Orlovia
Almost everyone in Germany has seen a Podenco at some point. Have you noticed that Podenco dogs sometimes act a bit strange? Most of the representatives of the breed living in the country come from the Iberian Peninsula and are placed with local animal shelters by animal welfare organizations. You can find out why so many owners choose a Podenco from animal welfare in our overview.
The Different Podenco Types and Their Characteristics
Podencos belong to a whole group of hunting dogs in the Mediterranean area between Spain, Portugal, and Africa. Formerly, all associated races and landforms were known as Pharaoh Hounds, as they look not dissimilar to Egyptian deities like Anubis and Seth. Three different Podenco breeds have been recognized by the FCI so far and have their own standards that describe the external characteristics in detail. There are also many other varieties that are more or less well-known and differ slightly from the other varieties on the outside.
Characteristics of the Podenco Canario (Canarian Podenco)
- Size: Height at the withers in males 55 to 64 cm, females 53 to 60 cm
- Coat and Color: Straight, short, and very dense hair. Red with white markings in any combination
- Here you can see the breed standard in detail
Characteristics of the Podengo Português (Portuguese Podenco)
- Comes in three sizes: 20-30 cm (small Podengo), 40-54 cm (medium Podengo), 55-70 cm (large podenco)
- Coat: Short-haired and smooth or long-haired and harsh with no undercoat
- Colour: Yellow and fawn of all shades, white markings occur. Small Portuguese Podencos also come in black or brown with white markings or all white.
- To the FCI breed standard
Characteristics of the Podenco Ibicenco (Ibiza-Podenco)
- Size: Males reach a height of 66-72 cm at the withers, females about 60-67 cm
- Very narrow and dry head
- Coat: short hair or rough hair (dense and hard)
- Colour: Smooth hair red and white (single color or with markings), rough hair also fawn.
- to the breed standard
Characteristics of the Podenco Andaluz
- More powerful than the other punches
- Bred in three sizes: Small: males 35-42 cm, females 32-41 cm; Medium: males 43-53 cm, females 42-52 cm; Large: males 54-64 cm, females 53-61 cm
- Podenco Andaluz Maneto (short-legged variant): 30 – 35 cm
- Coat: Very short hair, sometimes rough, sometimes silky
- Colors: Cinnamon with white markings or white with cinnamon markings
Common characteristics of all Podencos
- The head is extremely wedge-shaped and the forehead is not very pronounced, nor are the eyebrows. It is dry and rather small in relation to the body. The muzzle tapers visibly towards the tip. Even today, podencos resemble the representations of ancient Egyptians seems.
- The amber-colored eyes are almond-shaped with the outer corners strongly accentuated.
- The nose is relatively large and usually pink or liver-colored.
- The body is longer than high and resembles that of the greyhound. On most hits, the rounded croup is slightly higher than the shoulders and the belly line is tucked up.
- The legs are dry and well-muscled. You can see their status as hounds in all of their hits.
- The tail is rather thin and reaches to the hock. It is worn curved at the top.
Dog or God? Origins of the Iberian Rabbit Hunters
The Iberian hunters are very similar to the Team known for Egyptian reliefs and works of art and were therefore also called pharaoh hounds for a long time. Today, this designation is reserved for the Kelb tal-Fenek of Malta, a direct descendant of the mainland Podencos. The wedge-headed jackal-like dogs were also worshiped in ancient Egypt in the form of Seth or Anubis. Presumably, Egyptian dogs were mixed with other African pariah dogs over the millennia, resulting in the distinctive appearance of Podenco, Pharaoh Hound and Co. developed.
Related breeds with similar characteristics (descendants of the Team)
- Kelb tal-Fenek (Pharaoh Hound) from Malta
- Cirneco dell’ Etna from Sicily
- Azawakh from Mali
Known varieties and their origin
- The Podenco Canario (Canary Podenco) is considered to be the archetype, which is most closely related to its African ancestors and from which other regional breeds have developed.
- Podenco Ibicenco (Ibiza-Podenco) and Podengo Português (Portuguese Podenco) are recognized by the FCI as separate breeds. The Ibiza type is also traditionally kept as a guard dog and is very territorial.
- The Podenco Andaluz is already recognized in Spain, but international recognition is not yet complete.
- Other varieties: Malgueno, Enano del Hierro, Podenco Andaluz Malagueño, Orito, Podengo Galego
A dog as a hair catcher
In their homeland, Podencos are mainly kept and bred by hunters to this day. They are widespread in Spanish-speaking countries and are therefore often not treated well. They independently catch rabbits and other small animals in packs.
Being and Character of the Podencos – Still Waters Run Deep
Podencos have two sides: on the one hand, they are very owner-related, reserved, and calm. But all that is forgotten when you set foot outside. Her unstoppable hunting instinct, which was sharpened by an extremely performance-oriented selection of breeding dogs in Spain, puts her under constant stress. Since most Podencos that are brought to Germany by animal welfare also have bad experiences and a culture shock, adoption is only recommended for owners with a lot of experience.