The Jing Gou is a large, formidable magical beast native to China. Described in the screenplay for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald as a striped, canine-like creature, its visual depiction in the film adaptation is more feline, resembling a large, muscular tiger. The primary known ability of the Jing Gou is its use as a highly effective security measure. They are stationed within the French Ministry of Magic to guard sensitive areas, specifically the ancestral records room which contains the Lestrange family tree. They are capable of magically sensing or “detecting the unworthy,” preventing unauthorized individuals from passing (Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald). Despite their intimidating presence and dangerous role, they retain some canine instincts; Newt Scamander was able to distract a pack of them with a simple squeaking toy, demonstrating a degree of playfulness or susceptibility to mundane diversions (Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald).
The Jing Gou is not mentioned in the original seven Harry Potter novels. Its only known appearance occurs during the events of 1927. In their attempt to retrieve the Lestrange family records from the French Ministry of Magic, Newt Scamander and Tina Goldstein encountered several Jing Gou guarding the entrance to the records room. While the beasts initially posed a significant threat, blocking their path, Newt successfully bypassed them by tossing a squeaking toy, which immediately captured the creatures' attention and allowed the pair to slip past unnoticed (Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald).
The name “Jing Gou” is of Chinese origin.
Combined, the name can be interpreted as “Spirit Dog” or “Essence Dog,” which reflects its role as a magical guardian beast with supernatural senses.