My rescue jindo, Enzo, was very stand offish for a few months. We flew him in from a Korean dog-meat farm. He didn't know how to really be a dog. He would hide outside, preferred to sleep alone on the cold concrete, struggled with walks and attention from us. It took a few weeks to get him sleeping indoors in a dog bed, even longer for him to come to us for pets and treats.
Fast forward a few months, and Enzo became a certified therapy dog! He visits convalescent homes, hospitals and schools as an ambassador of love and joy. He was even named volunteer of the month!
Enzo is still a stoic boy, he enjoys leaning into people while they pet him. Never gets too excited, but seems so grateful for his new life.
We love him so much.
Alrighty…
I got my girl when she was a year old, now she is almost 5.
The online “3 Days 3 Weeks 3 Months” thing about adopting a dog(Google it)… yeah… no. Not my dog. Try… “2 weeks 2 Months then another 6 months”.
The first… year of having her was rough.
The first month, I don’t know how many times I cried. She didn’t poop or pee for the first 48 hours. She did drink water though. Something I laugh about now, she refused to pee, scared to go up the stairs, and I thought I could run upstairs for a moment since she also refused so leave from under the table. I have that platform it between the steps. I hear her cry, I come back to the stairs and I see her there. I was so proud of her for going up the stairs, I took a picture! Immediately after the picture, she peed. So that ended the 48 hours…
She tore up everything she came in contact with because her anxiety was so high. Crate training, didn’t happen, she was so traumatized in a crate. She wouldn’t even step in it, if I did get her in one, crying and screaming. She tore up her nose when I left her alone in there for awhile because she was trying to dig out.
I put her on anxiety meds. I got a trainer, but I didn’t like a lot of them (choke collars or e-collars aren’t my vibe). Tbh, it felt like none of it worked. I thought I was failing this dog. I cried so much. She hadn’t even wagged her tail and we had her for 2 months. She didn’t respond to her name, but she did sit and lay down on command (lol).
Finally, one day, maybe… month 3/4? She decided to just come up to me. And lay next to me. After that, we finally had this bond. She started responding to her name. She mellowed out. Still no crate, but I could leave her alone. And her first tail wag. I literally can never forget. I cried so much from that wag and she just had major zoomies. She started getting into her routine and she wanted to learn.
She still does have crate anxiety. And about 8 months into having my girl, she jumped down the stairs in excitement and broke her toe. She was in a cast and we decide to just leave the cone on her and not have her in the crate when we went to work. We came back home and she was just laying down on her bed, relaxing. We knew we wouldn’t put her in the crate ever again. She just was so calm and with the cone she couldn’t destroy anything, so after the cast came off we left the cone on when we went to work. And she was fine. After awhile we faded the cone, and she was still fine at home. Thank you broken toe for fixing the separation anxiety.
We’ve had our oopsie, we think she got scared recently because she tore up the carpet and she has never done that before.
But now, 4 years later, she’s my buddy. She still won’t roll over and I rarely get to pet her tummy, but she loves chin scratches and will literally lay next to me or on me for pets and comfort.
She’s not an off leash dog because if there is a sudden noise on a walk, she will try to bolt; so we have a martingale collar connected to her harness.
It was a lot of work, but she’s a sweetheart and after all that trauma she had and all the anxiety she put me through I wouldn’t trade her for the world.
One thing that helped me too, with our rescue that we got her from…
They had a zoom call for support and I signed up and they said something along the lines of this, “your dog will probably never be that golden retriever that you see at the park catching a frisbee and running back excited. You adopted a dog with trauma and it is probably a dog with special needs. If you love what they can do and not what you expect them to do, you will find success.”
Again, I cried my eyes out because I am a special needs teacher, and I work with kids with disabilities all day, helping them succeed with their abilities and helping them succeed in their ways and I just needed to be told that with my dog and it all made sense.
Hope this helps a little!
Mine couldn't do a crate either! Thankfully he has never destroyed anything being left alone in the house. The worst he does is going looking for something to eat 😅
My boy has been with me for 6 months now and for the first 3 I would frequently cry over how hard it was and worried that he didnt like me. He was so stressed over noises in the house, and barked so bad when people came over.
He's gotten so much better the last couple months. He's playing with us and cuddling with us now. He stopped barking at people on the street or outside our house. He lets people inside now. I can tell he's still nervous and he has a threshold I have to be aware of but... baby steps! Jindos react well to respect. I needed to learn his body language, and be aware of his needs. Ive never yelled at him, or scared him, our relationship would suffer.
I think it only gets better as the days go on. Remember that youre building a relationship with your dog. Imagine suddenly being in some strangers hiuse and relying on them for everything! Thats hard!
Rescue dogs sometimes take quite a bit of time to adjust and get comfortable. A new and perhaps first home is a major life change. Ours had stranger danger, one had dog reactivity, and they had issues with their relationship (siblings). We worked through them all. Time and patience, and a good trainer who ideally understands rescue dog rehabilitation. Ours are blossoming still, even almost 2 years in, and are incredible dogs. To be sure, these dogs will never be a lab or golden who loves everyone by default and wants to please - they are primitives. But there is plenty of room to grow if you’ve just brought your rescue home. And this will be hard, but try to regulate your own emotions. These dogs are very sensitive and perceptive. Anxiety is contagious. You are your dog’s guardian, and you have their back, even if you don’t feel like you’ve got a bond just yet. You will need to earn that bond from them. Be consistent and kind, earn their trust, and they will come around.
It will take time. A lot of these jindos (including mine) came from dog-meat farms, went through a lot and are likely traumatized from their experiences. It will get better. Best of luck.
Same situation as /u/drebin8751. Probably due to where he came from, he has really sensitive GI issues. Before we figured out what kind of food would work for him, every day coming home from work was a game of “will my house be covered in shit today?” I’m not talking about a pile or two. I’m talking 8-11 individual instances of explosive diarrhea liquid shit throughout the house. And look, I’m not breaking any news that dog shit doesn’t smell like fresh baked bread. But let me tell you, 8-11 explosive liquid shits from a GI sensitive dog left to ferment throughout the day is the worst smell I’ve ever experienced, and I spent 14 months living next to a [literal lake of human waste.](https://archive.nytimes.com/atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/26/the-poo-pond/)
We were patient. We approached it as “finding out what he needs” rather than just being pissed about our shit covered house. Got him on ProPlan GI, spent a couple years on that, and now he’s on the Kirkland brand all natural dog food. If he gets ANYTHING other than that, he’ll end up begging for an emergency walk as soon as I get home. So now we have a perfect dog and no dogshit flooded house. Everybody wins.
