Within each size, the type is two varieties: smooth (also referred to as smooth coat) and wire (also referred to as wire coat, wirehaired, longhaired or rough coat). There are three sizes of Podengos: Podengo Pequeno, Podengo Medio and Podengo Grande. (Pequeno: rabbits Medio: rabbits and wild boar Grande: deer and wild boar). Each size category traditionally hunts game appropriate to their size and temperament. When game is found, they kill and retrieve it, or flush it towards the hunter to be shot. Typically, the dogs hunt in a pack with their handler following. Keen hunting dogs, the Podengo has an affinity for game regardless of size. Loyal and fearless, Podengos are also good house guards and are amenable to training by dog experienced people and those that enjoy primitive (unrefined, “less domesticated”) dog behavior. In general, the breed is healthy the Pequeno (small) variety has an average lifespan of approximately 15–17 years.Īll Podengo types are hardy, intelligent and lively dogs, excelling at agility and making fine companions. The smooth coated variety is traditional, whereas the wire coated variety is an outcome of the assimilation of various other breeds during the 20th century. Their coats are either short and ‘smooth’, or longer and ‘wired’. As a breed, the Podengo is divided into three size categories that are not interbred: small (Pequeno), medium (Médio) and large (Grande). Their intelligence and activity level make them excellent partners for dog sports, like agility or rally.The Portuguese Podengo is hound (sight and scent) breed from Portugal. But considering their history of high endurance hunting, they require mental stimulation and regular, brisk exercise, either on-leash or in a fenced-in area, due to their instinct to chase. The Pequeno is a small dog, standing 8-12 inches at the top of the shoulder and weighing between 9 and 13 pounds. In the 1980s, a few breeders of the smooth coat decided to recover the wire-coat variety, and now the gene pool has been expanded to include the wire coat once again.
The smooth coat was historically more popular with hunters and breeders, so the wire-coat variety was eventually lost. Routine brushing is all that is required to keep the coat looking its best. Both varieties are shown naturally, not trimmed or sculpted.
According to the breed standard, the smooth coat is short and very dense, and the wire coat is medium in length, rough and harsh with longer beard hair on the muzzle. Like the Portuguese Podengo, the Pequeno comes in two coat varieties, the smooth and wire. Once the ships reached land, the Pequenos had a new purpose, to hunt and provide fresh meat for the sailors.
#Podengo portuguese free
The dogs were valuable passengers because keeping the ship free of vermin would help protect perishable cargo from damage and reduce the risk of the sailors contracting vermin-carried diseases. In the 15 th century, it’s believed that Portuguese explorers took Pequenos on board ship with them to act as vermin killers. This somewhat rectangular shape helps it enter dense thickets and rock crevices while chasing its quarry. In addition, the Portuguese Podengo Grande is squarer in shape, while the Pequeno is longer than it is tall. For example, the grande-size Portuguese Podengo was bred to hunt deer and wild boar, and the Pequeno was bred to hunt rabbit. Traditionally, the different size dogs had different functions. The Portuguese Podengo Pequeno is not simply a Portuguese Podengo that has been bred down in size. However, in the United States, the American Kennel Club classifies the Portuguese Podengo, as having two sizes-the grande and the medio, and this is a separate breed from the Portuguese Podengo Pequeno. The Portuguese consider the Podengo to be a single breed with three sizes, the “grande” (large), the “medio” (medium) and the “pequeno” (small). When these dogs reached Portugal, the needs of the local hunter and the harsh terrain shaped the Portuguese Podengo Pequeno into a tenacious rabbit hunter. Dogs of this type are thought to have originated with Phoenician and Roman merchants who navigated the coasts of the Mediterranean basin in the time of classical antiquity. In Portugal, the word “ Podengo” is used to refer to a specific type of primitive, pack-hunting dog with erect ears, a wedge-shaped head (like a four-sided pyramid), a sickle-shaped tail, and either a smooth and wire coat. The Pequeno is a national breed of Portugal. These natural rabbit hunters are members of the Hound Group, and they will hunt alone or in a small pack. They are smart, lively dogs that make willing watchdogs while serving as your companion. The Portuguese Podengo Pequeno (Pequeno) is a small, robust, and rustic breed, originally from Portugal.
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