Korea Jindo Dog

Other names: Korean Jindo, Jindo, Chindo, Jindo Gae, JindoGae

Korea Jindo Dog

Korea Natural Treasure #53, as she’s sometimes known, is a smart, sensitive, and loyal spitz-type dog originating from the South Korean island of Jindo. There she dwelt, unfettered, for many centuries, hunting alongside her masters; today, she has become a small-scale international hit – helped, no doubt, by a starring role marching in the opening ceremony for the Seoul Olympics in 1988. Bright, adorable, and self-reliant, these angular doggos love exercise and games but hate water. Tough when you live on an island, eh?

Key facts about the Korea Jindo Dog

Life expectancy :

6

18

11

13

Temperament :

Intelligent Hunter

Size :

Origins and history

The Jindo evolved into a great hunter and companion over thousands of years on her island, Jindo, off the southwest coast of Korea. She achieved ‘national treasure’ status in 1962 and wider fame after the news story about the Jindo who ran 180 miles back to her owner in 1993. 

FCI breed nomenclature

FCI Group

Group 5 - Spitz and primitive types

Section

Section 5 : Asian Spitz and related breeds

Physical characteristics of the Korea Jindo Dog

Adult size

Female : Between 18 and 20 in

Male : Between 20 and 22 in

Weight

Female : Between 33 and 42 lb

Male : Between 40 and 51 lb

Coat colour

Black
White
Red

Type of coat

Long

Eye colour

Brown

Description

Looking somewhat like a Korean take on the Japanese Shibu-Inu, the Korea Jindo Dog is a tidy, well-proportioned cutie who will draw the attention of admirers with her perky equilaterally triangular ear flaps. A curved, sickle shaped brush of a tail at the other end keeps you drawn-in. Wolfish, only prettier, the Korea Jindo Dog is muscular under that fur. The fur can be one or two of several colours, and she’s particularly irresistible when her ears are a different colour to the rest. The female is more angular about the head and slighter than the male; but Jindo-fanciers also distinguish between different body types, the stocky Tonggo and the slender but more pronounced Hudu. Hudu? She do.

Good to know

It’s illegal to export Korea Jindo Dogs out of Korea, but a few have been gathered in the US and in France.

Temperament

  • 33%

    Affectionate

    The Korea Jindo Dog is a primitive dog and not very demonstrative. She usually keeps her distance.

  • 33%

    Playful

    She can get annoyed by silly games.

  • 66%

    Calm

    The Korea Jindo Dog is moderately calm at home, and knows how to be discreet.

  • 100%

    Intelligent

    This is one sharp operator. She has a very strong sense of direction, and in her home country her skills allow her to access locations in police searches.

  • 100%

    Hunter

    This dog is a natural hunter and her hunting instincts are not far below the surface.

  • 100%

    Fearful / wary of strangers

    She is reserved around strangers, does not like to be caressed, and will not trust easily.

  • 100%

    Independent

    She is both independent and free-spirited; she loves to roam freely, come up with her own ideas, and to act stubbornly on occasion.

    Behaviour of the Korea Jindo Dog

    • 100%

      Tolerates solitude

      Independent and globally unsociable, this dog can easily tolerate the absences of her masters. She does, however, need to be left with something interesting to occupy her time.

    • 66%

      Easy to train / obedience

      She’s clever enough to learn, but her free-spiritedness means that perseverance is necessary. With a skilled master, a beautiful partnership can be achieved.

    • 66%

      Barking

      She can bark to alert to an intruder.

    • 100%

      Tendency to run away

      She does like to pursue freedom when given the opportunity and is an excellent escapologist; however, famously in the 1990s a Jindo ran away from her new owner, 180 miles back to her original owner. Is that really running away?

    • 66%