Pointy-eared,.. and short-haired,... Jindo dogs are considered a symbol of Korea. <br />Tracing back the history of the breed,... a team of local researchers says they've found the Jindo's genetic roots.<br />Park Se-young has more. <br /> With a strong jaw and stocky build, Korean Jindo dogs are brave and loyal to their owners.<br />The breed, which originated on Jindo Island, is also extremely smart and capable of learning even complicated commands quickly.<br />The Donggyeong dog, indigenous to Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, looks similar to Jindos, but with a short or no tail.<br />Korean canine breeds were long said to have Chinese or Japanese roots, but researchers have proved that claim to be false.<br /> According to the Rural Development Administration's DNA analysis of nearly 23-hundred dogs belonging to 33 different breeds, the three iconic Korean breeds - Jindo, Donggyeong and Pungsan - all shared the wolf and coyote as common ancestors.<br />They were found to have more wild genes than huskies and malamutes, commonly described as wolf dogs. <br />The Pungsan breed resembled wolves the most, while the Jindo possessed the fewest similarities of the three.<br />The researchers used a specially designed chip that records the genetic data of each dog to reveal the genetic identity of Korean breeds for the first time.<br /><br /> "Hopefully, sharing our findings with organizations like the FCI will make our country's dogs internationally recognized."<br /><br /> In order to preserve Korea's native dogs, the RDA highlighted the need to reverse the trend of a dwindling population of Pungsan and Donggyeong dogs.<br />Park Se-young, Arirang News. <br />
