Dog Breeds 101: Korean Jindo

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The alert and energetic Korean Jindo is often described to be full of life and energy. These dogs form strong bonds with their owners to the point that they forget their assigned tasks just to find their humans. They are affectionate to those they know but are aloof towards unfamiliar people. Due to their endless supply of energy, the Korean Jindo needs a lot of exercise to prevent undesirable behavior. [1]

The Jindo is a Spitz-type dog. It has a double coat that can come in the colors white, fawn, gray, black and tan and brindle also known as a “tiger” pattern. The breed has an average life span of 12 to 15 years. Jindos can grow up to 21 inches tall and weigh between 35 to 60 pounds. [2]

Korean Jindo dogs are prized for their courage and excellent hunting skills – there is even a legend of three Jindos that were able to kill a Siberian Tiger. Guns are not used in traditional Korean hunting so a pack of trained Jindos is very valuable. However, according to a 2009 interview with Korea Economic Daily, Bak Nam-sun, an expert dog handler in South Korea, Jindos are not fit to work in the military or in search and rescue. This is because the dogs get overly attached to their first handlers and will act on instinct to find them forgetting their designated assignments. Indeed, this is a very loyal breed. [2]

The exact origins of the breed remains a mystery but it is for certain that the dogs have been living in the Jindo province of Korea for many centuries. One of the most popular origin theory is that the dogs are descendants of the dogs that the Mongols brought to Korea. In 1962, the breed was declared Korea’s 53rd National Treasure. The first Jindos appeared in the United States in the 1980s and were only recognized by the United Kennel Club as an official dog breed in 1998. [3]