Fun Portuguese Podengo Facts For Kids

The Portuguese Podengo is a purebred from Portugal.

It is a hound breed whose origin can be traced back to 600 BC. This hound breed has three categories based on their size which are: Pequeno, Medio, and Grande (small, medium, large) but all of them belong to the southern border of Portugal.

Their coats also have two varieties which are wiry and smooth and their color may be yellow or fawn.

Their coat comes along with no undercoat and shedding is moderate and requires brushing at least once a week.

The Portuguese Podengo Pequeno is the smallest of all is a petite and lively dog, which was presented in the United States for the first time in 2001 when Kip Bergstrom and Marilyn Piurek brought Chicharro de Viamonte nicknamed ‘Manny’ who became the first Podengo breed champion.

The Portuguese Podengo Pequeno chased rabbits and hunted them for humans in the fifteenth century and this breed was taken overseas to keep the ship's rodent-free, so they have a naturally high prey drive.

Moreover, these dogs are highly active and take part in numerous dog sports.

The Portuguese Podengos are considered to have an origin in the primordial hunting dog breeds which were dispensed by the Phonecian merchants to the Iberian Peninsula during their voyage from Africa in 600 BC.

The major reason for their size difference is perhaps because of the functions they carried out in Portugal after 700 BC. The Portuguese Podengo Pequeno chased and hunted rodents, and the Podengo Grande chased and exhausted the animals so that hunting them could be easier.

The Medio evolved due to the breed’s segregation from the western border of Europe as they evolved without any impact their genetic stability and strength are more than the other two variants.

To know more about the Portuguese Podengos keep reading this article.

Please check our other articles on pitbull lab mix facts and boxer beagle mix facts.

Pumi Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a Portuguese Podengo?

The Portuguese Podengo is an ancient breed from Portugal, which was brought by the Romans and the Phonecian dealers to the Iberian Peninsula. The breed has further three categories based on their size: Portuguese Podengo Pequeno, Medio, and Grande, these are hound breeds with high prey drive.

What class of animal does a Portuguese Podengo belong to?

The Portuguese Podengo belongs to the class Mammalia and genus Canis.

How many Portuguese Podengos are there in the world?

The Portuguese Podengo is a rare breed and has a correspondence with other breeds like the Pharaoh Hound and Ibizan Hound, however, their exact number is not verified.

Where does a Portuguese Podengo live?

Portuguese Podengo is found in Portugal and it comes in three variants based on the size. The Portuguese Podengo holds immense importance in Portugal as this breed is considered one of the National Dogs of Portugal.

The elite class of Portugal has put great effort into conserving and enhancing this breed for the past hundred years. In the ’90s Portuguese Podengo arrived in the United States for the first time and now these dogs inhabit more than forty-five states.

What is a Portuguese Podengo's habitat?

The Podengos can be great companions because of their enthusiastic temperament. This dog is also extremely adaptable to its surroundings.

Who do Portuguese Podengos live with?

The Portuguese Podengo was initially a hound breed and they hunted in packs but now these dogs are found in domestic settings and they can get along with humans. Socializing this breed is very crucial especially if the owners are intending to own other pets.

However, they have a high predatory drive, and hence small pets like rodents should be avoided.

How long does a Portuguese Podengo live?

The average life span of a Portuguese Podengo dog is approximately 12 years to 15 years, but their life span can be influenced by various factors including health conditions.

While there are vaccinations to prevent bacterial and viral diseases like parvo, rabies, and distemper in dogs, there are many health issues that are frequently transmitted genetically, and some of the conditions are acquired due to age.

Some common issues may constitute hip dysplasia, thyroid problem, dental problems, and obesity.

How do they reproduce?

The Portuguese Podengo reproduces by copulation. The female dog goes through a duration of heat during which mating occurs and the gestation period is approximately 68 days and the litter size is four to five puppies.

What is their conservation status?

The Portuguese Podengo is a primitive breed that is thought to be rare, but its conservation status is not officially stated.

Portuguese Podengo Fun Facts

What do Portuguese Podengos look like?

The Portuguese Podengo breed is further classified according to their size, Portuguese Podengo Pequeno, Medio, and Grande.

The three varieties of dogs were utilized for various purposes, the Grande chased and exhausted the animals so that the hunter can hunt them down easily while the Medio evolved to chase rabbits and the Portuguese Podengo Pequeno hunted mice to keep ships free from the rodents.

These three breeds of dogs have distinguished coats which may be smooth and wire but their coat does not require high maintenance, brushing them weekly is enough.

The Portuguese Podengo Pequeno has a height of approximately 8-12 in (20.3-30.4 cm) at the shoulder, it has a wedge-shaped head and its weight is around 13 lb (5.8 kg).

These dogs can have either smooth or wire coats and the color of the coat may vary from golden to fawn to cream, chestnut, black, grey, orange, etc occasionally with markings.

The wire coat is longer while the smooth coat is short and very dense with no undercoat hence they do not prefer to live in a severe cold region, these dogs are more adaptable to the warm climate. The presence of no undercoat makes grooming manageable.

The ears are pointed while the eyes are of almond shape, these small dogs have a sickle-shaped body with a tapered tail.

This primitive breed has a pastoral touch that did not change even after so many years which distinguishes them from the rest of the dog breeds.

The medium size Podengo Portuguese dog is known as the Medio, this variety evolved years late.

