The Portuguese Podengo is hound (sight and scent) breed from Portugal. As a breed, 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, whereas the wire coated variety is an outcome of the assimilation of various other breeds during the 20th century. In general, the breed is healthy; the Pequeno (small) variety has an average lifespan of approximately 15–17 years.

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 (unrefined, “less domesticated”) dog behavior.

Keen hunting dogs, the Podengo has an affinity for game regardless of size. Typically, the dogs hunt in a pack with their handler following. When game is found, they kill and retrieve it, or flush it towards the hunter to be shot. Each size category traditionally hunts game appropriate to their size and temperament. (Pequeno: rabbits; Medio: rabbits and wild boar; Grande: deer and wild boar).

Types and varieties

There are three sizes of Podengos: Podengo Pequeno, Podengo Medio and Podengo Grande.

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). All of these types are called ‘Portuguese Podengo’ as a ‘breed,’ although none of these six types is interbred.

1. Portuguese Podengo Pequeno (Smooth)
2. Portuguese Podengo Pequeno (Wire)
3. Portuguese Podengo Medio (Smooth)
4. Portuguese Podengo Medio (Wire)
5. Portuguese Podengo Grande (Smooth)
6. Portuguese Podengo Grande (Wire)

In its home country, the Podengo is referred to as Small, Medium or Large Podengo. It is acceptable for the hair description to come before or after the ‘type’ name.

In the United States, the American Kennel Club split the Podengo Pequeno from the other two sizes as a separate breed. This was done primarily to prevent the interbreeding of the Pequeno with the Medio.

Portuguese Podengo Pequeno

Appearance

Podengo Pequeno is small, friendly, hardy, lively and intelligent companions. They are very active and usually good with children and other animals when socialized from an early age. They enjoy time with their human family.

Like their Medio relatives, they are very watchful and observant and will bark when something gets their attention. They enjoy running and sunshine and must have a secure enclosed fence. The Podengo Pequeno is trained well with positive techniques and should be kept on a leash all of the time during training as they can be quite autonomous and have their ideas about what constitutes proper behaviour. They can be remarkably silly in the home. A walk with many Pequenos can be a delight and they will continually come back to the owner to make sure they are coming along.

History

Wire Coat Pequenos was first shown in the United States in 2001 when Chicharro de Viamonte, owned by Marilyn Piurek and Kip Bergstrom, was exhibited at an ARBA show in Boston. He was the first Podengo to ever be shown in the United States and the first Podengo Pequeno champion in ARBA and Rarities. Smooth coat Pequenos was first shown in the United States in 2003. The Viamonte Podengos were the first family of Podengos pequenos in the United States, followed by Gelato de Viamonte “Chico” in 2004. Wire Coat Pequenos were first imported to the UK in 2002. The smooth-coated Pequeno followed in 2004. Most (75%)of the purebred Portuguese Podengos in the United States consists of the Pequeno size, and most of these (85%) are of the wire coat variety.

Portuguese Podengo Medio

Appearance

• WIRE COAT

The WPM is a medium-sized type with a rough coat that functions as an air conditioner in the hot weather. This coat was preferred in the South of their native Portugal, which is very warm. The single coat (without undercoat) does shed but not very much.

• SMOOTH COAT

The SPM is a medium-sized type with a dense smooth single layer coat that is extremely low maintenance. It naturally sheds dust and dirt and dries very quickly. For that reason the Smooth Coat variety is preferred in the North of their native Portugal, which has rainy winters. The single coat (without undercoat) does shed but not very much.

History

The Portuguese Podengo Medio, both smooth and wire-haired, has existed, unregistered, in the United States for decades in small numbers with Portuguese-Americans in private home settings, where they have been used for traditional rabbit hunting. They were never really popularized outside of their immigrant homesteads. They are attractive, nice family dogs, with a touch of mischief. The first group of Podengo Medio fanciers met in the US in the early 1990s via the early internet Gopher (protocol) system. Registered purebred Smooth Podengo Medios began being shown in America in 2004 and registered purebred Wirehaired Podengo Medios began being shown in America in 2005.

The first Wirehaired Podengo Medio to be shown in North America was AM/CDN Ch Evita V.D. Kleiheuvel, owned by Mary Dixon at a United Kennel Club show in Belleville, Michigan. Evita became the first WPM United States Champion (with United Kennel Club) and the first Canadian Podengo Champion (with Canine Federation of Canada). The first Podengo Medio born in North America was Ch Marcos de Retrouvaille and was bred by Dixon. The first Podengo to earn an American Kennel Club Tracking Dog title (on February 17, 2008) was Jolena De Retrouvaille WM, bred by Mary Dixon.

Still rare, breeders in Portugal primarily breed for rabbit hunting, not pets. They are hunting dogs, often kept in kennels, not in homes. The idea of Wirehaired Podengo Medios being kept more as house pets began with breeders in Europe.

Portuguese Podengo Grande

Appearance

• WIRE COAT

The WPG is a large-sized type with a tough but even temperament and a rough coat that primarily functions as a briar-protectant when hunting wild boar. The single coat (without undercoat) does shed but not very much. Registered WPGs are very rare, even in its home country and is not yet available to export.

• SMOOTH COAT

The SPG is a large-sized type with a dense smooth single layer coat that also functions as a briar-protectant when hunting wild boar. The registered SPG is still rare in its home country, with very few individuals available for export.

Temperament

Both kinds of Podengo Grande are known to be tough, hardy and intelligently observant animals. They must be socialized very well and carefully by a primitive breed-experienced handler. They are used primarily for hunting wild boar in large packs, where they are released from kennel trucks and sent to chase the boar to its den. They then continue to harass it until it emerges in its attack mode. The dogs then jump in and attach to the boar from all angles and dispatch it swiftly. The waiting hunter can then retrieve the prey.

They will be good guardians and require a securely fenced yard (at least 6 ft tall). They enjoy digging dens, also, like their other Podengo relations. It is most closely related to the Podengo Medio Podengo Medios which grow too tall for the Medio standard may be classified as Podengo Grandes. This arrangement does not exist in any other way within the Podengo group. Training will be firm but fair with the Podengo Grande as it must have respect for its handler and be amenable to training.

History

The Portuguese Podengo Grande may have existed, unregistered, in North America with Portuguese-Americans in private home settings, where they have been used for deer and wild pig hunting. The first Podengo Grande was imported to the US in 2008 and the first litter born in 2009 as well as the import of 4 Grande of the wire coat. 2010 brought the second litter of Grande. Breeders in Portugal continue to breed primarily for hunting and the PG is kept and raised in kennels.

There is a unique system currently in place in Portugal where unregistered dogs (denoted by the kennel club of Portugal as R.I. or ‘Initial Registration’) may be evaluated by breed experts and used in a breeding program. Succeeding generations, also evaluated by said experts, may eventually result in a 3 generation pedigree of known, evaluated, ‘R.I.’ dogs which would thus create a full pedigree for certain formerly “RI” Podengos. This process is carried forth under rules established by the CPC and is not exportable to other countries as it relies on the presence of indigenous wild specimens of the breed.