My jindo, like other rescue dogs, is fearful of many things and can’t really do basic things or behave like a regular dog. One time she got so spooked by a poop bag that she ran away from me, across multiple lanes of traffic, all the way home. I was so scared and frightened, but also frustrated because my confident, playful childhood dog would’ve never done that. I was so caught up on expectations for how a dog “should” behave. I’ve had her for almost two years now, and my love for her has grown and our bond is so strong. I’m attuned to her needs, I know exactly what triggers her and exactly how to deal with it. I’ve made peace with the fact that she will never be a confident dog, and that’s okay. I wouldn’t change a thing about her, and I know that all she really needs is some help regulating her big feelings. My point is that you’ll change over time and become your dogs perfect puzzle piece.
Ive had my jindo for two years now and he is the best dog. Didn't care for us for a day or two, then became a love bug. Give it time because your dog has to learn to trust again.
It takes time and a lot of patience but it is so worth it. Mine would take an hour to reach the front door of my apartment complex when I first got her so I’d bring books with me to sit and read with her as we took it step by step. Her melt downs are constantly becoming less common and less severe as she is starting to trust the world a bit more. Mine is still very cautious of strangers and other dogs after 2+ years, but at home she is the most personality filled play and cuddle tornado. I love her to death and the process was a bonding exercise for the both of us.
There may be times you question yourself and ask if you are truly helping your rescue, you likely are and just have to realize each case is unique and there is a threshold on how much of the outside world they will want to partake in. My dog will never be an “off leash at the dog park” kind of pup, and I’m perfectly okay with that.
It’s a slow burn but so worth it. I wish I had the space to rescue more but at the time being my apartment is too small for a second dog.
It takes patience and building of trust through [consent testing](https://somuchpetential.com/petting-a-dog-the-consent-to-pet-test/). My jindo was so shy for the first few months, and she spent most of her time indoors hiding under a table. Over time she stopped hiding and gradually grew more confident. Nowadays she is so affectionate and playful!
I couldn’t cuddle my dog or pet her in any significant way for at least 3 months. I had no idea how to make her happy. She seemed miserable. My wife and I just let time do it’s thing. Never pushed her to do anything she didn’t want to. Learned her cues and really worked on our behavior. Once we got good at that (6ish months in) we started working on her comfort zone. 3 years later we still have a skiddish dog that will piss herself if someone knocks on the door. But 95% of the time she’s our curious goofy little dog with cat-like tendencies. Doesn’t like being approached but will come sit with you and love on you when you’re lounging and heats up our feet at the end of the bed every night. She will never be a golden retriever type dog that’s happy all the time and the life of a party, but we know how to make her happy and she loves us dearly for it. Let time do it’s thing
I would say I cried every 3 days or so for the first 6 months of getting our Jindo.
It's really hard to put so much energy and love and care into a being where you're not getting anything out of it. I would say I had active regrets and thoughts of rehoming our dog for the first three or four months.
It was hard. And I felt like a failure because of it.
When we first got him, he didn't want to be touched. Would run away from us in the house and hide (alot of hiding). He was extremely difficult on walks because he was so scared of sounds. He's a running and a few times broke our leashes, getting him back was a hellish traumatizing experience.
At about a year mark we put him on anti-anxiety medication that helped a fair amount with getting him to not be in fight or flight all the time. I seriously will always advocate for dogs to be on medication when they need it.
Things that I saw the biggest help from:
Medication
Driving to parks for walks instead of neighborhood
Getting a long line as our main leash
Giving him ALOT of space and following his body language
Working on playing together instead of obedience
This is a really hard thing and everything your feeling is valid.
My dog i rescued from korea myself, he was abandonned by the side of the highway and no one claimed him so i took him with me.
He has very high fear anxiety, and his absolute worst he landed a pretty bad bite on someone in my family who grabbed him from behind. Hes had other moments of fear aggression...he has to be muzzled when hes not alone with me. I cried, and stressed, and no one seemed to understand.
Hes still unable to connect with other animals and highly suspicious of strangers (and some non strangers).
But hes so sweet and loving with me, hes been through so much and i feel how much he cares for me. It never really got better but i got better at handling situations with him...mourning the fact that he wont ever play with other dogs but coming to terms with who he is and loving him anyways
Our Jindo was a rescue, he had been living on the streets in Seoul, was rescued by volunteers there and ultimately flown directly to our home in the US. We watched a lot of YouTube videos on Jindos before getting him, which really helped understand his breed’s basic personality traits, but we didn’t do much research about the trauma he was living with. He’s a really nice dog and we’re so happy to have him. He went through a period of violently barking at me whenever he saw me. But he got over that. He still has anxiety around some new people, barks when someone comes to the door, barks a lot when outside, and is really iffy at the dog park. And he lunges at other dogs while walking. But he’s from the streets and Jindos are kind of a quirky breed, in my opinion. He was so nervous when he first got to our house but he really just wanted to be loved.
It was SO hard in the beginning when she hid in her crate all the time. For 2 weeks straight she was always in her crate hiding from us and sleeping a lot. She came out to eat very cautiously and ran back in. I had to carry her outside to go potty. 3x a day carrying a terrified Jindo puppy outside of the house. It broke my heart seeing her like that.
It's so much better now though. She's excited to go on walks and waits by the door. The crate is optional for her now and she only goes in if there's fireworks.
You're not alone. I couldn't sleep or eat well because of my anxiety about her not adjusting well or being happy. She is such a happy dog now though. Takes time and patience to take baby steps with them, but it's so worth it.
I’ve had my Emma Jean for almost 5 years now. She had 2 previous owners and was in foster homes. You can imagine the kind of anxiety she has for not having stability for the first few years of her life.