This dog is slightly bigger than the Portuguese Podengo Pequeno and has an approximate height of 16-22 in (40.6-55.9 cm) and the weight of this dog is around 35-45 lb (15.9-20.4 kg).

Just like the Portuguese Podengo Pequeno this dog does not have any undercoat while the color of theirs. The coat can be light yellow, dark yellow, fawn, etc also their coat may be of solid color or have combinations of white, especially in the chest, legs, and face area.

The ears are large, triangular, and vertical, and the eyes are just like Pequeno but this dog has a square-shaped and slender physique.

The biggest of this category is the Portuguese Podengo Grande and they were bred to chase the prey and exhaust them, like wild boars.

The bones and muscles are well developed and as these dogs are the biggest the average height of 22-28 in (55.9-71.1 cm) and their weight is roughly 44-66 lb (19.9-29.9 kg).

The texture can be a smooth coat or wiry coat just like the other two and comes in myriad colors which require weekly brushing. The head is lean and wedge-shaped, the forelegs and hind legs are well built and muscular, the ears are long and pointed while the nose is prominent.

The tail of this dog is sickle-shaped, thick at the base, and tapered towards the end.

How cute are they?

These dogs are truly lovable no matter which size they are.

How do they communicate?

Dogs have various ways of communicating through their gesture, body language, and barking.

How big is a Portuguese Podengo?

The Portuguese Podengo Pequeno is 8-12 in (20.3-30.4 cm), the Medio is 16-22 in (40.6-55.9 cm), and Grande 22-28 in (55.9-71.1 cm) in body size. The biggest of them i.e., Grande shares its similarity with the Pharaoh Hound which is 23-25 in (58.4-63.5 cm).

How fast can a Portuguese Podengo run?

This hound breed chased and hunted animals hence it is extremely fast, but its exact speed has not been listed.

How much does a Portuguese Podengo weigh?

The Portuguese Podengo is classified into three types based on their size, The smallest of them Portuguese Podengo Pequeno is approximately 10-13 lb (4.5-5.8 kg), then come to the Medio which is a medium-sized dog and weighs around 35-45 lb (15.9-20.4 kg). The biggest of them is the Grande which weighs 44-66 lb (19.9-29.9 kg).

What are the male and female names of the species?

The male is known as a dog while the female is known as bitch.

What would you call a baby Portuguese Podengo?

The baby Portuguese Podengo is known as a puppy.

What do they eat?

The Podengo dog is a carnivore and needs a sufficient amount of protein to grow and develop. Their diet consists of a good amount of non-vegetarian food like meat, fish, and eggs.

However, the quantity of food offered to the dog depends on its size, activity, weight, and metabolism.

Overfeeding them can lead to obesity, so exercise and activities should be given equal priority along with feeding. The dog food should be of superior quality which can be purchased from outside or else cooked at home which can fulfill their daily requirement of nutrition.

Are they slobbery?

The Portuguese Podengo breed does not drool much.

Would they make a good pet?

The Portuguese Podengo has high intellect which makes training them effortless. These purebreds can be very good companions as they will do anything to protect their loved ones.

Their energy level is always on a higher scale hence they love to indulge themselves in various dog sports. This breed gets along with family and children effortlessly but it can be suspicious about strangers and tends to bark a lot.

Grooming this dog is not tedious but its smooth and wire coat requires brushing weekly. Taking care of their health and weight is essential as Podengos can gain weight easily.

This breed does not require massive amounts of space as it is extremely adaptable to its environment. All these things make the Portuguese Podengo an amazing pet to have.

Did you know…

The Portuguese Podengo is also known as the Portuguese warren hound, and the symbol of the Clube Portugues de Canicultura or CPC is the Portuguese warren hound.

The first Portuguese Podengo ever recorded in America was a Medio with a wire coat in 1994.

These dogs are part of movies like 'Soccer Dog', 'Three wishes', and 'Zeus And Roxanne'.

The Grande and Medio together were acknowledged by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 2004.

'Podengo' In Portuguese

The term ‘Podengo’ is a Portuguese term that means ‘rabbit hunter’. The Portuguese Podengo belongs to the miscellaneous class that has three different sizes. The Portuguese Podengo Pequeno chased and hunted rabbits and other rodents and perhaps this is why they came to be known as ‘Podengo’ or 'rabbit hunter'.

Having Your Own Portuguese Podengo

Before getting any dog the owners need to be aware of all the responsibilities, including their early socialization, training, grooming, exercise, health checkups, and so on.

The price of a Portuguese Podengo puppy is around $900-$1300 USD.

Instead of purchasing you can always adopt one but make sure to get it from a reputed breeder and cross-check the medical history if the puppy or dog has some underlying health conditions.

These dogs are not very high maintenance but they do require occasional grooming and weekly brushing as the smooth coat is short and very dense.

These dogs are very robust and enthusiastic and easy to train as they are eligible to participate in dog sports, also they can gain weight very quickly hence proper exercise along with a proper diet is mandatory.

The temperament of these dogs can be described as affectionate, cautious, independent, and intelligent, they can get along with humans as well as with children, but due to their high prey drive, it is advised not to keep any rodents with them.

However, they can get along with other pets and dogs if they are socialized at an early stage, and training them is not tiresome as they are intelligent they respond to training very well.

Apart from these things vaccinating and deworming them is essential as they are susceptible to several bacterial and viral infections, therefore taking them to a vet periodically is administered.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other mammals from our chug dog facts or lowchen facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable portuguese podengo coloring pages.