this time, the entire undercoat is shed over the course of a month or more, and both regular brushing of the dog and vacuuming of the home are required.
Exercise
The Jindo is an energetic hunting and security dog with excellent home manners. They were created as a serious hunting dog capable of traversing long distances and hunting tiny and large wildlife. This very athletic breed requires both physical and mental stimulation. Jindos enjoy having a job, whether it's defending acreage or performing tricks for the neighbors' kids, and their demands are quite easily supplied in a busy family. They like sports such as lure coursing and agility, have run on sled dog teams, and are willing to apply their athleticism to any active task, even if it is just a long walk. Jindos are polite and attentive inside the home. They frequently follow their owner from one location to another.
Training
The Jindo is a very serious hunting dog renowned for his loyalty to his owner and family. He is an extremely intelligent and independent dog with great problem-solving skills and the ability to think for himself. Jindos have a calm, confident, thoughtful nature, never fearful or aggressive without reason. Jindos are one-person dogs, very loyal to their owner and family and often reserved with strangers. The breed is keenly protective of their owner and property and is prized as an intelligent watch dog who does not react unless necessary. It is a breed characteristic for the Jindo to be extremely uncomfortable being forcibly restrained by a stranger. High prey drive is the norm for this extremely athletic hunting breed. The Jindo does not have much tolerance for rude behavior of other dogs and generally is not interested in interacting with strange dogs outside his home. Within the home, same-sex dog aggression is often the norm and opposite-sex pairs are highly recommended. Early socialization and puppy training classes are extremely important in order to expose the Jindo to the many things in his environment and give him the basic skills to become a good canine citizen. Jindos are extremely clean and are naturally housebroken at a very young age.
Nutrition
The Jindo should thrive on high-quality dog food, whether purchased commercially or cooked at home with your veterinarian's supervision and consent. Any diet should be tailored to the age of the dog (puppy, adult, or senior). Jindos are light eaters, and their thin appearance frequently causes owners to be concerned about their diet. Jindos can easily become finicky eaters by putting their food out for them to eat whenever they want or by adding incentives to their food to entice them to eat. If you have any concerns regarding your dog's weight or diet, consult with your veterinarian. At all times, clean, fresh water should be available.
History
The Jindo breed originated on an island near South Korea’s southwest coast. Jindo, the name of the island, inspired the breed name. For thousands of years, the dogs lived freely on the island with their owners, developing into a natural breed with reputable hunting ability. In 1962, the Republic of Korea Preservation of Cultural Assets Act No. 53 named the Jindo. In short, the dog’s name is Korea Natural Treasure #53. Jindos are known as Jindo-kae or Jindo-kyon in their native country. Korean words for dog are kae and kyon. They are the Federation of Cynologique Internationale Standard No. 334 on a global scale.