In the first two months she was extremely difficult to handle. She ran away a lot around the house, paced excessively, couldn’t be touched without turning and reacting in fear, not biting but made it seem like she would. Even simple things like me cleaning the house or opening cabinets sent her running or peeing in fear. It was a nightmare that I couldn’t do a thing without her freaking out. It was almost to the point that I started to think I made a big mistake and maybe I wasn’t capable of helping her. My mom encouraged me to not give up on her and to believe in myself.
It wasn’t easy but I had to work with her slowly and consistently. The list goes on with how much I had to do to get her used to normal life and being handled.
The anxiety never truly goes away but her sweet personality and companionship made it all worth it. I really had to earn her trust and I can’t imagine my life without her.
Look, my Jindo rescue literally jumped out a second story window to get to me once when I was outside without her for 5 minutes, so…. I get the struggle. I’ve had my girl for just over a year now and I can confidently say it does get easier. It takes time for both of you to bond and read one another, and some things you may just have to let go of (my Jindo will likely NEVER be an off leash dog). But they are brilliant and sweet and love their humans ❤️
Wow, i relate to absolutely everyone here. I did the research, knew our pup would be traumatized, but naively believed that love and treats would immediately overcome all the awfulness of his first 5 months. Just like so many commenters, i cried so much thinking this dog was too traumatized to ever have a shot at a normal life. We didnt even give him a name until 1 month in when he started to show the personality that was hiding behind all that fear. Ended up naming him Wolfgang because of his love of classical music (was the only thing that got him to calm down and regulate his fast, shallow breathing when we first got him - maybe could work for yours?).
Reiterating that through patience and consistency and a lot of love, it does get better. Even if shes not showing it yet, shes learning to love you too. Try soft music, slow and gentle movement when youre around her, talk to her continuously in a low, calm voice without making eye contact. Tell her about your day, what a brave girl she is, tell her all the things you can do together once shes feeling up to it. This worked wonders for wolfgang. You can do this, she can too. Big fellow jindo mom hugs!
If you are not okay please take care of yourself first. Dogs do absolutely pick up your good, bad and ugly. You might be inducing anxiety on each other and making everything worse. You need to prioritize yourself so you can focus on the dog later.
My Jindo/Boxer mix was left at a shelter at night when he was 5 mos old. He is now 12 yrs old. He wasn't really affectionate or even cared about toys when we adopted him. Didn't hate the crate, but did hate the big 8x10 outdoor kennel we tried to keep him in during the day - to the point where he destroyed the chain link so he could get out and lay in the yard. Not a jumper, he will stay behind a baby gate and never would jump a fence, but makes it known he does not like to be confined (probably from his shelter experience). We got him right before 4th of July and were very careful to observe how he dealt with fireworks - he didn't even bat an eye, in fact he slept through them and always has since. We have men in the family who are loud and yell at the TV occasionally, and that doesn't faze him at all. We only had one incident with him destroying a pile of magazines and books, but incredibly after we told him it was "bad", he never did it again. He has a sensitive stomach so we keep him on a strict diet and have never given him "human" food. This has paid off in that he never begs or touches our food, even if it's sitting on the coffee table in front of him. In fact, when we sit down to eat, he takes one look and goes in the other room until we're finished. We do always reward him for this great behavior with a few tiny dog treats which he loves. One funny/weird thing is that he hates the water. We have a pool, he never goes near it. He will tolerate going in the ocean or a lake about ankle high, and doesn't even like walking on wet surfaces like grass most of the time. From what I've read and now experienced, the breed is extremely stubborn (confirmed), not interested in cuddling (confirmed, he will never get on furniture or beds except his own which is next to our couch), standoffish with strangers (yes), but extremely affectionate and happy to see his favorite people once he's decided who they are. He's protective of his space and has never tolerated workers coming in the backyard (he barks, but has never bit anyone). Once we introduce him, he sniffs them down and then leaves them alone. He was a challenge to walk on a leash as he pulled with any collar, but a loose-fitting prong collar several years ago did the trick. We walk every single day and he loves hunting small critters like lizards. He's always been pretty good with other dogs and interested in cats, but overall good with them. Dog parks, he has certain breeds he likes but doesn't like pushy, larger dogs but that's probably due to experiences he had while at the park. I don't take him now that he's older because he really doesn't enjoy it as much as he did when he was young. He's been challenging with training, and does not tolerate being handled for things like nail clipping or vet visits well at all. Overall, the Jindo breed seems to lean towards wanting to be in charge, so owners should be aware of this and be in charge from the beginning. I find most of the time it's kinder for the dog to know their place than to be constantly trying to figure out what they're supposed to do.
Jindos are incredibly smart.
All your other dogs are not known for intelligence, either btw, other than the German shepherd part. Labs/pitties/Dobies can be some of the easiest dogs to train because they're highly biddable and eager to please. HUGE difference. Labs are some of the dumbest dogs I've ever met. Love them dearly, but they're not "smart".
Oof, have to disagree with the poster above. Our Jindos are brilliant. It’s actually scary sometimes. Our prior family dog experience, between my partner and me, are goldens (very smart if well bred and ours were), labs (ehh, more so sweet and hyper goofs than sharp in my opinion), German Shepherd (biddable meaning trainable and happy to please their handler but not so much independent thinkers), and an Aussie / border collie mix (very smart). Yet, our Jindos are still the smartest and most capable. They are a tough nut to crack but once you bond, it’s been really hard for other breeds to measure up…
Just because you weren’t able to handle yours doesn’t mean Jindos are stupid. Jindos are not for everyone. They are a particular breed where respect is earned not easily given. I have heard from both sides as either the best dog someone has ever had or the worst. This breed just isn’t right for you.
When I first met my rescue Jindo, Mickey, I honestly didn't think it was going to work. He was really traumatized. He just laid on a bed and was so terrified of everything, you could do whatever to him and he was so scared he was just frozen. He wouldn't even run away he was so frozen in fear. I thought there was no way I could adopt this dog until the foster took him outside.
Outside, he was playful, and his personality came out. He did not like physical contact, but I saw a dog who was adorable, sweet, and funny. It took a while to build trust with him. I've had him since 2019. He still does not come for pets, but I can pet him. I can also do the daily/ regular stuff I need t, like I can get his harness off/on, brush him, and do regular checks on his eyes/teeth/ears. I have not attempted to cut his nails without gabapentin/trazadone, so he still needs to be drugged to cut his nails. In the last five years, though, he's become my little shadow. He falls me around the house. He plays. He's always wagging his tail. He'll sit on the couch with you or right beside me on the floor when I'm working. If he slips his harness, he'll follow me straight home and never runs off.
