Jindo

Grooming Tips

The Jindo is a fastidious breed whose double coat requires weekly brushing with a slicker or pin brush.They are known for being extremely meticulous and clean. Their double coat repels dirt and water, and they do not normally produce an odor.Throughout most of the year, their coat requires little more than weekly brushing to keep shedding at a minimum and the occasional bath for them to look their best.As with all double-coated breeds, twice a year the Jindo “blows” its coat. During this time, the entire undercoat is shed over the course of a month or more, and both regular brushings of the dog and vacuuming of the home are required.

Exercise Tips

The Korean Jindo is a highly active dog that has a lot of energy to work off on a daily basis. This breed requires a long daily walk or run along with plenty of active play time and, ideally, room to run outdoors.The Jindo needs plenty of mental as well as physical stimulation to keep it from getting bored and developing problem behaviors. This breed is known to be something of an escape artist when not properly exercised and it can be a little too high-strung for dog parks.

Feeding Tips

As a medium-sized breed, the Jindo requires a dog food diet specially formulated for dogs of its size. It is also important to note that this breed is highly active so it may do best on a diet that is formulated for active/working breeds.Any diet should be appropriate to the dog’s age (puppy, adult, or senior). Jindos are light eaters, and their lean appearance often prompts owners to worry about their diet.It is extremely easy to turn Jindos into picky eaters by leaving their food down for them to eat whenever they would like or by adding treats to their food to entice them to eat.Check with your vet if you have any concerns about your dog’s weight or diet.Clean, fresh water should be available at all times.

Health Tips

The Korean Jindo is a healthy breed by nature with few serious ailments. As is true for all dogs, however, the Jindo is prone to developing certain health problems. One of the health problems known to affect this breed is hypothyroidism.

Trainability

Jindos have a calm, confident, thoughtful nature, never fearful or aggressive without reason. Jindos are one-person dogs, very loyal to their owner and family and often reserved with strangers.The breed is keenly protective of their owner and property and is prized as an intelligent watchdog who does not react unless necessary. It is a breed characteristic for the Jindo to be extremely uncomfortable being forcibly restrained by a stranger.High prey drive is the norm for this extremely athletic hunting breed. The Jindo does not have much tolerance for the rude behavior of other dogs and generally is not interested in interacting with strange dogs outside his home.Within the home, same-sex dog aggression is often the norm and opposite-sex pairs are highly recommended. Early socialization and puppy training classes are extremely important in order to expose the Jindo to the many things in his environment and give him the basic skills to become a good canine citizen. Jindos are extremely clean and are naturally housebroken at a very young age.

The Jindo was originally bred on the Island of Jindo in southwest Korea several centuries ago. They were bred to hunt wild boars, rabbits, badgers and deer, working in groups or on their own.It is characteristic for the Jindo to bring down its prey, then to return to its owner to lead him/her to its catch. Jindos first started to appear in the United States in the 1980s.The Jindo is protected by Korean law as a national monument. Its legendary loyalty and affection for its master, fastidious nature, high intelligence and unfailing courage have made the Jindo the most popular breed of dog in Korea.