Portuguese Podengo

The Portuguese Podengo is a primitive hunting dog from Portugal, found in three sizes: pequeno, médio, and grande. Registries may treat the sizes separately, but they share a wedge-shaped head, erect ears, a sickle tail, and either a smooth or wire coat. These dogs were used mainly for rabbit hunting, with larger Podengos also associated with rougher game. They hunt with sight, scent, and hearing, which makes them different from a strictly visual sighthound. Common colors are yellow or fawn with white, though some standards allow other shades.

Podengos are lively, independent dogs that do best when their natural problem solving has an outlet. The pequeno can live comfortably in smaller homes if exercised, while the médio and grande usually need more space and work. All sizes benefit from secure fencing, because prey drive can override polite training. Smooth coats need little more than brushing, while wire coats may need hand stripping or tidying to keep their texture. Responsible breeders pay attention to sound structure, eyes, and patellas or hips depending on size, and buyers should ask whether a line is primarily working, show, or companion bred.

Colors: Apricot, Bicolor, Black, Black and Tan, Black and White, Black Mask, Blue, Blue and Tan, Blue Merle, Blue Roan, Blue Tick, Brindle, Brown, Brown and Tan, Brown and White, Chocolate, Cream, Dapple, Domino, Fawn, Fawn and White, Gold, Gray, Harlequin, Irish Marked, Liver, Liver Mask, Mantle, Mask, Merle, Mottled, Parti-Color, Piebald, Red, Red and White, Red Merle, Red Roan, Red Tick, Reverse Brindle, Roan, Sable, Saddle, Silver, Speckled, Spotted, Tan, Ticked, Tricolor, Tuxedo, White, White and Fawn, White and Yellow, Yellow