Dog Training, Breeds, Care, And Health! - Canine HQ
Home / Dog Breed / Portuguese Podengo
Fine By Breed Name

Explore By Characteristic or Group

View all Breeds

RESOURCES FOR NEW & PROSPECTIVE DOG OWNERS

Find Your Match

Answer a few simple questions and find the right dog for you

Compare Breeds

Compare up to 5 different breeds side by side

Find a Puppy

Nunc bibendum, purus eget tristique fermentum.

Choose your Breed

View the collection of dog breeds we have information on.

Why Get a Dog?

Nunc bibendum, purus eget tristique fermentum.

Breeders

Aenean feugiat metus ac nisi dictum tincidunt Interdum et.
Exclusive Deals, 50%+ Off Good & Toys, Health Information & More!
Register your Dog Today!

Portuguese Podengo

Portuguese Podengo
Miscellaneous Class >>

Average sizes and life
expectancy of the breed.

Height

Portuguese Podengo

Weight

Portuguese Podengo

Life Expectancy

10-15 years

Breed Traits & Characteristics

Affectionate With Family
  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%
How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.
Good With Young Children
  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    100% 100%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.
GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS
  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    100% 100%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    60% 60%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    40% 40%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    19% 19%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    60% 60%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    80% 80%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    60% 60%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    80% 80%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    60% 60%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    90% 90%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    60% 60%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    80% 80%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

Affectionate With Family

  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%

How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.

Good With Young Children

  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    100% 100%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.

GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS

  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    100% 100%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    60% 60%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    40% 40%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    19% 19%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    60% 60%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    80% 80%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    60% 60%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    80% 80%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    60% 60%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    90% 90%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    60% 60%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    80% 80%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

About the Breed

Portuguese Podengos are vivacious, nimble, playful, attentive, very clever, but not always simple to teach, autonomous, yet devoted to their family, and occasionally wary of strangers. The larger size of the breed hunts deer and boar, while the medium-sized size hunts rabbit. They are successful in the United States in the conformation ring, barn hunt, rally, agility, nose work, and coursing.

 

A hardy coursing hound, the Podengo is available in two sizes: medium (16 to 22 inches at the shoulder) and big (22 to 28 inches). They also come in smooth and wire-haired coat varieties. The breed’s admirers refer to it as “primitive,” which describes it as a simple, unadorned hound that has remained unaffected by trends and fashion since arriving on the Iberian Peninsula centuries ago.

 

Large, erect, triangular ears, a pyramid-shaped head that tapers to the nose, and softly expressive almond-shaped eyes are just a few of their distinguishing features. In general, Podengos are playful, humorous dogs. They can easily amuse themselves with toys, chase each other around the home and yard, and stalk each other. They are extremely clever and quick to pick up new information. However, because they are vigilant dogs, they are less amiable and playful with strangers and could regard smaller animals, like dogs and cats, as prey. At first, they could come out as fairly reticent and prefer to greet others according to their own terms. They are very accommodating, eager to satisfy their family members, and tolerant of the majority of our needs.

 

 

What To Expect When Caring For a Portuguese Podengo

Owning a dog is not just a privilege; it’s a responsibility. They depend on us for, at minimum, food and shelter, and deserve much more. When you take a dog into your life, you need to understand the commitment that dog ownership entails.

Health

Breeders that are ethical check their animals for diseases like hypothyroidism, blindness, and allergies to food and contact. Any health testing should be regarded as a baseline to gather information because there is no health screening performed in the nation of origin. The American parent club has traditionally supported testing for "illumination rather than elimination."

Grooming

Breeders who practice ethics examine their animals for conditions like hypothyroidism, blindness, and contact and food allergies. Since there is no health screening done in the country of origin, any health testing should be used as a baseline to gather information. Historically, the American parent club has favored testing for "illumination rather than elimination."

Exercise

Podengos make excellent friends and watchdogs. They are extremely lively and rapid learners, yet they can be challenging to teach. Both size variations are valued for their versatility as hunters and companions that run alone or in packs while utilizing all of their senses as well as their agility, speed, and endurance. The huge, who does enjoy lounging on the couch, is less intense and dynamic than the medium.  

Training

Podengos are fantastic companions and watchdogs. Although they are incredibly active and quick learners, they can be difficult to instruct. Both size varieties are prized for their adaptability as hunters and companions that use all of their senses while running alone or in packs as well as their agility, speed, and endurance. The big is less intense and active than the medium, however, it does like to relax on the couch.

Nutrition

The Podengo should thrive on premium dog food, whether it is produced commercially or is made at home under the guidance and consent of your veterinarian. Any food should be suitable for the dog's stage of life (puppy, adult, or senior). The Podengo, a wild dog, will go on its own hunt if given the chance. Watch your dog's calorie intake and weight level because certain dogs are prone to obesity. Treats can be a valuable training tool, but offering them in excess might lead to obesity. Discover which foods fit the bill for canine consumption and which don't. If you have any worries about your dog's weight or diet, consult your veterinarian. Fresh water that is clean should always be accessible.

History

The primitive, multi-purpose hunting dogs that Phoenician traders acquired during their transit to Africa in 600 BC and utilized before they reached Portugal in the 700s BC are said to be the ancestors of the Portuguese Podengo. Artifacts discovered under the Lisbon Cathedral provide proof of this. Due to its usefulness, the Podengos was developed in Portugal into several sizes; the largest being the Podengo Grande, which was made for hunting deer and wild boar. Large wildlife will be exhausted, held captive, and ready for the hunter’s shot.

 

The Podengo Medio was used for hunting rabbits because it was a little smaller. Unlike the other two sizes, the Medio evolved to its current form without much influence from other breeds because of Portugal’s relative isolation at the western tip of Europe. As a result, it has the most solidly established and uniform type and the greatest genetic stability of the three sizes. The Medio is a superb example of the Portuguese Podengo in its purest form.

 

One of the 10 National Dogs of Portugal, the Portuguese Podengo holds the distinction of serving as the emblem of the Portuguese Kennel Club, also known as Clube Portugues de Canicultura (CPC). The national breed club for Portugal is the Club do Podengo Portugues (CPP). Ironically for this breed, which has evolved over the past 2,000 years as a dog of the people in the Medio and Pequeno sizes, many members of Portugal’s upper classes have participated in efforts to preserve and advance the breed over the past 100 years. They saw in this and the other nine indigenous breeds an essential component of the national patrimony.

 

In the 1990s, the first purebred Portuguese Podengos arrived in the country, and today they can be found in more than 45 states. The wirehaired Portuguese Podengo Medios imported in August 1994 were the first Portuguese Podengos of any size that was known to have existed in America.