Native Dogs- National Treasure

There are four native Korean dogs designated as Korea's natural monument.

Korean Jindo Dog
- medium sized hunting dong known for bravery and loyalty
             - in 1991, Baekgu, a Jindo dog, returned to its original owner over seven months later after being sold and transported over 300km (this story was made into cartoons, documentaries and books)
- very well-known/popular in Korea
- marched out during the opening ceremony of the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul


Photo Source: BarkPost

Poong-san Dog
- large sized hunting dog that has thick fur (has wolves in its ancestry)
- strong, loyal, aggressive (once used to hunt large animals such as tigers)
- common breed in North Korea

Photo Source: PetPaw

Sapsal Dog
- medium sized
- loyal, energetic, intelligent, gentle
- nickname is 'ghost dog' because it was believed that these dogs drive away ghosts
- Nearly went extinct during Japanese colonial rule as they were killed for their fur which was used to make winter coats for soldiers in Manchuria

Photo Source: DogBreedsList

Donggyeong Dog
- probably the least known dog breed out of the four
- medium sized hunting dog that looks like the Jindo dog
- distinctive feature is that it has either a bobtail or no tail
- has the oldest history out of all the Korean native dogs
- massacred during Japanese colonial rule becaused it resembled Japan's guardian of shrines and temples and also because it was considered to bring "bad luck" as it had no tail

Photo Source: Heritage Channel TV