Do I really want a Jindo?
The Jindo breed has evolved into its present state by hunting deer, boar, and small animals on their own. They have a high prey drive and should be cautiously introduced to other pets and animals in a family. Some Jindos will accept other household animals as family members, but some Jindos will not. Strange animals will most likely be viewed as prey and the Jindo will be untrustworthy around them.
The Jindo is an intelligent breed. Perhaps too intelligent. They have the ability to easily learn new commands and tricks, including how to open cages or escape from yards. It should be noted though that inherent intelligence does not necessarily equate to automatic trainability. The Jindo is also an independent breed and a rapport between dog and handler must be present before a Jindo responds with enthusiasm. For this reason, the Jindo responds best to obedience training that utilizes a balance of positive reinforcement and judicious negative reinforcement by its owner. Handing off a Jindo to be trained by someone else, especially someone who uses only heavy-handed methods, will cause the dog to balk and "shut down."
Jindos are very territorial dogs. A Jindo rarely barks without cause, but when he/she does, the bark is deep and penetratingly loud. They have a highly developed sense of territory and will defend it tenaciously from intruders. They do not need to be chained or trained to bring this defensiveness out. Unfortunately, there can be complications when the dog's definition of intruder conflicts with their owners. This doesn't happen very often when the owner is present, but this instead happens when the Jindo is alone or allowed to wander free.
Jindos are renown for their ability to escape and so the concept of a territorial dog that wanders might sound contradictory, but that's not so in the Jindo's mind. Your Jindo is not "roaming" in its mind. It is conquering new frontiers and enlarging its kingdom. This can go over poorly with your harassed neighbors and endangers your Jindo's life as even the quick and nimble Jindo cannot avoid a speeding car. A person must know how to responsibly restrain a dog in order to responsibly own a Jindo.
Owning a Jindo can lead to certain inconveniences. For instance, abruptly assigning a new house sitter while you go on vacation might not go well with the Jindo. (How is the dog to know if the sitter is an intruder or not?) Kenneling a Jindo in an unfamiliar boarding kennel/location can unduly stress the dog. Planning ahead, socializing the dog in various kennel settings, and introducing the dog to a new sitter, goes a long ways in
smoothing out these potential problems.
Probably the most difficult aspect of the Jindo is its dominant* nature. Good quality purebred Jindos should not be dominance aggressive towards human family members, but unfortunately, the breeding of poor quality dogs or mixes among backyard breeders and unscrupulous breeders have caused the number of dominance aggressive dogs to increase. Professional advice is strongly advised when this occurs, especially if there are children in the family.
If there are other dogs in the household, the Jindo will try to move up in the pack order after the puppy turns 6 months of age or a few weeks after an adult has accepted the home as its own. This is normal behavior for this breed. These shifts in pack order will probably include dog fights and so the Jindo is not for the inexperienced or timid individual. It is ill-advised to get a Jindo, even a puppy, if one already has a dominant dog of the same sex.
A properly socialized Jindo is a supremely self-confident animal and does not need to be dog aggressive on neutral territory. When its personal space is invaded or directly challenged by another dog, the Jindo will most likely react with extreme displeasure, but otherwise, they should not be snarling and snapping uncontrollably at the sight of another dog.
Undersocialized or fearful animals will sometimes react with a threat display and so its very important to socialize your Jindo as much as possible. Obedience school is recommended at 6 months of age, but earlier socialization under safe, controlled conditions is strongly recommended for this inherently suspicious breed.
Sadly, there are Jindos that have been bred for dog-fighting or mixed with pitbulls and so there will be dogs that are extremely dog aggressive even on neutral territory. In these cases, dog aggression can be controlled by intensive training but never completely eliminated. The owner must be aware of this and take appropriate precautions to prevent the chances of a dog fight.
Please pay special attention to the temperamental aspects of this breed. Many Jindos have been given up because their owners were not prepared to deal with the temperament of their dogs.
