Dog breed · Portugal
The Portuguese Podengo, also known as the Podengo Português or Portuguese Warren Hound, is a Portuguese breed of dog of warren hound type. As a breed, the Podengo is divided into three size categories that are not interbred: small (pequeno), medium (médio) and large (grande). The coat is either short and smooth, or longer and wiry. The smooth-coated variety is traditional, whereas the wire-coated variety results from the assimilation of various other breeds during the twentieth century.
Description: The Portuguese Podengo is bred in three size varieties: large, medium and small (Portuguese: grande, medio and pequeno). According to the breed standard, the large stands 55 to 70 cm (22 to 28 in) at the withers and weighs 20 to [dose — ask your vet] (44 to 66 lb), the medium stands 40 to 54 cm (16 to 21 in) and weighs 16 to [dose — ask your vet] (35 to 44 lb), and the small stands 20 to 30 cm (8 to 12 in) and weighs 4 to [dose — ask your vet] (9 to 13 lb).
History: In the Middle Ages, hunting dogs in Portugal were collectively known as Podengos de Mostra ('pointers'}. Dogs of this kind were used to kill rats in sea-going Portuguese caravels.
Recognition of the Podengo as a homogeneous breed began in the early twentieth century. The breed standard for the large variety dates from 1953.
