Jeju Dog
A medium Korean island breed once used to hunt roe deer on Jeju, nearly lost in the twentieth century and rebuilt through a provincial conservation programme. Independent, high-drive, and very hard to obtain.
- Weight
- 15–20 kg
- Lifespan
- 12–15 years
Weight and lifespan are reference ranges from the breed guide. They vary by sex, lineage and individual dog and do not predict your dog’s ideal weight or lifespan. Read the care descriptions alongside the individual dog’s history.
Background and characteristics
The Jeju Dog is native to Jeju Island off Korea's southern coast, where it hunted roe deer and pheasant and guarded the household. The population collapsed in the second half of the twentieth century and came close to disappearing entirely; a recovery effort led from the 1980s by Jeju National University and the provincial livestock institute preserved the line. Placements still run through that programme in small numbers, so acquiring one means joining a queue rather than choosing a breeder.
Adults stand roughly 45 to 55 cm and weigh 15 to 20 kg, usually with prick ears and a short fawn or yellow double coat. The breed is not FCI-recognised.
Temperament and living together
Working ahead of hunters over rough volcanic terrain produced an enduring, self-directed dog. Jeju Dogs are quiet and deeply attached at home and reserved with strangers, watching rather than greeting. Training rewards short, high-value sessions; repeated commands get ignored.
Exercise and play
Exercise runs to sixty to ninety minutes daily across two outings, plus fifteen to twenty minutes of scent work. Prey drive is real, so a leash or a secure fence is non-negotiable, and fences need attention at ground level because this breed digs.
Coat and everyday care
Grooming is easy. Brush the short double coat once or twice a week, daily for two to three weeks during seasonal shedding; no trimming, and little odour.
Home environment and care planning
The practical difficulties are socialisation and support. Wariness sets early, so puppies need broad exposure to people, dogs and urban noise before four months — yet almost no trainer or vet outside Korea has handled the breed, and even inside Korea experience is thin. Line up advice before the dog arrives.
Health is generally robust, but with a small founder population it is worth asking how the programme manages genetic diversity, alongside the usual checks on hips and patellas.