Ratings

Breed Introduction

The Portuguese Podengo (scientific name: Podengo Portugueso) has triangular ears that are flexible, a nose that is generally brown but can also be black, a robust tail, and round-shaped paws with raised toes. The ears are oriented forward to collect sound, naturally standing upright, with deep yellow or brown eyes. The back is slightly arched, and the long limbs are properly covered in fur.

They come in light yellow short-haired, golden short-haired, black short-haired, and golden and white long-haired varieties. The large Podengo and the medium Podengo share close bloodline relations, but the large Podengo is very rare, while the clever and lovely medium hunting dog remains highly favored, especially in rural parts of northern Portugal where it is commonly raised and still used for hunting.

Selective breeding has made the medium Podengo smaller while preserving other characteristics. Color and fur variations are relatively less emphasized, with some individuals being solid-colored and others featuring white markings. Some have short and smooth fur, while others have long and coarse fur.

One benefit of human intervention in Podengo breeding is that the incidence of hereditary diseases and genetic defects is very low.