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PERDIGUEIRO PORTUGUESO |
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Additonal Breeds Starting With Letter:
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Perdigueiro
means partridge in Portuguese, and this breed is the native partridge
dog. The dog, known by Portuguese hunters as "the National,"
enjoys a proud history which remains today. The pointer of Portugal stems
directly from ancient hawking dogs of the fifth and sixth centuries. Where
the hawking dogs came from is unknown, as Portugal was on the ancient
sea trade routes from all directions.
Afonso III, living
in the 13th century, painted dogs of the type known today. Hawking dogs,
then called Podengo de Mastra (pointing hound) were described in a Portuguese
book of hunting by Joao I in the late 1300s. During the same era, Gaston
Phoebus described the big, beautiful body, the grand head and the white
and cinnamon color of the Portuguese falconer's dog.
Well established
for so long and with the extensive travel and trade of the Portuguese,
this breed may have contributed much to the development of European
hunting dogs. The Portuguese Pointer was introduced to England by a
Portuguese businessman in the early 1700s. H. Symonds describes the
Iberian connection in A Treatise on Field Diversions in 1776
and says the "pointer" was first seen in England "about
40 years ago." Although refined for English tastes, the origin
of the "dish" face on the Pointer of England is certainly
explained by this history.
The Portuguese
Pointer is a big, classical, athletic dog still commonly used by hunters
throughout his native country. The head has the short muzzle and a slight
convexity which is unique to him and his English cousin.
Hunting instincts
of the Portuguese are strong and natural- Owners say these dogs begin
sight pointing and retrieving sticks and other objects by two or three
months of age, without any training. As soon as they are taken to
the fields for instructions, they naturally begin an intense searching
pattern. They can withstand extremes of climate and do well in any
terrain.
This dog
is exceptionally sweet and affectionate to his master. In fact, the
official standard says he can "go to extremes of affection, occasionally
embarrassing, which can be easily corrected by ... training."
One current owner describes a female that would sit for hours in front
of him, staring in adoration. His wife would jokingly say that the
dog was the reincarnation of an old lover—the only way to describe
the sweet, tender expression in the dog's eyes.
Obedience
and sociability in large doses are built into this breed as well.
Despite his abundance of attributes and his prestige at home, he has
not gained a following outside Portugal.
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