A General Appearance of the Dog

It's medium-sized, coarse, double-coated body is either square or slightly longer than tall. It has been divided into two body types: Tonggol or Gyupgae and Hudu or Heutgae.

The Tonggol or Gyupgae is very muscular and shorter in body, with a depth of chest equal to one-half the height at the withers and a shorter loin, while the Hudu or Heutgae is more slender with somewhat less depth of chest and a slightly longer loin. Typically, males are larger with heavier heads and females have more fox-like features. These two types are gradually being blended into a third type called Gakgol, which retains the length of body of the Hudu style and the depth of chest of the Tonggol style.

The Jindo may reach full size by 5 months, but takes 2 years to mature physically and emotionally. A Jindo dog can either have a ring tail (rolled on its back) or an erect tail (straight up). Jindo dogs commonly possess Gingko nut-shaped yellowish brown eyes with clear pupils. The ones with reddish eyes are considered better hunters. They have erect, triangular, symmetrical ears. Korean law currently recognizes only white Jindo and red (tan) Jindo.

Some Jindo Island residents have valued black, black/tan and red/white ones for being good hunters over the years. The UKC recognizes five different coat colors: white, fawn, gray, black and tan, and brindle (tiger pattern).

Height: At maturity, desirable height is 19.5 to 21 inches for male dogs of this breed and 18.5 to 20 inches for females.

Weight: Healthy Jindo males should weigh 35-45 lb. While the ideal weight for female Jindo is 30-40 lb.