The Korean Jindo Dog (Hangul: 진돗개; Hanja: 珍島개) is a breed of hunting dog known to have originated on Jindo Island in Korea. Although relatively unknown outside Korea, it is celebrated in its native land for its fierce loyalty and brave nature. 

History

There is no written record of the origin of the Korean Jindo Dog, but many authorities agree that the Jindos originated and existed on Jindo Island for a long time. It is now protected under the Cultural Properties Protection Act. In 1962, the Korean government designated the Jindo as the 53rd 'Natural Treasure' (or translated as 'Natural Monument') (천연기념물; 天然記念物) and passed the Jindo Preservation Ordinance. Jindos marched in the opening ceremonies of the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea. The United Kennel Club recognized the Jindo on January 1, 1998. 

Appearance and Size

The Jindo is a medium-sized, double-coated spitz-type dog. Identifying the Jindo from mixes and other breeds is often done by close examination of head features. Head The topskull of an adult dog should be broad and rounded between the ears and free from wrinkles.The underjaw is well-developed and helps give a round or octagonal shape to the head when viewed from the front. Coarse hairs stand away from the cheeks.The ears are triangular and upright (leaning forward past vertical). The inside of the ears should be well-furred. Ears on puppies normally lie flat until they are past 5–6 months.The eyes are almond/round. They should be a shade of brown (a dark reddish-brown being preferred). Some dogs have light brown eyes but this color is not desirable. Jindos should not have blue eyes.The nose should be black on non-white dogs. White dogs may have mottled portions of tan or pink in the center of the nose.The muzzle is well proportioned without being bulky. The lips should be taut and black. The preferred color for the tongue is solid pink. Jindos CAN have blue-black tongues like Chows and Sharpeis but is not common.Typically, males have larger heads and females have more fox-like features. Body Organizations have attempted to categorize the different body types of Jindos. There are two body styles that are most often referred to: the Gyupgae and the Heutgae. The former is muscular and shorter in length, with a chest depth equal to one-half the height at the withers and a shorter loin. The latter is more slender with less depth of chest and a slightly longer loin, resulting in a height to length ratio of 10:11. Some Jindo Island residents value black, black/red, and red/white Jindos as good hunters. The United Kennel Club recognizes five different coat colors: white, fawn, gray, black and tan, and brindle (tiger pattern).

Personality

The Korean Jindo Dog is well known for its unwavering loyalty and gentlemanly nature. Because of this there is a misconception 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 certainly not indoor-only dogs. Jindo dogs need reasonable space to roam and run. Jindos require a lot of care and attention. If kept in a yard, the fencing must be at least 6 feet high. Because the Jindo is an active and intelligent dog, it requires frequent interaction with people or another dog in the family. For some the Jindo may even be too intelligent, for it will commonly think for itself. The same intelligence that allows the dog to learn commands and tricks very quickly can be a bit too much to handle. If left alone for a long stretch, it finds its own entertainment. A young Jindo may attempt to climb over a fence or wall, even by way of a tree or digging under, or tear up the house if confined indoors. Because of this many Jindo dogs are found in animal shelters, abandoned by owners who often did not know what they were getting into when accepting the responsibility of a Jindo. 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. Jindos serve as excellent watchdogs, able to distinguish family from foe, friends from strangers. The Korean Army is known to use Jindos as guard dogs at major bases. Because Jindos rarely bark aggressively, especially in familiar environments, an owner may lend special credence to the warning of his/her pet. Many Jindos would not take any food from anyone other than their owners. Some Jindos display a curious aversion from running water and avoid situations that might get them wet. They let themselves be washed, although with great reluctance. 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 US 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. 

Wikipedia and GNU

The content of this entry is from the Wikipedia article "Korean Jindo" licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.