Crufts 2023
Congratulations to all!
So, welcome back to the NEC, 2 mile queues on the M42, unable to move through the halls without your dog being trodden on and a 30 minute queue for coffee - would we have it any other way?
Congratulations to Simon and Anna who crowned a perfect year by taking Best of Breed with Morialta Ferreira and Best Bitch and Best Veteran with Odisseia de Viamonte at Morialta.
Best Puppy went to Betty's Plushcourt Constellation.
Discover Dogs was insanely busy, as ever, more children than dogs in the pen throughout most of the day. Still one of the most common questions was - are they ok with children? - when you have a pen full of children with Podengos climbing all over them, do you really need to ask?
(Photo courtesy of Mark Foscoe)
What is a 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.
Club Sponsor
The Members and Officers of the Club would like to thank Royal Canin for their continuing support
At Royal Canin we focus our attention on the unique needs of cats and dogs. That obsession with detail is what makes it possible for us to deliver precise, effective nutrition, and help them become their magnificent best