The Jindo dog is an Asian spitz breed, indigenous to an island (Jindo Island) off the coast of South Korea.   They are designated as Natural Treasure #53 by the South Korean government and are valued for their intelligence, courage, and loyalty.  They are utilized as guard dogs, hunting dogs, and companion animals on both the island and the Korean mainland.  Dogs are commonly found as reds and whites, but greys, black/tans, blacks, and brindles are also present in much fewer numbers.

The Jindo made a significant appearance in the United States during the 1980's.  A few Jindos were brought to the United States by US military servicemen who met their first Jindo while assigned in South Korea.  However, most imported Jindos were brought over by Koreans who had immigrated to the United States, with the highest concentration located in Los Angeles, California.  In retrospect, it's known that these Jindos were often of mediocre quality and/or suspect mixed background.

Presently, the number of Jindos have increased so that they can be found in many cities with significant Korean populations.   Sadly, due to the past two decades of irresponsible breedings, the number of Jindos have also increased in shelters.  Initially, these shelter Jindos were mistaken for Chow-Chow/shepherd mixes, undersized Akitas, oversized Shibas, or husky mixes and adoptees of these dogs were vastly unprepared to bring home an animal with the special needs of a Jindo.

Do I really want a Jindo?
(rev. 8/10/03)

The Physical Aspects:

The Jindo is a strong, medium-sized dog that typically ranges from 35-45 lbs.  They are an active breed and as such require space to run and exercise.  Unless one can walk and exercise a Jindo everyday, one should only get a Jindo if one has a fenced yard at least 6 ft high.  Some Jindos are expert escape artists, climbing trees and fences or digging out of yards, so one should be prepared to deal with their escape attempts.

Letting a Jindo run free is not an option as they are highly unreliable on recalls.  Jindos must be kept on a leash whenever out in public.  "No-slip" collars are strongly recommended as many Jindos have escaped when on a simple buckle collar.

Jindos have a double-coat and will shed profusely twice a year (fur falls out in clumps).  Although warm baths and regular brushings help in containing this fur, expect your vacuum and lint-remover to be well-worked during these times.

Other than a few cases of hypothyroidism, the genetic diseases in this breed are still unknown.  Jindos are usually a healthy breed but some do seem to be sensitive to high amounts of corn in their dry dog food.  For this reason, cheap, lower-end dog foods are not recommended.
 

The Temperamental Aspects:

Please pay special attention to the temperamental aspects of this breed.  Many Jindos have been given up because their owners were not prepared to deal with the temperament of their dogs.

The Jindo breed has evolved into its present state by hunting deer, boar, and small animals on their own.  They have a high prey drive and should be cautiously introduced to other pets and animals in a family.   Some Jindos will accept other household animals as family members, but some other Jindos will not.  Strange animals will most likely be viewed as prey and the Jindo will most likely be untrustworthy around them.

The Jindo is an intelligent breed.  Perhaps too intelligent.  They have the ability to easily learn new commands and tricks, including how to open cages or escape from yards.  It should be noted though that inherent intelligence does not necessarily equate to automatic trainability.  The Jindo is also an independent breed and a rappore between dog and handler must be present before a Jindo responds with enthusiasm.  For this reason, the Jindo responds best to obedience training that utilizes a balance of positive reinforcement and judicious negative reinforcement by its owner.  Handing off a Jindo to be trained by someone else, especially someone who uses only heavy-handed methods, will cause the dog to balk and "shut down."

Jindos are very territorial dogs.  A Jindo rarely barks without cause, but when he/she does, the bark (a woo-woo-woo sound) is deep and penetratingly loud.  They have a highly developed sense of territory and will defend it tenaciously from intruders.  They do not need to be chained or trained to bring this defensiveness out.  Unfortunately, there can be complications when the dog's definition of intruder conflicts with their owners.  This doesn't happen very often when the owner is present, but this instead happens when the Jindo is alone or allowed to wander free.

Jindos are reknown for their ability to escape and so the concept of a territorial dog that wanders might sound contradictory, but that's not so in the Jindo's mind.  Your Jindo is not "roaming" in its mind.  It is conquering new frontiers and enlarging its kingdom.  This can go over poorly with your harassed neighbors and endangers your Jindo's life as even the quick and nimble Jindo cannot avoid a speeding car.  A person must know how to responsibly restrain a dog in order to responsibly own a Jindo.

Owning a Jindo can lead to certain inconveniences.  For instance, abruptly assigning a new house sitter while you go on vacation might not go well with the Jindo.  (How is the dog to know if the sitter is an intruder or not?)  Kenneling a Jindo in an unfamilar boarding kennel/location can unduly stress the dog.  Planning ahead, socializing the dog in various kennel settings, and introducing the dog to a new sitter, goes a long ways in smoothing out these potential problems.
 

Probably the most difficult aspect of the Jindo is its dominant nature.  Good quality purebred Jindos should not be dominance aggressive towards human family members, but unfortunately, the breeding of poor quality dogs or mixes among backyard breeders and unscrupulous breeders have caused the number of dominance aggressive dogs to increase.  Professional advice is strongly advised when this occurs, especially if there are children in the family.

If there are other dogs in the household, the Jindo will try to move up in the pack order after the puppy turns 6 months of age or a few weeks after an adult has accepted the home as its own.  This is normal behavior for this breed.  These shifts in pack order will probably include dog fights and so the Jindo is not for the inexperienced or timid individual.  It is ill-advised to get a Jindo, even a puppy, if one already has a dominant dog of the same sex.

A properly socialized Jindo is a supremely self-confident animal and should not be dog aggressive on neutral territory.   When its personal space is invaded or directly challenged by another dog, the Jindo will most likely react with extreme displeasure, but otherwise, they should not be snarling and snapping uncontrollably at the sight of another dog.

Undersocialized or fearful animals will sometimes react with a threat display and so its very important to socialize your Jindo as much as possible.  Obedience school is recommended at 6 months of age, but earlier socialization under safe, controlled conditions is strongly recommended for this inherently suspicious breed.