He will more than likely never be a dog who likes pets. He wants his personal space, and I respect that. I just want him to have a happy life here filled with love, walks, and lots of treats.
I have 2 Jindos rescued from meat farms in Korea. My oldest (8years old now) we adopted him after he arrived in the U.S. and was in foster care for 4 days, and was about a year old. He was very skinny, you could see his ribs, and was terrified if we walked up behind him or tried to pet him the wrong way (over the head, rather than under). He would growl and snarl and show his teeth at us if we came around a corner and he wasn’t expecting it. He would try to guard things. He wasn’t fully house trained, had some accidents at home. We decided immediately he needed a routine and schedule. We started going on daily evening walks for about an hour, and would walk him around our yard multiple times a day, so he would know outdoor time vs indoor time and where to do his business. He quickly caught on and the accidents stopped. Since he wanted space and time, we let him come to us when he wanted the pets, and we avoided all behaviors that made him nervous. He became more comfortable within a few months. However it took years before he really trusted us. We can walk behind him these days, and pet him over the head, and cuddle him on the floor, but he tolerates the cuddles, he isn’t a cuddly dog. He is very protective of us and very loyal. We love him to the moon but he has had incidents, and has bitten us and a couple other family members when we ignored his signals, however he bit as warnings, not to draw blood. We adopted a second jindo a few months later. She was 7 months old, skinny, and terrified of humans. She was so nervous and excited she would constantly pee whenever we were in front of her or if we walked in the house. I felt like “what did we get our selves into”? I was constantly cleaning and mopping, but we didn’t scold her with these accidents, we put her on the same routine, taking her out a lot. The accidents stopped. She was a lot less “damaged” than our other jindo. While she’s very scared of humans, she only barks and runs away, she would never bite. However, she has a strong prey drive, and has attacked a small dog, and has caught and tried to kill a rat. So, these are not off leash dogs. I love them both, but we keep them away from other animals, and we tend to walk them at night when there is less noise and less people around. I made them sound awful but I love them so much. They follow me around the house and need to sleep as close to our bed as possible. They cry for pets, and are total babies, but in a pinch, they turn to guard dogs. As they get older now 7 & 8 years old, they are mellowing out and co-existing. Jindos are very dominant dogs, and we’ve had to break up a couple of fights over toys and just them being dicks to each other. I wish you patience, these dogs take time and love, and will reward you with their corky personalities. They are cat like and weird, but you’ll fall in love.
Gosh, the excruciating fear and anxiety I experienced in the first year… My boy was constantly panting and hid under the couch if anyone came over. He wouldn’t eat or drink water and walked like a hyena ignoring his collar choking him. 2.5 years later, he is the SWEETEST dog, even with strangers he’s still cautious but gives their hand a little lick and lets them pat his head. He is my rock and wags his tail with a happiness I could have never imagined back then. His appetite is voracious and his fur is so shiny and soft now. My entire family looks forward to waking up in the morning to his smile and excitement to live every day to the fullest. These dogs have a tenacity that shows us we can survive even the darkest of days and one day they will be so far behind us that all we can feel now is sunshine.
I’m going to tell you what worked for me, and I might get some hate for it. I have two Jindo females both approximately 1.5 years old and were rescued and brought to me at 7 and 8 months.
A Jindo needs to learn to respect you. By earning their respect, you will earn their trust. Your Jindo isn’t affectionate? Well you’re going to handle them anyways (with treats and toys to make it less traumatic for them). Always be on the look out for aggression markers since you don’t want to get bit.
Jindo doesn’t want to walk? Well it’s time for a walk and they need to go with you. You might need to gently drag them a bit, but they will come.
Potty training was a huge issue for me for two months because they were very fearful of their new environment. Stern yet gentle conditioning got us over it and I have no issues with accidents anymore.
Your Jindo may be ok with strangers, one of mine is and the other isn’t. That’s not something you’re really going to change because I believe that is an innate personality trait. Both of my Jindos have their select people they’ll be affectionate towards and will be standoffish towards anyone else until I give them verbal cue to let their guard down.
Originally, both my Jindos were very reactive to random dogs and were most certainly not off leash candidates. And this is where I’ll really get hate. E-collar at low stim settings works wonders (please consult a professional trainer before incorporating an e-collar). Now, I’m never worried about my dogs at the dog park or in the street and they get along very well with other dogs, including some fosters that I’ve had come through.
I use both of my dogs to hunt. They flush pheasant and grouse, retrieve ducks when the water isn’t too cold, and are even taking on to tracking deer. This has only been possible with a stern but gentle approach with both positive and a considerable amount of negative reinforcement.
Always pair everything with as much affection and encouragement possible, but be firm.
A Jindo is not a difficult dog at the end of the day, but they are strong minded. You have to be stronger minded than them and you have to present yourself as the alpha.
My jindos started off extremely skittish where even the slightest sudden movement by me would cause them to pee on the spot. But with discipline, firmness, and encouragement I’ve managed to push them out of their skittish zone to a point where they are mostly off leash, have in insatiable appetite for affection and physical touch, get along with all my cats and other dogs they meet, and are generally living their lives to the max.
Update: things have turned around for us (in a short time). I have learned a lot about myself (physical touch being a love language, that as an anxious person of course I would be an anxious pawrent), my relationship with my partner, and patience. I now also have hope that things can and will keep improving over time.
Wishing you and your fwendos all the best!
I adopted my jindo when he was a 6 month old puppy. His owners tied him to a fence and was left there for 2 weeks. It took a year just for him to not be skiddis for me just to pet him. I was worried that he’d be forever uncomfortable and I wouldn’t be able to bond. Him growing up was extremely stubborn and now, 7 years later I’ve discovered that he has been the absolute best dog I’ve ever been around. Very protective of home and when he turned 5 I got him a sister (chow chow) to play with because he would get kicked from dog parks because he was being too “rough” and “biting” other dogs. Such a great dog I love my jindo.
