Pungsan dog

Pungsan

Pungsan dogs
Other names	Phungsan Poongsan
Origin	North Korea
Breed status	Not recognized as a standardized breed by any major kennel club.
Domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris)

The Pungsan or Poongsan (Chosongul: 풍산개; Hanja: 豊山개) is a breed of hunting dog from North Korea. It receives its name from the mountainous northern county of Pungsan, now Kimhyŏnggwŏn, where the dogs were first bred. It is a very rare breed of dog, hardly known outside North Korea.

Appearance

The Pungsan is a breed found in North Korea. Pungsan dogs have a thick coat, usually white in color. They are known for their characteristic bark, which sounds like a chicken laying an egg. They have a curled tail and pricked ears. The Pungsan's fur is very fine and thick to account for the cold winters in the northern Korean peninsula. The Pungsan is a common breed in North Korea. Though this breed is extremely rare outside of North Korea, there are a few breeders in South Korea and even in the United States.

Pungsan dogs are very strong and agile because of their past in mountainous regions. They have traditionally been used for hunting large animals, including Amur tigers. They have a lot of stamina and therefore require extensive exercise.

Due to their hunting personality, Pungsan pups will have a tendency to chew on several things so it is recommendable to give the dog things to chew.

Pungsan tend to be loyal to their owners and people with whom they are comfortable. They will ignore everyone else, unless they invade what the dogs regard as their own space or territory. They will only bark at other people when it is necessary to do so. However, due to the breed still being closely linked to the wolf, aggression and a high prey drive are typical and to be expected.

History

Though the origins of the Pungsan dog are not known, it is believed they were bred as hunting dogs as early as the Joseon dynasty. It is known that they originated in the mountainous north of Korea in Pungsan county (now known as Kimhyŏnggwŏn.) Their thick coat is a protection against the freezing temperatures of northern Korea, and they were bred to be resistant to the cold. In old Korean tales, the dogs were famous for their cleverness and loyalty, as well as their hunting ability; there is even a famous story of a Pungsan defeating a Siberian tiger.

See also

• Korean Jindo Dog
• Sapsali
• Korean Mastiff
• Nureongi

External links

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