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Jindo Terrier Mix: Pictures, Care Guide, Temperament & Traits

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By Nicole Cosgrove

Parent breeds of Jindo Terrier Mix - Featured Image

The Jindo Terrier Mix is a crossbreed of the Korean Jindo with Terrier dogs. While both parent dogs may be friendly, they have different personalities, so you never really know what sort of temperament the mix will have.

Terriers are known for their loyalty, intelligence, and liveliness. Jindos, on the other hand, are also intelligent and watchful dogs. How the Jindo Terrier Mix interacts with people and other pets will be determined by how properly the dog is socialized.

So, how does the Jindo Terrier Mix act and look? Is it more like the Terrier or Jindo parent? These are some of the questions we will try to answer in this article. Read on to learn more about this beautiful mixed breed.

Height: 18–24 inches
Weight: 30–60 pounds
Lifespan: 12–14 years
Colors: White, black, black & tan, red fawn, brindle, and gray
Suitable for: Families without other pets but require active socialization
Temperament: Loyal, intelligent, and resourceful

This combination is something you don’t get to see every day. It is ideal for anyone looking for an intelligent and loyal dog. The dog often resembles a bigger version of the Jack Russell Terrier but still has some Jindo features, such as pointy ears. It is also medium-sized and always has a natural look.

While the Jindo Terrier Mix can serve as a watchdog (though being a guard dog is not in their general job description), they are mostly all bark and no bite. But they are loved by dog enthusiasts because they have a very long lifespan. They also enjoy learning new tricks.

Once the owner develops a strong bond with the dog, this breed can make a wonderful family pet.

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Jindo Terrier Mix Breed Characteristics

Energy
Trainability
Health
Lifespan
Sociability

Jindo Terrier Mix Puppies

The Jindo Terrier Mix usually has a litter of 4 to 8 puppies. These puppies are known to be very loyal, and they enjoy spending time with their human owners.

They do feature active character traits and high intelligence levels, making them ideal for people who spend most of their time at home since they need constant affection and care. If left alone for a significantly long time, they can get destructive in a bid to release their pent-up energy.

The Jindo Terrier Mix may not officially be recognized by the American Kennel Club, but it is considered part of AKC’s Foundation Stock Service. This simply means that the breed cannot be showcased or even compete on dog shows, which significantly impacts the prices of the puppies.

Thankfully, you can get a healthy Jindo Terrier Mix puppy from respected and reputable breeders who will be glad to share the puppy’s health information with you. Either way, you should make a point of visiting the breeding facilities to meet the parents before making any purchase.

Alternatively, you can do a deep dive on the internet to look for Jindo Terrier Mix puppies available for adoption. This can significantly help you save money and, at the same time, save a dog’s life.

Parent breeds of Jindo Terrier Mix
The parent breeds of Jindo Terrier Mix: Left – jamongcreator, Shutterstock | Right – Chris Curry, Unsplash

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Temperament & Intelligence of the Jindo Terrier Mix 🧠

Since the Jindo and Terrier parents are affectionate and loyal, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the mixed breed features the same qualities.

Besides being charming, these dogs can get overly excited, so they will need a good training regimen, preferably from an early age, to help quell their excitement. This is because they have a stubborn streak which can make it difficult to socialize the dog while adults.

Are These Dogs Good for Families? 👪

Jindo Terrier Mix dogs can make lovely family pets, provided that there are no young kids in the household. This breed cannot tolerate the rough and boisterous antics most young kids often engage in.

Either way, the dog loves attention, and having several people in your household can help it get plenty of much-needed human interaction. However, even though they can get along with everyone in the household, they prefer forming bonds with one person, usually the primary caregiver, and they may have no interest in making friends outside the family unit.

Still, well-trained and socialized Jindo Terrier Mix dogs can be quite friendly with new people, provided the owner approves of the stranger’s presence.

Does This Breed Get Along With Other Pets?

While some Jindo Terrier Mixes can comfortably live alongside other pets and dogs, some cannot. This breed is known to assert its dominance and cannot handle challenging behavior from other pets or dogs.

If you already have a dog but would still wish to add a Jindo Terrier Mix into your home, it is best to opt for a puppy from the opposite gender to minimize same-sex aggression. Also, ensure that you introduce the dog properly and start working on obedience training and socialization right away.

Another thing to keep in mind is the fact that this breed has an extremely high prey drive. Since they were used as hunters in their ancient origins, their natural instincts might prompt them to chase after birds, cats, and rodents if they are allowed to run off-leash.

According to a dog rescue team that specializes in Korean Jindo, even the best-trained dog can occasionally ignore commands to chase smaller animals because the desire is too strong to resist.

Nevertheless, just as they can learn to coexist with other dogs, with consistent training and patience, they can also learn to live with smaller pets.

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Things to Know When Owning a Jindo Terrier Mix:

Food & Diet Requirements 🦴

Every dog is unique and may have different diet requirements. For a mixed breed like the Jindo Terrier Mix prone to overweight issues, a diet consisting of glucosamine, fish oil, and chondroitin supplements would be ideal and should be provided as early as possible.