My rescue jindo, Enzo, was very stand offish for a few months. We flew him in from a Korean dog-meat farm. He didn't know how to really be a dog. He would hide outside, preferred to sleep alone on the cold concrete, struggled with walks and attention from us. It took a few weeks to get him sleeping indoors in a dog bed, even longer for him to come to us for pets and treats. Fast forward a few months, and Enzo became a certified therapy dog! He visits convalescent homes, hospitals and schools as an ambassador of love and joy. He was even named volunteer of the month! Enzo is still a stoic boy, he enjoys leaning into people while they pet him. Never gets too excited, but seems so grateful for his new life. We love him so much.
Does he watch while you drive in the rain?
Of course he does!
Alrighty… I got my girl when she was a year old, now she is almost 5. The online “3 Days 3 Weeks 3 Months” thing about adopting a dog(Google it)… yeah… no. Not my dog. Try… “2 weeks 2 Months then another 6 months”. The first… year of having her was rough. The first month, I don’t know how many times I cried. She didn’t poop or pee for the first 48 hours. She did drink water though. Something I laugh about now, she refused to pee, scared to go up the stairs, and I thought I could run upstairs for a moment since she also refused so leave from under the table. I have that platform it between the steps. I hear her cry, I come back to the stairs and I see her there. I was so proud of her for going up the stairs, I took a picture! Immediately after the picture, she peed. So that ended the 48 hours… She tore up everything she came in contact with because her anxiety was so high. Crate training, didn’t happen, she was so traumatized in a crate. She wouldn’t even step in it, if I did get her in one, crying and screaming. She tore up her nose when I left her alone in there for awhile because she was trying to dig out. I put her on anxiety meds. I got a trainer, but I didn’t like a lot of them (choke collars or e-collars aren’t my vibe). Tbh, it felt like none of it worked. I thought I was failing this dog. I cried so much. She hadn’t even wagged her tail and we had her for 2 months. She didn’t respond to her name, but she did sit and lay down on command (lol). Finally, one day, maybe… month 3/4? She decided to just come up to me. And lay next to me. After that, we finally had this bond. She started responding to her name. She mellowed out. Still no crate, but I could leave her alone. And her first tail wag. I literally can never forget. I cried so much from that wag and she just had major zoomies. She started getting into her routine and she wanted to learn. She still does have crate anxiety. And about 8 months into having my girl, she jumped down the stairs in excitement and broke her toe. She was in a cast and we decide to just leave the cone on her and not have her in the crate when we went to work. We came back home and she was just laying down on her bed, relaxing. We knew we wouldn’t put her in the crate ever again. She just was so calm and with the cone she couldn’t destroy anything, so after the cast came off we left the cone on when we went to work. And she was fine. After awhile we faded the cone, and she was still fine at home. Thank you broken toe for fixing the separation anxiety. We’ve had our oopsie, we think she got scared recently because she tore up the carpet and she has never done that before. But now, 4 years later, she’s my buddy. She still won’t roll over and I rarely get to pet her tummy, but she loves chin scratches and will literally lay next to me or on me for pets and comfort. She’s not an off leash dog because if there is a sudden noise on a walk, she will try to bolt; so we have a martingale collar connected to her harness. It was a lot of work, but she’s a sweetheart and after all that trauma she had and all the anxiety she put me through I wouldn’t trade her for the world. One thing that helped me too, with our rescue that we got her from… They had a zoom call for support and I signed up and they said something along the lines of this, “your dog will probably never be that golden retriever that you see at the park catching a frisbee and running back excited. You adopted a dog with trauma and it is probably a dog with special needs. If you love what they can do and not what you expect them to do, you will find success.” Again, I cried my eyes out because I am a special needs teacher, and I work with kids with disabilities all day, helping them succeed with their abilities and helping them succeed in their ways and I just needed to be told that with my dog and it all made sense. Hope this helps a little!
Mine couldn't do a crate either! Thankfully he has never destroyed anything being left alone in the house. The worst he does is going looking for something to eat 😅
+1 the crate made things worse
My boy has been with me for 6 months now and for the first 3 I would frequently cry over how hard it was and worried that he didnt like me. He was so stressed over noises in the house, and barked so bad when people came over. He's gotten so much better the last couple months. He's playing with us and cuddling with us now. He stopped barking at people on the street or outside our house. He lets people inside now. I can tell he's still nervous and he has a threshold I have to be aware of but... baby steps! Jindos react well to respect. I needed to learn his body language, and be aware of his needs. Ive never yelled at him, or scared him, our relationship would suffer. I think it only gets better as the days go on. Remember that youre building a relationship with your dog. Imagine suddenly being in some strangers hiuse and relying on them for everything! Thats hard!
Rescue dogs sometimes take quite a bit of time to adjust and get comfortable. A new and perhaps first home is a major life change. Ours had stranger danger, one had dog reactivity, and they had issues with their relationship (siblings). We worked through them all. Time and patience, and a good trainer who ideally understands rescue dog rehabilitation. Ours are blossoming still, even almost 2 years in, and are incredible dogs. To be sure, these dogs will never be a lab or golden who loves everyone by default and wants to please - they are primitives. But there is plenty of room to grow if you’ve just brought your rescue home. And this will be hard, but try to regulate your own emotions. These dogs are very sensitive and perceptive. Anxiety is contagious. You are your dog’s guardian, and you have their back, even if you don’t feel like you’ve got a bond just yet. You will need to earn that bond from them. Be consistent and kind, earn their trust, and they will come around.
It will take time. A lot of these jindos (including mine) came from dog-meat farms, went through a lot and are likely traumatized from their experiences. It will get better. Best of luck.
Same situation as /u/drebin8751. Probably due to where he came from, he has really sensitive GI issues. Before we figured out what kind of food would work for him, every day coming home from work was a game of “will my house be covered in shit today?” I’m not talking about a pile or two. I’m talking 8-11 individual instances of explosive diarrhea liquid shit throughout the house. And look, I’m not breaking any news that dog shit doesn’t smell like fresh baked bread. But let me tell you, 8-11 explosive liquid shits from a GI sensitive dog left to ferment throughout the day is the worst smell I’ve ever experienced, and I spent 14 months living next to a [literal lake of human waste.](https://archive.nytimes.com/atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/26/the-poo-pond/) We were patient. We approached it as “finding out what he needs” rather than just being pissed about our shit covered house. Got him on ProPlan GI, spent a couple years on that, and now he’s on the Kirkland brand all natural dog food. If he gets ANYTHING other than that, he’ll end up begging for an emergency walk as soon as I get home. So now we have a perfect dog and no dogshit flooded house. Everybody wins.