The Jindo is an intelligent breed. Perhaps too intelligent. They have the ability to easily learn new commands and tricks, including how to open cages or escape from yards. It should be noted though that inherent intelligence does not necessarily equate to automatic trainability. The Jindo is also an independent breed and a rapport between dog and handler must be present before a Jindo responds with enthusiasm. For this reason, the Jindo responds best to obedience training that utilizes a balance of positive reinforcement and judicious negative reinforcement by its owner. Handing off a Jindo to be trained by someone else, especially someone who uses only heavy-handed methods, will cause the dog to balk and "shut down."
Jindos are very territorial dogs. A Jindo rarely barks without cause, but when he/she does, the bark is deep and penetratingly loud. They have a highly developed sense of territory and will defend it tenaciously from intruders. They do not need to be chained or trained to bring this defensiveness out. Unfortunately, there can be complications when the dog's definition of intruder conflicts with their owners. This doesn't happen very often when the owner is present, but this instead happens when the Jindo is alone or allowed to wander free.
Jindos are renown for their ability to escape and so the concept of a territorial dog that wanders might sound contradictory, but that's not so in the Jindo's mind. Your Jindo is not "roaming" in its mind. It is conquering new frontiers and enlarging its kingdom. This can go over poorly with your harassed neighbors and endangers your Jindo's life as even the quick and nimble Jindo cannot avoid a speeding car. A person must know how to responsibly restrain a dog in order to responsibly own a Jindo.
Owning a Jindo can lead to certain inconveniences. For instance, abruptly assigning a new house sitter while you go on vacation might not go well with the Jindo. (How is the dog to know if the sitter is an intruder or not?) Kenneling a Jindo in an unfamiliar boarding kennel/location can unduly stress the dog. Planning ahead, socializing the dog in various kennel settings, and introducing the dog to a new sitter, goes a long ways in
smoothing out these potential problems.
Probably the most difficult aspect of the Jindo is its dominant* nature. Good quality purebred Jindos should not be dominance aggressive towards human family members, but unfortunately, the breeding of poor quality dogs or mixes among backyard breeders and unscrupulous breeders have caused the number of dominance aggressive dogs to increase. Professional advice is strongly advised when this occurs, especially if there are children in the family.
If there are other dogs in the household, the Jindo will try to move up in the pack order after the puppy turns 6 months of age or a few weeks after an adult has accepted the home as its own. This is normal behavior for this breed. These shifts in pack order will probably include dog fights and so the Jindo is not for the inexperienced or timid individual. It is ill-advised to get a Jindo, even a puppy, if one already has a dominant dog of the same sex.
A properly socialized Jindo is a supremely self-confident animal and does not need to be dog aggressive on neutral territory. When its personal space is invaded or directly challenged by another dog, the Jindo will most likely react with extreme displeasure, but otherwise, they should not be snarling and snapping uncontrollably at the sight of another dog.
Undersocialized or fearful animals will sometimes react with a threat display and so its very important to socialize your Jindo as much as possible. Obedience school is recommended at 6 months of age, but earlier socialization under safe, controlled conditions is strongly recommended for this inherently suspicious breed.
Sadly, there are Jindos that have been bred for dog-fighting or mixed with pitbulls and so there will be dogs that are extremely dog aggressive even on neutral territory. In these cases, dog aggression can be controlled by intensive training but never completely eliminated. The owner must be aware of this and take appropriate precautions to prevent the chances of a dog fight.
Please pay special attention to the temperamental aspects of this breed. Many Jindos have been given up because their owners were not prepared to deal with the temperament of their dogs.
*Note from KJAA: This article was originally written prior to 2003, before the term 'dominance' was hijacked by the pro- and anti-Milan crowd. The original meaning and context of the word 'dominance' has been somewhat lost.
For a reasoned explanation of the term, the original article writer prefers the animal behaviorist Patricia McConnell's outlook on the term.
http://www.patriciamcconnell.com/theotherendoftheleash/dog-training-and-the-d-word
For a reasoned explanation of the term, the original article writer prefers the animal behaviorist Patricia McConnell's outlook on the term.
http://www.patriciamcconnell.com/theotherendoftheleash/dog-training-and-the-d-word
