All About the Portuguese Podengo

The Portuguese Podengo is an ancient multi-sensory or three-sense hound. The breed traces its origins back to the ancestors of the modern day Pharaoh hound brought into the Mediterranean by Phoenician sailors as they traded around the ancient civilisations of northern Africa and southern Europe. Similar dogs can today be found in Spain, the Canary Islands and Malta.

The Podengo is divided into three size categories that are not interbred: small (Pequeno), medium (Médio) and large (Grande). Their coats are either short and 'smooth' or longer and 'wired'. The smooth coated variety is traditional, dating back to the 5th century, whereas the wire coated variety is an outcome of the assimilation of various other breeds during the 20th century. The Podengo has not been bred for the vagaries of human fashion and remains close to the original dog, therefore the breed is healthy and, as a rule, does not suffer from the inherited problems some more highly bred breeds are burdened by.

All Podengo types are hardy, intelligent and lively dogs, excelling at agility and making fine companions. Loyal and fearless, Podengos are also good house guards and are amenable to training by dog-experienced people and those that enjoy primitive (i.e. strong willed) dog behaviour.