Pungsan Dog — size comparison

The Pungsan is a strongly built Korean dog with erect ears, dense hair and a tail carried over its back. White colouring is most familiar. It has a compact body and powerful legs, resembling northern spitz dogs. Its coat suits the colder climate of its mountainous origins.

Its name refers to Pungsan in the northern Korean Peninsula. Local people used the dogs for hunting, with selection favouring endurance and independent work in difficult terrain. Later breeding efforts focused on preserving the native population. Its earliest history is much less documented than its cultural importance in Korea.

It is alert and determined and readily investigates its surroundings. Strong game interest may accompany considerable independence while travelling. It can be attached to familiar people while assessing strangers and new situations from a distance. Accounts of courage refer chiefly to its working tradition, not identical behaviour in every dog.

Measurement sources

• Encyklopedia kultury koreańskiej — opis pungsana