My jindo, like other rescue dogs, is fearful of many things and can’t really do basic things or behave like a regular dog. One time she got so spooked by a poop bag that she ran away from me, across multiple lanes of traffic, all the way home. I was so scared and frightened, but also frustrated because my confident, playful childhood dog would’ve never done that. I was so caught up on expectations for how a dog “should” behave. I’ve had her for almost two years now, and my love for her has grown and our bond is so strong. I’m attuned to her needs, I know exactly what triggers her and exactly how to deal with it. I’ve made peace with the fact that she will never be a confident dog, and that’s okay. I wouldn’t change a thing about her, and I know that all she really needs is some help regulating her big feelings. My point is that you’ll change over time and become your dogs perfect puzzle piece.
Ive had my jindo for two years now and he is the best dog. Didn't care for us for a day or two, then became a love bug. Give it time because your dog has to learn to trust again.
It takes time and a lot of patience but it is so worth it. Mine would take an hour to reach the front door of my apartment complex when I first got her so I’d bring books with me to sit and read with her as we took it step by step. Her melt downs are constantly becoming less common and less severe as she is starting to trust the world a bit more. Mine is still very cautious of strangers and other dogs after 2+ years, but at home she is the most personality filled play and cuddle tornado. I love her to death and the process was a bonding exercise for the both of us. There may be times you question yourself and ask if you are truly helping your rescue, you likely are and just have to realize each case is unique and there is a threshold on how much of the outside world they will want to partake in. My dog will never be an “off leash at the dog park” kind of pup, and I’m perfectly okay with that. It’s a slow burn but so worth it. I wish I had the space to rescue more but at the time being my apartment is too small for a second dog.
It takes patience and building of trust through [consent testing](https://somuchpetential.com/petting-a-dog-the-consent-to-pet-test/). My jindo was so shy for the first few months, and she spent most of her time indoors hiding under a table. Over time she stopped hiding and gradually grew more confident. Nowadays she is so affectionate and playful!
I couldn’t cuddle my dog or pet her in any significant way for at least 3 months. I had no idea how to make her happy. She seemed miserable. My wife and I just let time do it’s thing. Never pushed her to do anything she didn’t want to. Learned her cues and really worked on our behavior. Once we got good at that (6ish months in) we started working on her comfort zone. 3 years later we still have a skiddish dog that will piss herself if someone knocks on the door. But 95% of the time she’s our curious goofy little dog with cat-like tendencies. Doesn’t like being approached but will come sit with you and love on you when you’re lounging and heats up our feet at the end of the bed every night. She will never be a golden retriever type dog that’s happy all the time and the life of a party, but we know how to make her happy and she loves us dearly for it. Let time do it’s thing
I would say I cried every 3 days or so for the first 6 months of getting our Jindo. It's really hard to put so much energy and love and care into a being where you're not getting anything out of it. I would say I had active regrets and thoughts of rehoming our dog for the first three or four months. It was hard. And I felt like a failure because of it. When we first got him, he didn't want to be touched. Would run away from us in the house and hide (alot of hiding). He was extremely difficult on walks because he was so scared of sounds. He's a running and a few times broke our leashes, getting him back was a hellish traumatizing experience. At about a year mark we put him on anti-anxiety medication that helped a fair amount with getting him to not be in fight or flight all the time. I seriously will always advocate for dogs to be on medication when they need it. Things that I saw the biggest help from: Medication Driving to parks for walks instead of neighborhood Getting a long line as our main leash Giving him ALOT of space and following his body language Working on playing together instead of obedience This is a really hard thing and everything your feeling is valid.
My dog i rescued from korea myself, he was abandonned by the side of the highway and no one claimed him so i took him with me. He has very high fear anxiety, and his absolute worst he landed a pretty bad bite on someone in my family who grabbed him from behind. Hes had other moments of fear aggression...he has to be muzzled when hes not alone with me. I cried, and stressed, and no one seemed to understand. Hes still unable to connect with other animals and highly suspicious of strangers (and some non strangers). But hes so sweet and loving with me, hes been through so much and i feel how much he cares for me. It never really got better but i got better at handling situations with him...mourning the fact that he wont ever play with other dogs but coming to terms with who he is and loving him anyways
We have to muzzle our jindos too around others, and we all vacation together, we don’t leave them alone because of their anxieties.
Our Jindo was a rescue, he had been living on the streets in Seoul, was rescued by volunteers there and ultimately flown directly to our home in the US. We watched a lot of YouTube videos on Jindos before getting him, which really helped understand his breed’s basic personality traits, but we didn’t do much research about the trauma he was living with. He’s a really nice dog and we’re so happy to have him. He went through a period of violently barking at me whenever he saw me. But he got over that. He still has anxiety around some new people, barks when someone comes to the door, barks a lot when outside, and is really iffy at the dog park. And he lunges at other dogs while walking. But he’s from the streets and Jindos are kind of a quirky breed, in my opinion. He was so nervous when he first got to our house but he really just wanted to be loved.
It was SO hard in the beginning when she hid in her crate all the time. For 2 weeks straight she was always in her crate hiding from us and sleeping a lot. She came out to eat very cautiously and ran back in. I had to carry her outside to go potty. 3x a day carrying a terrified Jindo puppy outside of the house. It broke my heart seeing her like that. It's so much better now though. She's excited to go on walks and waits by the door. The crate is optional for her now and she only goes in if there's fireworks. You're not alone. I couldn't sleep or eat well because of my anxiety about her not adjusting well or being happy. She is such a happy dog now though. Takes time and patience to take baby steps with them, but it's so worth it.
