Note: Santo is in foster care in NYC.
Santo was found on the streets in a small village, Paju Korea when he was a wee little polar bear. He later stayed in a shelter in Korea with many other dogs until his arrival in NYC.

Santo is a very sweet and affectionate puppy. But the keyword is: “puppy”. He is very energetic and still has many typical puppy personality traits, so he will require an owner who can help him put his best paw forward with positive reinforcement. He is very smart and a quick thinker, and picks up new concepts without a second thought. Being both smart and food motivated helps with his training, but speaking of food, he does attempt to eat random food/objects off the floor and is learning to “leave it”. When he wants something, he has an expressive, playful bark.

Santo is an extremely sweet and affectionate puppy. However, (again, being a puppy), he does playfully nip when he wants something. While he is learning to be calm in the presence of humans, we would not recommend a home with children. Although he is a little shy with strangers, it also doesn’t take him long to warm up. When first meeting strangers, he generally keeps his distance and when given treats, learns they are not a threat.

With other dogs, he is still learning about hierarchy and boundaries. He currently lives with another 5 year old Jindo and generally does well following him. However, Santo sometimes likes to put on his “big boy pants” and attempt to be assertive and dominant. When his foster brother gives him a warning, he needs a few warnings before finally deciding to back off. He will also attempt to take other dog’s treats, toys, or beds. Because he is still learning about hierarchy and boundaries, he would be best in a household as the only dog, or with a submissive, non-reactive older dog he could mirror and learn from.

As he is currently still settling into his foster home, Santo gets a little anxious when his humans are not home. When left alone, he has a heightened sense of hearing and will bark. However, we believe this will get better once he gets used to his new environment. That being said, he gets along well with the resident dog when home alone and is not destructive. His current potty schedule is every 2-3 hours depending on his water consumption, which he does outside in the yard. He does not use pee pads.

Outdoors, he walks well on leash for the most part. He walks better when alone versus a pack walk where he has a greater tendency to pull. This is mostly due to his curiosity and excitement when seeing other dogs. He will pull to try to get closer to them or bark to get their attention. He will also pull when scared or triggered – some things he is scared of on his walk are loud cars, trucks, construction sites, and trash bags. However, he is mostly indifferent to humans passing by but gets a bit anxious when it appears human strangers are walking directly towards him.

He does not get car sick, but does have anxiety during car rides (although he does not poop/pee in the car). This would require some desensitization and counterconditioning to get him used to riding in the car.

Being a Jindo, Santo has a prey drive and will attempt to chase squirrels/rats or birds. He does not have experience with cats, but due to his prey drive he will likely not do well in a home with resident cats.

Santo is a typical puppy, but very smart and a fast learner. Although he still has some puppy behaviors he is working on, he has a lot of potential with the right guidance.