Portuguese Podengo History
The Portuguese Podengo, a National Dog of Portugal, is an ancient
hound that came to the Iberian Peninsula with the Phoenicians from
the area of Asia Minor in around 1000 BC. Beginning in the 15th
century, the small Podengo traveled aboard the ships of Christopher
Columbus and the Portuguese explorers, serving to rid the ships
of vermin and disease.
The Podengo comes in three sizes, small, medium and large -- called
Podengo Pequeno, Podengo Medio and Podengo Grande. Each size comes
in two hair types -- wirehair and smooth coat. The large Podengos
hunt wild boar and the medium and small are known as one of the
world?s finest rabbit hunters.
The Podengo is known for its erect ears, pyramidal head, elegant
lines of body and agile movement. It is a hardy, intelligent and
lively breed, making fine companions. Loyal and fearless, the Podengo
is also a good watchdog. With a keen sense of fun, the Portuguese
Podengo is easy to train, excelling at agility and other sports
and has starred in several Hollywood films, including Three Wishes,
Soccer Dog, and Zeus and Roxanne.
The first purebred Portuguese Podengos came to the United States
in the 1990s. Almost 200 now reside in more than thirty states.
A complete breed history is found in the book The Portuguese Podengo
by Vitor Veiga, now available in English
Top of Page
|
Portuguese
Podengo (Podengo PortuguÍs) Breed Standard ORIGINAL
STANDARD: Clube Portugues de Canicultura, 2005 AMERICAN TRANSLATION: Portuguese Podengo Club of America, 2007 ORIGIN: Portugal UTILIZATION: Hunting dog, watch dog and companion. PROPOSED AKC CLASSIFICATION: Hound Group. BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY: A Primitive type. Their probable origin
lies in dogs from Egypt and the Middle East brought by Phoenicians
and Romans to the Iberian Peninsula in Classic Antiquity. The Moorish
Invasion in the 8th Century brought another strain across North
Africa that influenced the type. The Portuguese Podengo has developed
over many centuries to be specifically suited to the rigors of
the Portuguese climate and terrain, resulting in an extremely versatile,
natural hunter. Portuguese Podengos have an acute sense of smell,
sharp vision and keen hearing and they use all of these senses
along with speed, agility and endurance in a clever hunting style.
The Grande (Large) has been adapted for wild boar hunting. The
Medio (Medium) hunts rabbits and the Pequeno (Small) flushes rabbits
from burrows and rock crevices. The Pequeno also served as a ratter
on the ships of the Portuguese explorers and traders from the 15th
century on. I. GENERAL APPEARANCE: The head is wedge-shaped, with prick ears.
Sickle shaped tail. The body has no exaggerations in any of its
proportions. Sound, well-muscled frame. Very lively and intelligent,
sober and rustic. The breed divides into three sizes: Grande, Medio
and Pequeno (Large, Medium and Small); and in two varieties, Smooth
Coat and Wire Coat. II. SIZE and PROPORTION: Grande (Large) and Medio (Medium) Their
proportions are almost square. The former are large in build, the
latter medium. Body length (measured from the prosternum to the
point of the buttocks) is approximately 10% longer than the height
at the withers. Pequeno (Small) Small build, somewhat rectangular
with the body length (measured as above) approximately 20% longer
than the height at the withers. In all sizes, the depth of chest
is one-half the height at the withers and the muzzle length is
shorter than the backskull length. Height at the Withers
22 to 28 inches in the Grande (Large)
15 to 22 inches in the Medio (Medium)
8 to 12 inches in Pequeno (Small) Weight
44 to 66 lbs in the Grande (Large)
35 to 44 lbs in the Medio (Medium)
9 to 13 lbs in the Pequeno (Small) III. HEAD: Lean, pyramidal (like a broad-based wedge) when viewed
from the top or in profile. A large base and a very sharp extremity.
Expression: A bright, lively expression.
Eyes: Almond-shaped eyes, slightly oblique, not round or prominent.
Eye color ranges from honey to brown, in accordance with the coat.
Eye rims are preferably black, but always darker than the coat.
Eyes of two different colors are a disqualifying fault.
Ears: Set obliquely and of medium length. Straight and mobile,
held vertically or tilting slightly towards the front when attentive.
Pointed, broader at the base, triangular and thin; longer than
their width at the base. Bent or lopped ears are a disqualifying
fault.
Backskull: Flat, almost straight in profile, prominent superciliary
arches with a barely perceptible frontal groove. Relatively flat
between the ears with a prominent occipital protuberance.
Stop: Barely defined.
Planes: The planes of the backskull and muzzle are divergent. Parallel
planes are a fault and convergent planes are a serious fault.