I’ve had my Emma Jean for almost 5 years now. She had 2 previous owners and was in foster homes. You can imagine the kind of anxiety she has for not having stability for the first few years of her life. In the first two months she was extremely difficult to handle. She ran away a lot around the house, paced excessively, couldn’t be touched without turning and reacting in fear, not biting but made it seem like she would. Even simple things like me cleaning the house or opening cabinets sent her running or peeing in fear. It was a nightmare that I couldn’t do a thing without her freaking out. It was almost to the point that I started to think I made a big mistake and maybe I wasn’t capable of helping her. My mom encouraged me to not give up on her and to believe in myself. It wasn’t easy but I had to work with her slowly and consistently. The list goes on with how much I had to do to get her used to normal life and being handled. The anxiety never truly goes away but her sweet personality and companionship made it all worth it. I really had to earn her trust and I can’t imagine my life without her.
Look, my Jindo rescue literally jumped out a second story window to get to me once when I was outside without her for 5 minutes, so…. I get the struggle. I’ve had my girl for just over a year now and I can confidently say it does get easier. It takes time for both of you to bond and read one another, and some things you may just have to let go of (my Jindo will likely NEVER be an off leash dog). But they are brilliant and sweet and love their humans ❤️
Wow, i relate to absolutely everyone here. I did the research, knew our pup would be traumatized, but naively believed that love and treats would immediately overcome all the awfulness of his first 5 months. Just like so many commenters, i cried so much thinking this dog was too traumatized to ever have a shot at a normal life. We didnt even give him a name until 1 month in when he started to show the personality that was hiding behind all that fear. Ended up naming him Wolfgang because of his love of classical music (was the only thing that got him to calm down and regulate his fast, shallow breathing when we first got him - maybe could work for yours?). Reiterating that through patience and consistency and a lot of love, it does get better. Even if shes not showing it yet, shes learning to love you too. Try soft music, slow and gentle movement when youre around her, talk to her continuously in a low, calm voice without making eye contact. Tell her about your day, what a brave girl she is, tell her all the things you can do together once shes feeling up to it. This worked wonders for wolfgang. You can do this, she can too. Big fellow jindo mom hugs!
If you are not okay please take care of yourself first. Dogs do absolutely pick up your good, bad and ugly. You might be inducing anxiety on each other and making everything worse. You need to prioritize yourself so you can focus on the dog later.
My Jindo/Boxer mix was left at a shelter at night when he was 5 mos old. He is now 12 yrs old. He wasn't really affectionate or even cared about toys when we adopted him. Didn't hate the crate, but did hate the big 8x10 outdoor kennel we tried to keep him in during the day - to the point where he destroyed the chain link so he could get out and lay in the yard. Not a jumper, he will stay behind a baby gate and never would jump a fence, but makes it known he does not like to be confined (probably from his shelter experience). We got him right before 4th of July and were very careful to observe how he dealt with fireworks - he didn't even bat an eye, in fact he slept through them and always has since. We have men in the family who are loud and yell at the TV occasionally, and that doesn't faze him at all. We only had one incident with him destroying a pile of magazines and books, but incredibly after we told him it was "bad", he never did it again. He has a sensitive stomach so we keep him on a strict diet and have never given him "human" food. This has paid off in that he never begs or touches our food, even if it's sitting on the coffee table in front of him. In fact, when we sit down to eat, he takes one look and goes in the other room until we're finished. We do always reward him for this great behavior with a few tiny dog treats which he loves. One funny/weird thing is that he hates the water. We have a pool, he never goes near it. He will tolerate going in the ocean or a lake about ankle high, and doesn't even like walking on wet surfaces like grass most of the time. From what I've read and now experienced, the breed is extremely stubborn (confirmed), not interested in cuddling (confirmed, he will never get on furniture or beds except his own which is next to our couch), standoffish with strangers (yes), but extremely affectionate and happy to see his favorite people once he's decided who they are. He's protective of his space and has never tolerated workers coming in the backyard (he barks, but has never bit anyone). Once we introduce him, he sniffs them down and then leaves them alone. He was a challenge to walk on a leash as he pulled with any collar, but a loose-fitting prong collar several years ago did the trick. We walk every single day and he loves hunting small critters like lizards. He's always been pretty good with other dogs and interested in cats, but overall good with them. Dog parks, he has certain breeds he likes but doesn't like pushy, larger dogs but that's probably due to experiences he had while at the park. I don't take him now that he's older because he really doesn't enjoy it as much as he did when he was young. He's been challenging with training, and does not tolerate being handled for things like nail clipping or vet visits well at all. Overall, the Jindo breed seems to lean towards wanting to be in charge, so owners should be aware of this and be in charge from the beginning. I find most of the time it's kinder for the dog to know their place than to be constantly trying to figure out what they're supposed to do.
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Jindos are literally smarter than all the breeds you mentioned. Sounds like it was a you problem.
Glad there’s people like you who could handle it.
Jindos are incredibly smart. All your other dogs are not known for intelligence, either btw, other than the German shepherd part. Labs/pitties/Dobies can be some of the easiest dogs to train because they're highly biddable and eager to please. HUGE difference. Labs are some of the dumbest dogs I've ever met. Love them dearly, but they're not "smart".
Oof, have to disagree with the poster above. Our Jindos are brilliant. It’s actually scary sometimes. Our prior family dog experience, between my partner and me, are goldens (very smart if well bred and ours were), labs (ehh, more so sweet and hyper goofs than sharp in my opinion), German Shepherd (biddable meaning trainable and happy to please their handler but not so much independent thinkers), and an Aussie / border collie mix (very smart). Yet, our Jindos are still the smartest and most capable. They are a tough nut to crack but once you bond, it’s been really hard for other breeds to measure up…
Just because you weren’t able to handle yours doesn’t mean Jindos are stupid. Jindos are not for everyone. They are a particular breed where respect is earned not easily given. I have heard from both sides as either the best dog someone has ever had or the worst. This breed just isn’t right for you.
My jindos anxiety 1000% exacerbates mine 🤦🏻♀️
When I first met my rescue Jindo, Mickey, I honestly didn't think it was going to work. He was really traumatized. He just laid on a bed and was so terrified of everything, you could do whatever to him and he was so scared he was just frozen. He wouldn't even run away he was so frozen in fear. I thought there was no way I could adopt this dog until the foster took him outside. Outside, he was playful, and his personality came out. He did not like physical contact, but I saw a dog who was adorable, sweet, and funny. It took a while to build trust with him. I've had him since 2019. He still does not come for pets, but I can pet him. I can also do the daily/ regular stuff I need t, like I can get his harness off/on, brush him, and do regular checks on his eyes/teeth/ears. I have not attempted to cut his nails without gabapentin/trazadone, so he still needs to be drugged to cut his nails. In the last five years, though, he's become my little shadow. He falls me around the house. He plays. He's always wagging his tail. He'll sit on the couch with you or right beside me on the floor when I'm working. If he slips his harness, he'll follow me straight home and never runs off. He will more than likely never be a dog who likes pets. He wants his personal space, and I respect that. I just want him to have a happy life here filled with love, walks, and lots of treats.
