A Review of the Jindo, Korean Native Dog - Review

Abstract

The Jindo is a Korean native dog, well-known for its hunting and guarding abilities. When he gives his devotion to one individual, he gives it whole-heartedly. He is not tempted easily and impetuous. The breed was not developed but the dog retained their original qualities -loyal, alert, fearless, obedient, watchful, intelligent, energetic- to survive in the harsh environment of the Jindo island. The dog had been spread over the entire Korean peninsula from the time unknown and the ones in the Jindo island, isolated until lately, survived and maintained their original characteristics. They are now spread over the entire Jindo County consisted of many islands, whence the breed name came. The Jindo comes in a variety of colors and color combinations, with the fawn and white colorings predominant. The dog is one of the Korean natural monuments, protected by law since early 1960s. The Jindo gained official approval by the Federation Cynologique Internationale as a hunting dog. Apart from the basic housetraining, the dog rarely gets training. Many people have attempted to preserve its pure bloodlines and original qualities. Today, there are a total of 10,356 Jindoes being raised over the entire Jindo County, and many more are kept elsewhere. A research into genetic characteristics of the Jindo is now going on using the technique of isozyme electrophoresis. The Jindo Dog Breeding Management Center has been reinforced lately and in addition to their routines, the Center is to work on the breeding of the Jindo. Efforts should be made in the future to produce stable, trustworthy Jindoes according to their proposed use and to modify their temperament in order to make it more widely acceptable as a pet and companion dog in the strangers home.