Muzzle: Curved (in cross section) with a straight profile shorter
than the backskull. Broader at the base than at the tip.
Nose: Tapered and obliquely truncated, prominent at the tip; which
is preferably black, but always darker than the coat. A partial
lack of pigment is a fault and a total lack of pigment is a serious
fault.
Lips: Close fitting, thin, firm, opening horizontally. Preferably
black, but always darker than the coat.
Bite: Strong jaws with a scissor bite, and normal occlusion. Full
dentition in the Grande (Large) size. An undershot or overshot
bite is a disqualifying fault.
Cheeks: Lean and obliquely set. IV. NECK, TOP LINE AND BODY:
Neck: The neck makes a harmonious transition from head to body.
Straight, long, well proportioned, strong and well-muscled. Free
from throatiness. A ewe neck or a severely arched neck is a fault.
Top Line: The top line, from ears to tail, is smooth and flowing.
Withers: The withers form a smooth transition between the neck
and back.
Back: Straight and long.
Loin: Straight, broad and well-muscled.
Croup: Straight or slightly sloping, of medium size, broad and
well-muscled.
Chest: Reaches down to the elbows. Long and of medium width. The
sternum slopes back and upwards. Rib cage is slightly sprung and
slanted. Moderate forechest.
Bottom Line and Belly: Slightly uprising bottom line; lean belly
and flanks, slightly tucked up.
Tail: Of medium length, set rather high. Strong and thick with
a thin, fringed under side. At rest, falls slightly arched between
the buttocks down to the hock joint. In action, rises to the horizontal
and is slightly arched or up to the vertical in a sickle shape.
A curled tail is a serious fault. V. FOREQUARTERS: Upright when seen from the front and side, well
muscled and lean.
Shoulder: Long, oblique, strong and well-muscled. An open angle
of approximately 110 .
Elbow: Parallel to the axial body plane.
Forearm: Vertical, long and muscled.
Carpus (Pastern joint): Lean and inconspicuous.
Metacarpus (Pastern): Short, strong, slightly slanting.
Forefeet: Oval with long toes. Strong, tight and slightly arched
with short, strong nails and tough, firm pads. VI. HINDQUARTERS: Upright when seen from the back and side. Well-muscled
and lean, running parallel to the axial body plane.
Upper Thigh: Long and of medium width and well-muscled.
Stifle Joint: A Femur-Tibial angle of approximately 135 .
Lower Thigh: Long, lean, strong and muscled.
Hock Joint: Of medium height, lean, strong with an open hock angle
of approximately 135 .
Rear Pastern (Metatarsus): Strong, short and straight without dewclaws.
When stacked, the rear pasterns are perpendicular to the ground.
Hind Feet: Oval with long toes. Strong, tight and slightly arched
with short, strong nails and with tough, firm pads. VII. COAT: There are two varieties: Smooth Coat, which is short
and very dense; and Wire Coat, which is long, rough and harsh,
not as dense as the Smooth Coat, and without undercoat. Wire Coat
has a distinct beard. Skin on both varieties is thin and close
fitting. Coat is to be shown in the natural state, without trimming.
Excessive grooming should be penalized. A silk coat is a fault. VIII. COLOR: Yellow and fawn, either in light, medium or dark
shades are accepted. The color can be solid, white-patched or white
with patches of these colors. In the Pequeno, the above colors
are preferred, and in addition, the following colors are accepted
but not preferred: tones of black, tones of brown, as solid colors,
white-patched or white with patches of these colors. Disqualifying
colors: brindle; black and tan; tricolor or totally white.
IX. GAIT/MOVEMENT: A light trot with easy, agile movement. X. TEMPERAMENT/APTITUDE: The Grande is used in big game hunting
(wild boar, etc.). The Medio is a natural rabbit hunter either
in packs or alone, thus the English appellation of Warren Hound.
The Pequeno seeks out rabbits in their holes and among rocks and
thick scrub either hunting alone, in a pack or in a mixed pack
with Medios. All varieties are also used as watch dogs and companions.
Aggression or overly shy behavior is a disqualifying fault. XI. FAULTS: Any departure from the foregoing points should be
considered a fault and the seriousness with which the faults should
be regarded should be in exact proportion to the degree.
DISQUALIFICATIONS:
Eyes of two different colors
Bent or lopped ears
Undershot or overshot bite
Brindle; black and tan; tricolor or totally white colors
Aggression or overly shy behavior N.B. Males should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended
into the scrotum. |
Portuguese
Podengo Pequenoe- smooth coat
Portuguese Podengo Grande- smooth coat