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PODENGOS PORTUGUESOS |
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Additonal Breeds Starting With Letter:
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Portugal's contributions
to the sighthound classification can trace their ancestry to the running
dogs of northern Africa. They are probably closely related to the Pharaoh
Hound and most likely joined their relatives on board trading vessels,
disembarking on Portuguese shores. Because they were not as isolated as
those on islands, the availability of other breeding stock allowed for
some variations over the years.
These dogs were
most prevalent in northern Portugal where they were renowned rabbit dogs.
Hunting singly or in packs, the Podengo developed into varieties allowing
for the type of terrain to be covered. In more open country, the large
size used its longer legs to overtake the prey with greater speed. Today
the Grande is not seen as much as in times past. He is a natural dog,
without docking or cropping. The Grande is an outstanding guard dog and
an eager hunter.
Fitting snugly
in between and bridging the gap is the Medio. While not as fast on the
flat, he has more maneuverability in rougher cover and uneven terrain.
It is the most common form seen with hunters in modern Portugal. His com-paratively
smaller size is easier to house and feed.
The Pequeno,
looking much like a sturdy Chihuahua, still demonstrates the hunting
instincts despite his diminutive size. He is touted as the world's smallest
hunting dog, and is used (like the Kaninchen Dachshund) to enter the
rabbit warrens and flush the prey into the open—either for the gun or
for the larger Po-dengos to run down. The Pequeno is also commonly seen
as a "crew member" on boats where his job is to dispatch rats.
While all of the sizes can second as house pets? the small
version fits best and most popularly into this venue.
These are
breeds which have never been sponsored outside of their native Portugal.
FCI recognizes all three varieties, and one sees them occasionally exhibited
at Portuguese shows. Like the Ibizans and Pharaohs, they are quiet,
easy keepers and simple to groom. The added value of filling the game
bag has kept them in the forefront with Portuguese hunters. All three
Po-dengos appear in both smooth and wire coats and are lively, affectionate
companions.
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