Exercise 🐕

The Jindo Terrier Mix is a highly energetic dog breed. Therefore, they require daily mental stimulation and physical exercises to help them maintain a calm demeanor while indoors. Since the dog is also very smart, toys would be suitable because they would allow it to release excess energy and simply have some fun.

As tempting as it may be, never let your dog play unsupervised in your yard because they are skilled escape artists. The escape tactics combined with their high prey drive can be a recipe for disaster. They can easily squeeze through tight spaces, break a fence, or dig beneath it in a bid to chase after prey.

Instead, you should look for activities that both you and your dog enjoy doing together. You can opt to take them for extremely long hikes or walks to tire them out because tired Jindo Terrier Mix dogs make good companions.

The dog also prefers having tasks to do. It excels at dog sports, such as agility and luring game. Not only are these activities great at tiring out an overly energetic dog, but they are also great at strengthening the bond between you and your canine friend.

Training 🎾

While early puppy training and socialization classes may be important for all dogs, they are especially crucial for Jindo Terrier Mix puppies. This breed tends to be very mistrustful and aloof among strangers and very impatient with other dogs.

However, training this breed can prove to be quite challenging because it often wants to take the alpha position. It will need someone with a strong and firm hand to put them in their place.

Fortunately, if you start from the puppy stage and build relationships with pets and people in your community, your Jindo Terrier can grow into a responsible canine citizen. When this dog feels comfortable with the trainer, it can learn an array of commands and tricks.

The key is using positive reinforcement training methods because the dog can easily shut down if exposed to heavy-handed or negative training techniques. Just keep the training light, fun, and variable for favorable results. Also, remember to praise your dog when it does something well.

To ensure the training is successful, consider breaking the daily training into shorter sessions to keep their attention span high.

Grooming ✂️

Even though you might be familiar with the parent breeds, it is sometimes quite difficult to tell if the Jindo Terrier Mix will be a light or heavy shedder. Either way, you should be prepared to brush your dog’s coat at least once every week.

You should also give your dog baths at least once every month or when needed. Just don’t overdo it because excess bathing can dry out their coat.

Regularly brushing your dog’s teeth and trimming its nails will also increase its comfort level and give you a chance to check for any health issues commonly associated with this breed. Invest in a good quality vacuum cleaner to keep the floors in your home fur-free and clean.

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Health and Conditions ❤️

All dog breeds have the potential of developing genetic health issues and some dogs are more susceptible to some conditions than others. Since the Jindo Terrier is still relatively new in the United States, its long-term health issues are not yet well studied and documented. However, this mix can get afflicted with certain health issues:

Minor Conditions
  • Allergies
Serious Conditions
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Muscular dystrophy
  • Joint dysplasia
  • Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA)

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Male vs Female

As with most dog breeds, the main difference between male and female Jindo Terrier Mixes is the size. Generally, females tend to be a few pounds lighter and a few inches shorter than their male companions.

Moreover, while the males might feature a large bulky head, the females tend to have a fox-like head appearance.

However, both genders display similar behaviors, such as equal intelligence levels, agility, and loyalty to their owners. They also show equal aggression when it comes to protecting their territory, even though males can be a bit more aggressive if not neutered.


3 Little-Known Facts About the Jindo Terrier Mix

1. They Hate Water

While this breed might excel in many activities, unfortunately, water-based activities are not included. Just like the Jindo parents, this breed is always nervous and fearful around water; thus, they make poor water companions.

You should also keep this in mind as you bathe your dog. It will prefer being washed by someone it knows and trusts instead of a stranger.


2. They Are Incredible Jumpers

Since the Jindo parents were incredibly athletic hunters, this trait is often passed on to the Jindo Terrier Mix puppies. They are great at jumping, partly due to their powerful and muscular hind legs. The legs also help the dogs when jumping over hedges when driven by their natural prey drive.

So, if you want to keep this breed as a pet, ensure that your fence is high enough-at least 8 feet tall to prevent your dog from escaping. Anything shorter than that will not prevent this escape artist from leaving your yard.


3. Their Loyalty Knows No Limit

Granted, most dogs are considered loyal to their human owners. However, the Jindo Terrier Mix will take the loyalty to a whole new level, as seen from anecdotal evidence from some of their owners. For instance, a Jindo dog named Baekqu was sold and moved to a new home about 190 miles away. Seven months later, this dog was able to return to its owner.

Even though the dog might have been on the verge of death, it still managed to do what few other creatures could. This story is one of the reasons why Jindo breeds are revered in their homeland. The dog even has a statue built in its honor.

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Final Thoughts

The Jindo Terrier Mix is an incredibly brilliant dog that can make a worthwhile addition to an owner who prefers to own just a single dog. Well known for its loyalty and devotion, this breed can be a friend for life. Since the dog thrives when given tasks to do, it can also be a great exercise companion. Its protective nature also makes it a good watchdog.

You should socialize and train it from an early age because failure to do so, you might end up with an overly aggressive dog with a very high prey drive, which is a very bad combination, especially if you have smaller pets and kids in your household. Thankfully, when properly socialized, you will get a well-behaved dog with an unshakable devotion to you.

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Featured Photo Credit: Left – KOREAN JH, Pexels | Right – doanme, Pixabay

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