Podenco Andaluz - Andalusian Hound

1) Origin
The Podenco Andaluz is a one of the so called Warren Hounds, which refers to a group of Mediterranean rabbit hunting dogs, also known as Podencos. It is believed that all these Podenco dogs were distributed across the Meditterranean region by Phoenicians centuries ago. But there is only very limited information about the Podenco Andaluz history, so its impossible to say for how long they live in mainland Spain, nor what is their exact ancestry.​

2) Other Podencos
I mentioned, that there is more Podenco breeds, all very similar and related together. If you will like the Podenco Andaluz, than you can also check out Cirneco dell Etna, Ibizan Hound, Portuguese Podengo, Podenco Canario or Cretan Hound.

3) Coat
Interesting fact is, that just like many other Podenco breeds, even the Andalusian Hound comes in different coat types. The most common is the short smooth haired type, but you can also find this breed with long and wiry hair. The Podenco Andaluz comes in different shades of red, with or without white markings.

4) Sizes
Not only that there are three different coat types, this dog breed also comes in three different size, small, medium and large. You can see the normal height and weight for each size type on the screen right now. So if we combine the three sizes with three coat types, the result is 9 different types of the same breed – Podenco Andaluz.

5) Maneto
To make it even more complicated, there is also Andalusian Hound Maneto, which is provisionally accepted by Spanish Kennel club as a distinct breed, but it basically is a basset variety, or dwarf variety derived from a medium-sized short-haired Andalusian Hound. The temperament of Maneto should be the same as the temperament of original Podenco Andaluz.

6) Temperament
Speaking of temperament, this breed was used for centuries for hunting rabbits and other game and this utilization formed their personality. This is an intelligent, energetic and naturally protective dog breed with excellent senses and high prey drive. These dogs truly have amazing sense of smell, great sight and hearing. The Podenco Andaluz tends to be very attached to its family, it is a very loyal dog, but they can be very alert around strangers, which makes them very good watch dogs as well. They also typicaly do not have problems with other dogs or kids in the family, especially if they are raised together from the puppyhood.

7) Exercise
As you can probably imagine, these dogs require plenty of daily exercise to stay healthy and happy. If they are not used for hunting, but they are living the typical life of companion pet, they need several daily outdoor walks or jogs. They will also love off leash runs in fenced or well known area, where they can stretch their fast legs. These dogs really have high stamina and they are best suited for active people who love outdoors.

8) Appearance
These dogs have typical Podenco appearance, which include very athletic slim body, lean long legs, large and erect ears, pointed muzzle and long face. They are truly extremely similar in their appearance to other Podenco breeds.

9) Maintenance
Great fact is, that the grooming needs are very low for all three coat varieties. You can brush their coat regularly to keep it in best possible condition, but even without any grooming, they will still look good. Just like with all dogs, you should also regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed.

10) Health
This is usually very hardy and healthy dog breed with average lifespan around 12-13 years. Smaller varieties typically live little bit longer than larger podencos. Of course, just like all breeds, even the Podenco Andaluz can suffer from some health issues, such as eye problems, ear infections or for example arthritis, but none of those is extremely common with this breed.