Korea Jindo Dog

Korea Jindo Dog is a splendid hunting breed, which devotedly serves its Korean masters for many centuries. Being a calm, amiable and neat dog, it fits ideally for the role of a family pet. Be aware though that it has tons of energy to expend and therefore should receive plentiful of physical outlets.

The history of the Korea Jindo Dog began in the Jindo province multiple centuries ago. By now it has been reliably proved that it was bred in Korea for minimum 1 500 years. It’s still uncertain as to how its progenitors initially arrived to this area although most experts believe that it descended from Mongolian dogs imported to Korea in the wake of 1270 A.D. Mongol incursion.

In its native land the nimble and intelligent Korea Jindo Dog won fame of an ultimate hunter’s assistant. It proved to be useful for hunting game of various sizes and can even operate independently from its master. Single-handedly or in the company of its counterparts, this dog easily copes with rabbits, badgers, wild boars and deer. After the animal is finished off, it commonly gets back to the hunter to bring him to the lifeless prey. The breed is also used as a property and personal guardian and excels in this capacity.

At some point exceptional quick-wittedness, tenacity and supreme scenting abilities of the Korea Jindo Dog attracted attention of Korean military and police force. But soon it became clear that this breed is a poor match for such kind of job since it usually demonstrates too intense devotion to one single master and can’t be managed effectively enough by multiple trainers of search and rescue group.

The Korean government recognised the Korea Jindo Dog as the part of the country’s cultural heredity in 1962. This honourable status greatly complicated exportation of its specimens to other parts of the world so American canine fanciers got to know this wonderful breed only in the 80s of the XX century.

Presently this dog remains very uncommon both in Europe and the U.S. Nonetheless the United Kennel Club (UKC) included the Korea Jindo Dog in its stud books in 1998. Most of its modern members are kept as companion animals in their homeland and the breed enjoys wide-spread popularity among average Korean men.

Perhaps the most distinguishing characteristic of the Korea Jindo Dog is its unwavering loyalty to its master and his family. But in order to deserve such boundless affection, it’s essential to become a strong pack leader for your pet. That’s why timely and all-around socialisation and obedience training are of paramount importance for this smart yet somewhat stubborn dog. It tends to be a relatively impatient and quick-tempered meaning it won’t tolerate physical abuse even from a familiar child. It suits better for families with older kids who know how to treat their four-legged friends properly.

The Korea Jindo Dog is known to be extremely reserved in communication with strange people. Bear in mind that lack of early socialisation may lead to development of serious aggressive issues in adulthood. As a rule this dog is more than willing to fiercely defend both its special people and their property from all types of danger. Moreover it always keeps a bright lookout and therefore makes a splendid watcher.

Thanks to its inborn pack instinct the Korea Jindo Dog gets on very well with other canines. At the same time its specimens may behave themselves hostilely to strange dog (particularly of the same sex). It takes time and patience to teach this dog that its counterparts don’t pose any threat to its masters or territory. The Korea Jindo Dog also stands out for incredibly strong prey drive and can kill a street cat or other similar small creature in few seconds. But it’s definitely a good chance that this dog will respect the personal space of those non-canine domestic animals to which it’s introduced in the puppyhood.

The most common problems for the breed include:

· hypothyroidism.

The Korea Jindo Dog doesn’t have any special grooming requirements and can be successfully kept indoors. Its beautiful coat naturally repels dirt and grime so this breed should be bathed fairly infrequently. One or two brushing procedures per week are more than enough to keep its hair in a neat condition and free of any tangles or mats. In hot climate this dog becomes an intense shedder and will cover all your furniture and clothing with thick layer of fur in spring and fall.

Regular nail clipping and weekly teeth brushing should also be included into care routine. Check and clean the ears of your pet periodically in order to prevent wax build-up and to timely notice the first symptoms of infection.

The Korea Jindo Dog is marked by average trainability. Despite of its supreme intelligence it usually reluctantly obeys commands of an unfamiliar trainer so it takes time and patience to gain confidence of this dog. But once respect is earned, you will be able to teach it very advanced tricks with moderate amount of repetitions.

For optimal results use only reward-based training methods in your work with this dog. In particular reinforce its each and every minor success with its favourite treats. Be aware that the Korea Jindo Dog is prone to perceive any type of mistreatment as a personal offence and usually reacts to it with avoidance behaviour. That’s why it’s important to pronounce every command in a soft, yet firm and confident voice.

Being developed as a strictly working animal, the Korea Jindo Dog can perform its hunting and guarding duties for many hours without getting tired. In the role of a family companion it will certainly need lots of lengthy and vigorous walks to stay quite and well-behaved in the house. Make sure to offer your pet some form of exercise for its active brain as well, otherwise it will get bored and may start entertaining itself by chewing your favourite pair of shoes.

This breed should also get a periodic opportunity to frisk freely in a well-fenced yard. The Korea Jindo Dog that has to spend most of the day on the couch risks putting on weight and falling into habits of continuous barking or destructive behaviour.