All You Need To Know About Podenco Dogs

 Podencos are group of rabbit hunting dogs from Mediterranean and even though there is many different Podenco breeds, they all share long history, appearance and temperament.
First of all, it is important to say, that Podenco is a spanish word for „Hound“ and it is describing all these rabbit hunting dogs, but for example in Portugal, they are called Podengos, in Catalan coniller and in some english speaking countries, they can be known as Warren Hounds. So even though some dog is not called exactly Podenco, does not mean that they are not members of this dog group.
The history and origin of Podencos is surrounded by mystery. It is certainly dog with old and ancient history. The most popular theory says, that they probably evolved from dogs of Egypt, that were brough to different places of Mediterranean by Phoenician traders as far back as the 8th century BC.
These dogs of Phoenician traders began to be very popular especially on Iberian peninsula as rural hunting dogs. Since they lived and hunted in different regions, they started adapting to their local environment and over the time several different Podenco types started to exist. Podencos are mentioned as hunting companions in Spanish literature at least since the 15th century, but their history in this area is definitely much much older than that and it is also believed that they are related to other similarly looking hunting dogs, such as Cirneco dell Etna or Pharaoh Hound
The appearence of Podenco breeds is similar, but definitely not unified. They share similar face and body type, but the size, coat and color wary quite a lot. Most of the Podencos have lean physique, long fine legs and tucked up stomach, large paws, long and narrow tail, long neck, amber eyes and large ears that are carried fully up.
But what about the differences in appearance. The major differences are in size. The smallest Podenco Maneto is only approximately 13 inches tall, which is 33 cm, while one of the largest, the Ibizan Hound can be even 29 inch tall, which is 74 cm. So as you can see, the height, and of course, the weight, can wary a lot.
Podencos can also have different coat types. The coat is either smooth, which is the most common type, but it can also be long and wire. The Podenco typically comes in shades of dark brown and red usually mixed with white.
So you can get an overview about different Podenco breeds and their appearance, here i will show you list of most of the Podenco breeds.

 No lets mention the Podencos temperament, utilization and what is it like to live with a Podenco. It is no wonder why Podencos were so popular among hunters, they are just incredible at this purpose. Unlike majority of sighthounds, who have hunt mainly by their sight, Podencos have not only incredible sight, but also smell and hearing. They are also very fast, endurant and agile, which is just perfect for hunting rabbits and other game.
Of course the Podenco is not only a hunter, but also a loving companion dog. They are known for their lively, curious, smart and sometimes clownish personality. They create a strong bond with its people and they are absolutely devoted to them. They are definitely faithful and affectionate dogs towards its family, but alert and watchful, when it comes to strangers.
It is important to be prepared for an energetic breed, when you consider buying or adopting a Podenco. Most of them will need quite a lot of exercise, walks, jogs, hikes, playtime and fun training sessions to stay healthy and happy. Without enough exercise, they might develop some unwanted behaviour such as descruction. But if they are exercised well, than they tend to be pretty calm and relaxed in home.
When it comes to training, Podencos are not the easiset dog to train. They are smart, but they are also independent and can be stubborn from time to time, which is why patient, kind, but firm and most importantly consistent training is needed.
Sad thing about Podencos is, that many of them are not living a happy life. Even though they were very highly valued for their hunting abilities in past, today, they are the most abused dogs in Spain, and they are most often abused by the hunters, who do not view them as hunting companions, but rather as hunting tools. Very often they live their life on a chain in small rooms in squalid conditions. When they are not able to hunt anymore, due to injury or age, they are very often just killed or abandoned. But there are many rescue stations directly in Spain and even all around the Europe, which is saving these abused dogs and finding them new homes. So if you are consdering getting a Podenco, consider adopting it from some rescue station first. Probably the best known community for helping Podencos is Hopeforpodencos.com.
Last thing i still did not mention about Podencos is their health and grooming needs. Lets start with the grooming and maintance, since it is pretty easy. Of course it depends on the coat type. The smooth coat type sheds moderately and the only thing it needs is ocassional brush to remove dead hair and dirt from it. Long and wire haired podencos are very low shedding dogs, but they need more frequent brushing to prevent tangling. Ocassional clipping is also good idea. No other grooming is required. Just like with all dogs, you should also regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed.
And when it comes to health, Podencos are generally very healthy and hardy dogs. Of course, smaller Podencos has slightly longer lifespan than larger ones, but most of Podencos live for 12-15 years. There are no general health issues associated with Podencos, but larger Podencos have sometimes problems with joints and hip dysplasia, while smaller ones like Maneto may experience back problems due to their elongated spines. Due to the large ears of Podencos, it is important to check them often and clean them if needed, since they might be prone to infections. But overall, Podencos are quite healthy dogs that stay active even when they are older.