Korea Jindo Dog
Other names: Korean Jindo, Jindo, Chindo, Jindo Gae, JindoGae
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
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
Red fawn, white, black, black and tan, wolf grey, or brindle.
Type of coat
Double: soft, dense undercoat and stiff outer coat.
Eye colour
Dark 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.