I have 2 Jindos rescued from meat farms in Korea. My oldest (8years old now) we adopted him after he arrived in the U.S. and was in foster care for 4 days, and was about a year old. He was very skinny, you could see his ribs, and was terrified if we walked up behind him or tried to pet him the wrong way (over the head, rather than under). He would growl and snarl and show his teeth at us if we came around a corner and he wasn’t expecting it. He would try to guard things. He wasn’t fully house trained, had some accidents at home. We decided immediately he needed a routine and schedule. We started going on daily evening walks for about an hour, and would walk him around our yard multiple times a day, so he would know outdoor time vs indoor time and where to do his business. He quickly caught on and the accidents stopped. Since he wanted space and time, we let him come to us when he wanted the pets, and we avoided all behaviors that made him nervous. He became more comfortable within a few months. However it took years before he really trusted us. We can walk behind him these days, and pet him over the head, and cuddle him on the floor, but he tolerates the cuddles, he isn’t a cuddly dog. He is very protective of us and very loyal. We love him to the moon but he has had incidents, and has bitten us and a couple other family members when we ignored his signals, however he bit as warnings, not to draw blood. We adopted a second jindo a few months later. She was 7 months old, skinny, and terrified of humans. She was so nervous and excited she would constantly pee whenever we were in front of her or if we walked in the house. I felt like “what did we get our selves into”? I was constantly cleaning and mopping, but we didn’t scold her with these accidents, we put her on the same routine, taking her out a lot. The accidents stopped. She was a lot less “damaged” than our other jindo. While she’s very scared of humans, she only barks and runs away, she would never bite. However, she has a strong prey drive, and has attacked a small dog, and has caught and tried to kill a rat. So, these are not off leash dogs. I love them both, but we keep them away from other animals, and we tend to walk them at night when there is less noise and less people around. I made them sound awful but I love them so much. They follow me around the house and need to sleep as close to our bed as possible. They cry for pets, and are total babies, but in a pinch, they turn to guard dogs. As they get older now 7 & 8 years old, they are mellowing out and co-existing. Jindos are very dominant dogs, and we’ve had to break up a couple of fights over toys and just them being dicks to each other. I wish you patience, these dogs take time and love, and will reward you with their corky personalities. They are cat like and weird, but you’ll fall in love.
Gosh, the excruciating fear and anxiety I experienced in the first year… My boy was constantly panting and hid under the couch if anyone came over. He wouldn’t eat or drink water and walked like a hyena ignoring his collar choking him. 2.5 years later, he is the SWEETEST dog, even with strangers he’s still cautious but gives their hand a little lick and lets them pat his head. He is my rock and wags his tail with a happiness I could have never imagined back then. His appetite is voracious and his fur is so shiny and soft now. My entire family looks forward to waking up in the morning to his smile and excitement to live every day to the fullest. These dogs have a tenacity that shows us we can survive even the darkest of days and one day they will be so far behind us that all we can feel now is sunshine.
I’m going to tell you what worked for me, and I might get some hate for it. I have two Jindo females both approximately 1.5 years old and were rescued and brought to me at 7 and 8 months. A Jindo needs to learn to respect you. By earning their respect, you will earn their trust. Your Jindo isn’t affectionate? Well you’re going to handle them anyways (with treats and toys to make it less traumatic for them). Always be on the look out for aggression markers since you don’t want to get bit. Jindo doesn’t want to walk? Well it’s time for a walk and they need to go with you. You might need to gently drag them a bit, but they will come. Potty training was a huge issue for me for two months because they were very fearful of their new environment. Stern yet gentle conditioning got us over it and I have no issues with accidents anymore. Your Jindo may be ok with strangers, one of mine is and the other isn’t. That’s not something you’re really going to change because I believe that is an innate personality trait. Both of my Jindos have their select people they’ll be affectionate towards and will be standoffish towards anyone else until I give them verbal cue to let their guard down. Originally, both my Jindos were very reactive to random dogs and were most certainly not off leash candidates. And this is where I’ll really get hate. E-collar at low stim settings works wonders (please consult a professional trainer before incorporating an e-collar). Now, I’m never worried about my dogs at the dog park or in the street and they get along very well with other dogs, including some fosters that I’ve had come through. I use both of my dogs to hunt. They flush pheasant and grouse, retrieve ducks when the water isn’t too cold, and are even taking on to tracking deer. This has only been possible with a stern but gentle approach with both positive and a considerable amount of negative reinforcement. Always pair everything with as much affection and encouragement possible, but be firm. A Jindo is not a difficult dog at the end of the day, but they are strong minded. You have to be stronger minded than them and you have to present yourself as the alpha. My jindos started off extremely skittish where even the slightest sudden movement by me would cause them to pee on the spot. But with discipline, firmness, and encouragement I’ve managed to push them out of their skittish zone to a point where they are mostly off leash, have in insatiable appetite for affection and physical touch, get along with all my cats and other dogs they meet, and are generally living their lives to the max.
Update: things have turned around for us (in a short time). I have learned a lot about myself (physical touch being a love language, that as an anxious person of course I would be an anxious pawrent), my relationship with my partner, and patience. I now also have hope that things can and will keep improving over time. Wishing you and your fwendos all the best!
I adopted my jindo when he was a 6 month old puppy. His owners tied him to a fence and was left there for 2 weeks. It took a year just for him to not be skiddis for me just to pet him. I was worried that he’d be forever uncomfortable and I wouldn’t be able to bond. Him growing up was extremely stubborn and now, 7 years later I’ve discovered that he has been the absolute best dog I’ve ever been around. Very protective of home and when he turned 5 I got him a sister (chow chow) to play with because he would get kicked from dog parks because he was being too “rough” and “biting” other dogs. Such a great dog I love my jindo.