Portuguese Podengo

The Portuguese Podengo, or Portuguese Warren Hound, is a hunting dog from Portugal. It comes in three sizes, small (pequeno), medium (médio) and large (grande), which are not bred with one another.

History

In the Middle Ages, hunting dogs in Portugal were known together as Podengos de Mostra. Dogs of this kind also sailed on Portuguese caravels, where they killed rats.

The Podengo began to be recognized as a single, consistent breed in the early 20th century. The standard for the large variety dates from 1953.

Appearance

According to the breed standard, the large Podengo stands 55 to 70 cm at the withers and weighs 20 to 30 kg. The medium stands 40 to 54 cm and weighs 16 to 20 kg. The small stands 20 to 30 cm and weighs 4 to 6 kg.

The coat is either short and smooth or longer and wiry. The smooth coat is the traditional one. The wire coat came from other breeds absorbed into the Podengo during the 20th century.

Temperament

The Podengo is keen on game of any size. The large variety is used mainly on hare, alone or as a pair, and may also run down deer. The medium and small varieties usually hunt rabbit in packs, though they can work alone.

Facts on this page were checked against Wikipedia and may have changed since.