Podengo are always alert and know what’s happening around them. They are not overly friendly towards strangers and will be wary, but not aggressive, around them. Children are not a problem for a Podengo if they have been socialised from an early age. They are independent dogs who make loyal companions. Podengo have been hunting dogs for at least 2,000 years and this is reflected in their character and temperament. A solid white Podengo is not considered to conform to the breed standard. Patches of black or brown hair are acceptable but considered undesirable. As a result, wire coat Podengos often have beards.įinally, the coat can come in a couple of different colours! However, the hair is rougher and stands out from the body. Although the coat is described as smooth, the hair itself is not soft or silky.Ī wire coat is often less dense than a smooth coat. For example, less than 1000 are present in the USA of which most are Pequeno with wire-coats.Ī smooth coat is short and dense that lies flat against the body. Podengos have only recently spread to other countries and remain a rare breed outside of Portugal. Since most show dogs are also hunters, scars from thorn scratches are not considered defects as they would be in other breeds. Unlike many other working breeds which have slipped into a more domestic setting, most Podengo in Portugal are still used to hunt. In modern Portugal, the Podengo is one of the ten National Dogs of Portugal and appear as the symbol the Portuguese Kennel Club. The Podengo also accompanied the earliest Portuguese explorers on their voyages to the New World with the Pequeno fulfilling the role of rat-catchers on the ships. Podengo Grandes were generally used by the nobility to hunt boar, while the Medio and Pequeno were rabbit hunters used by peasants. This distinguished them from Galgos (Spanish greyhounds), which refers to sight hounds that hunt alone. In early written references, Podengo de Mostra (later shortened to Podengo) was used to refer to pack hunting dogs. The Podengo is visible in mosaics and bas reliefs from as early as the 10th century. Smooth-haired dogs are more suited to a wetter climate, as their coat dries quicker while a wiry coat provides more protection from the rough brush and sunshine of drier climates. This divergence is thought to have originated an adaptation to different climates in Portugal.

There are also two coat types, smooth-haired and wire-haired. Smaller dogs are used to hunt rabbits, whilst the larger are sent after deer and boar. As a result, a Podengo may be classified in three different sizes (Grande, Medio or Pequeno), which define the quarry the Podengo can hunt. The breed was selected for its hunting ability rather than to conform to a standard.

The breed has remained relatively stable during the 2,500 years since their arrival in Portugal, although it’s likely that there was some interbreeding with Moorish dogs in the 8th century. Like the Ibizan Hound and other similar breeds around the Mediterranean, it is believed that Portuguese Podengo were brought to the Iberian peninsula by Phoenician and Roman traders. This makes it a suitable choice of national dog for Portugal, the oldest nation state in Europe. Podengo Pequeno are especially known for this trait and get on well with children.Īs one of the oldest dog breeds in the world, the Portuguese Podengo is considered a primitive breed. If they’re given enough exercise, Podengo can make wonderful indoor companions who like nothing better than accompanying their owners. They require lots of access to the outdoors and would enjoy activities, such as lure coursing or flyball, which allows them to display their physical prowess and agility. Podengo are a very active breed and this needs to be taken into account. Although this makes them easy to train, they might not always listen to your commands. They are highly intelligent and independent. The Podengo shares many characteristics with other hunting dogs. Smaller Podengo are used to hunt rabbits while their larger relatives are sent after deer or boar. Podengo come in three different sizes: Grande, Medio and Pequeno which defines which type of prey they’re used to hunt. The Podengo has always been used for hunting and the majority of modern Podengo still fulfil this role. For over 2,000 years since the Phoenicians brought them from other parts of the Mediterranean, the Portuguese have been accompanied by the Podengo. Not only is it one of the oldest breeds but was selected to be Portugal’s national dog. The Portuguese Podengo has several accolades to its name.

Portuguese podengo.