Are Jindos good off leash?

Strong hunting instinct

Jindos are difficult to trust off leash due to their strong hunting instinct and natural desire to roam.

They have a strong desire to chase after any little animal which might provide an easy meal. I once watched a stray jindo chase down and nearly swallow whole a fledgling pheasant.

This hunting instinct come about because Jindos were typically only fed scraps by their owners, and were left to fend for themselves, either by scavenging or hunting vermin. This meant the Jindos who were best at hunting were the most likely to breed and pass on their genetics.

I know from first hand experience that my Jindo cross will eagerly run off to chase any pheasant, rabbit, deer or cat that he encounters.

These some traits in modern times are less advantageous. Most Jindo owners do not want them running off after small prey. Fourtantly, with consistent training it is possible to train Jindos to stay and to resist their natural instinct to run off hunting.

e above is the typical Jindo, but in my experience Jindos exhibit a wide range of personalities. One of the Jindos I walk, with no training, shows zero interest in hunting or confronting strange dogs. She is very safe to have off leash when away from traffic.

Extremely territorial

Jindos are extremely territorial dogs, they want to defend their home. This behavior can be disastrous when dealing with unsocialized dogs because they will run over and confront any dog they believe does not belong on their territory.

They do not normally fight, but there is a lot of steering, barking, and circling as they try to force their opponent to back down.

I was once out walking my standard poodle through a Korean village, and I noticed one of the Jindos was out of her cage. This Jindo was normally a bit barky but I assumed it was mostly bravo.

Well on that day, she was standing on the side of the road watching as we approached. I probably should have turned around and gone in the other direction, but the vast majority of Jindos back down and I assumed she will do the same. Well, I was wrong and she rushed in to attack my poodle.

Just in time, I was able to get myself between the two of them to prevent a proper fight. I was then able to pick up my poodle and gave the Jindo a sharp kick as she charged in for a second assault. That was enough to get her to back down, but my poodle was still traumatized by the ideal.

Rolling and Scavenging

A less common behavioral trait some Jindos have is rolling and scavenging. They often occur at the same time.

The Jindo I mention above is not perfect, she will happily scavenge any stray food she sniffs out, and then she will roll in the remains. The more disgusting the more likely she will roll.

With training, I can stop her from rolling much of the time but sometimes I am too slow to give the return command.