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The Korea Jindo Dog is a breed of dog originating in Korea. The Jindo is a hunting dog, originally from Jindo Island. Although relatively unknown outside Korea, it is celebrated in its native land for its unwavering loyalty to its master.
Appearance: The Jindo is a medium-sized, double-coated
spitz-type dog, with prick ears. The body is either square or
slightly longer than tall. Identifying and separating the Jindo from mixes and other breeds is often done by close examination of this feature.
It has been divided into two body types: Tonggol or Gyupgae
and Hudu or Heutgae. The former is very muscular and shorter
in body, with a depth of chest equal to one-half the height at
the withers and a shorter loin, while the latter is more
slender with somewhat less depth of chest and a slightly
longer loin, resulting in a height to length ratio of 10:11.
Typically, males are larger with heavier heads and females
have more fox-like features.
These two types are gradually being blended into a third
type called Gakgol, which retains the length of body of the
Hudu style and the depth of chest of the Tonggol style.
"The topline inclines very slightly downward from
well-developed withers to a strong back with a slight but
definite arch over the loin, which blends into a slightly
sloping croup. The ribs are moderately sprung out from the
spine, then curving down and inward to form a body that would
be nearly oval if viewed in cross-section. The loin is
muscular but narrower than the rib cage and with a moderate
tuck-up. The chest is deep and moderately broad. When viewed
from the side, the lowest point of the chest is immediately
behind the elbow. The forechest should extend in a shallow
oval shape in front of the forelegs but the sternum should not
be excessively pointed.
Maturity: May reach full size by 5 months, but takes 2
years to physically and emotionally mature.
Height: At maturity, desirable height for male dogs
should be 19 1/2 to 21 inches and 18 1/2 to 20 inches for
females.
Weight: In good condition, males should be 35-45 lb. and
30-40 lb. for a female.
Tail: There are two types: ring tail, rolled on its
back; erect tail, straight up.
Eyes: Gingko nut-shaped yellowish brown eyes with clear
pupils. Jindos with reddish eyes are considered better
hunters.
Ears: Ears start out floppy and usually stand erect by 5
or 6 months. Jindos with ears that straighten later are
said to be better hunters.
Hair: Coat is of medium length, coarse with a thick
undercoat. Jindos shed twice a year.
Color: Korean law currently only recognizes white Jindos
and red (tan) Jindos, thus they are the most popular
colors. Some Jindo Island residents have valued black,
black/tan and red/white Jindos for being good hunters over
the years. The UKC recognizes five different coat colors:
white, fawn, gray, black and tan, and brindle (tiger
pattern).
Temperament: The Korean Jindo Dog is well known for
its unwavering loyalty. Because of this there is a
misunderstanding that a Jindo will be loyal only to its first
owner or the owner when young. However, there are many
examples of older Jindos being adopted out of shelters in the
United States and becoming very loyal friends to their new
owners.
They are highly active and are not meant to be indoor-only
dogs. Jindo dogs need reasonable space to roam and run. Jindos
require a lot of care and attention. They are also known to be
escape artists and high jumpers and climbers. If kept in a
yard, the fencing must be at least six feet high.
Because the Jindo is an active and intelligent dog, it
requires frequent interaction with people or another dog in
the family. If left alone by itself for a long stretch, it
finds its own entertainment. A Jindo may climb over a fence or
wall, dig the ground, or tear up the house if confined
indoors. Worse still, a mistreated or badly trained Jindo may
roam around the neighborhood and attack neighbors' pets and
threaten people.
For this reason many Jindo dogs are found in animal
shelters. Also because the breed is not well known, there are
many good Jindo dogs available for adoption. With Jindos,
establishing the hierarchy (humans above dogs) with care and
affection is essential. It is important to socialize Jindos at
a very early age. As with humans, Jindos will test boundaries
to establish themselves at the top of dog hierarchies--a true
alpha dog--due to the way in which the breed evolved. This may
result in dog aggression in the unsocialized Jindo.
Jindos serve as excellent watchdogs, able to distinguish
friend from foe, familiar people from strangers. They are
conscious of their owners' reactions towards others and act
accordingly. Because Jindos so rarely bark, especially in
familiar environments, an owner may lend special credence to
the warning of his/her pet. Many are also finicky eaters and
will not take food from strangers.
People adopt Jindo dogs because of their beautiful
appearance, high intelligence, loyalty, and sometimes for
their fighting spirit, then quickly realize that raising a
Jindo dog to be a well-behaved member of the family takes a
lot of effort and time. Many Jindo Dogs are abandoned in the
U.S. because of the difficulty of training them. Potential
owners who are prepared and determined to have an intelligent,
loyal, but independent companion can adopt a Jindo dog from
shelters.
History: It is said that Jindo Dogs descended from
Mongolian battle dogs that were left on Korea's Jindo Island
after the 13th-century Mongol invasion of Korea. The Korean
King surrendered but some of his armies withdrew to Jindo
Island, off the southern coast of Korea, where they continued
to fight. This is known as the Sambyeolcho Rebellion. The
soldiers' dogs ended up isolated on Jindo Island, where they
developed a very pure strain.
As the Jindos primarily bred themselves without human
selection of traits, only the most dominant dogs reproduced;
this resulted in the formation of the highly dominant nature
of the Jindo. Jindos served both as hunting and guard dogs in
Korea. In 1962, the Korean government designated the Jindo as
the 53rd Natural Monument and passed the "Jindo
Preservation Ordinance". Jindos marched in the opening
ceremonies of the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea. The
United Kennel Club recognized the Jindo on January 1, 1998.
Other characteristics: Jindo dogs will housetrain
themselves as puppies. Even off lead or without direction,
they will often relieve themselves in the farthest corner of
the yard. They are also renowned for their homing instinct.
Availability: Jindo dogs are not well known and not
very common in the United States or generally outside of
Korea, especially purebreds, since the Korean government
restricts the exportation of this breed. However, Jindo Dogs
are taken into the U.S. by former residents of Korea, and are
bred for sale there.
Additionally, there are hundreds of Jindos that need homes
due to irresponsible breeders and the large amount of strays
especially in cities such as Los Angeles. Jindos take awhile
to warm up to humans and thus are sometimes overlooked at pet
adoptions. They will grow into a loyal, kind, protective,
inteligent and interesting pet. They are readily available at
many shelters and rescue sites.
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