Keep a tight grip on the leash. Not only are Jindo dogs fast to chase prey, but they can also spazz and run when exposed to thunder, fireworks, or (in Mochi’s case) high stress trigger sounds for rescues. Though they are known in Korean culture to always return home, if you’ve followed Mochi’s runaway story you’ll understand my skepticism. You'll notice Jindos can be wiggly and will pull strongly on leash. We recommend this harness, which has been the best for Mochi's pulling habits.
Let your Jindo lead you. On our daily walks and runs, Mochi loves leading the way. It’s helpful in letting him dispel his need to roam and monitor his territory. I only recommend this if you have a regular routine of walking or running for a specific amount of time. Otherwise, you may end up going on a never ending adventure! We like taking Mochi to new parts of the neighborhood and try to keep it interesting by switching directions of our walks. You'll notice they find their favorite spots to regularly mark!
Make exercise a routine. It can be quite a pain to have Mochi stop our runs to pee on all of his spots so he’s now trained to wait. We have made it a habit to run with him in the mornings and run him to the dog park and back. Now that we’ve incorporated a positive reinforcement like going to the dog park and running without pitstops, he has learned to save it for the dog park. We also have him skate with us, which he loves! He associates running with the sound of our skateboards and keeps a faster pace.
Play tag. When we take Mochi to the dog park, he loves being chased by other dogs. We soon realized we can play tag with him, though we’re always the ones who are ‘it’. It helps us wear out his energy and connect in a way that he truly appreciates. If you’re working on off leash training, it’s helpful to have a queue to end the chase game. Yes, this may get them used to a never ending game of being chased, but we've found it's his natural form of play. Otherwise all he wants to do is sniff and pee on things!
Jindo dogs are well adapted to domestic life. They are happy going on 10-30 minute walks multiple times a day, and enjoy a regular exercise schedule. This makes them excellent apartment dogs, as long as they get outside to expand and explore their territory every day. Due to their high prey drive, extreme caution and training is recommended in trusting a Jindo off leash. Naturally, they are drawn to expanding their territories. Expect plenty of stops on walks for marking and sniffs as they love to investigate. Jindo can keep up with most long distance hikes depending on the temperature outside. Though they aren’t naturally drawn to fetch, some Jindo can be taught to do so.
Tips for Exercising Your Jindo
