New to Podengos

Brokenhalterfarm wrote:I seriously suggest you get on facebook and get to some of the Podengo specific pages and talk to breeders about them.

I'm seeing some information tossed around that just contradicts everything I've come to know about Podengos.

They are working dogs first and independent working dogs at that. They run in packs therefore they are NOT relying on the handler very much.
While they are brilliant dogs , they are not easy dogs. The breed description lists them as having feral tendencys and thats so very true.
Outside of a pack they are known to have issues with strange dogs and people , they arent in your face friendly dogs unless they are extremely well socialised.

Both my pequeno and medio came with a lot of behavorial issues , however it should be noted I was not either of theirs first home.

I don't facebook myself, but I will try to search for podengo on it. I appreciate your input - that's what I'm here for!

J@n3t wrote:

Brokenhalterfarm wrote:I seriously suggest you get on facebook and get to some of the Podengo specific pages and talk to breeders about them.

I'm seeing some information tossed around that just contradicts everything I've come to know about Podengos.

They are working dogs first and independent working dogs at that. They run in packs therefore they are NOT relying on the handler very much.
While they are brilliant dogs , they are not easy dogs. The breed description lists them as having feral tendencys and thats so very true.
Outside of a pack they are known to have issues with strange dogs and people , they arent in your face friendly dogs unless they are extremely well socialised.

Both my pequeno and medio came with a lot of behavorial issues , however it should be noted I was not either of theirs first home.

I don't facebook myself, but I will try to search for podengo on it. I appreciate your input - that's what I'm here for!

I went to facebook, but did not see anyting helpful. Is there a specific place you wanted to recommend to me, BHF?

All of us know only those dogs.which we have met and love. I know nothing of the dogs bred in the US or UK. My experience is of Medios and Pequenos bred semi-wild in the Cape Verde islands, but originating in Portugal, perhaps generations earlier, As in Portugal they have naturally mixed with other types of dog, as the Podengo always did in its native habitat.

The Medios are hunters. Brando encountered his first rabbits, this week. He was totally transfixed and would easily have caught them if let off the leash. We put a muzzle on to prevent gore. These dogs are still used to hunt rabbits in Portugal, but not in packs. Occasionally a group of friends will assemble a small number for a days hunting and will probably retrieve a score or more of trophies.

The Pequeno is less a hunter and more a ratter. They were used to run down rabbit holes that were too tight for the Medios. Their behaviour is more like that of the Jack Russell bred for a similar role. They were not used in packs either. But often singles or pairs were to be found on Portuguese Caravels, keeping down rats.

A few of the very rare Grandes are hunted in packs like English foxhounds, but followed on foot rather than on horseback. Their prey is the wild boar.

All the dogs that I have met were born wild but have settled happily into family life. They remain excellent guardians and admirable companions. They are very sociable with other dogs of their own size, but somewhat disdainful of smaller or slower types.

I cannot imagine that someone with your obvious experience would face any problems.

Given time, ample exercise, love, and understanding – I have never lived with a dog that didn’t become an amazing friend. I have loved and been loved by them. Some have been purebreds, most of them rescues.


The trait that most attracts me to podengos is their reputed sense of humor. I really love a dog that makes me laugh and enjoys doing so.


I do need to make sure my cat is safe!

Maybe the grande would be a better choice for my situation…?

Our dog gives no problem with cats unless they run away. He is generally circumspect as he knows that they can hurt him. He lived happily around the same house as a cat, for a while. These are highly intelligent dogs. For a good Grande, you should go to Portugal, where there are still a few kennels around Porto that use them for hunting. Jamie who is in New York today will be back in Lisbon and could help you to trace one, when you are ready. The photo on here of three dogs in Slovakia has, in my opinion, a Grande, alongside a Medio. There is a substantial size difference. A Medio. of course, will also give enthusiastic chase to a wild boar, but would I believe have some difficulty in coping with one on its own.

Brando is always making people laugh with his weird antics such as feverishly digging on a beach or leaping on and off walls. These are uniquely unusual dogs, in many respects.

james ensor wrote:For a good Grande, you should go to Portugal, where there are still a few kennels around Porto that use them for hunting. Jamie who is in New York today will be back in Lisbon and could help you to trace one, when you are ready.

I will see what's going on in a year or so, but I really think a rescue would be a good choice for me. I will be in need of a good dog and so many good dogs will be in need of a good home.

I appreciate your sentiments. A Swiss friend rescued a Grande from the Algarve in Portugal, some years ago. She found it tied to a stake in full sun, without either apparent water or food. She cut it loose and walked through the Portuguese pine forests for a day in her flip-flops to evade pursuit. The Grande lived contendly for some years in a London house with a tiny garden.

A dog bred to hunt and a housecat really is not the best choice. Cats run when scared , what triggers a hunting dog. Running.

Here is the facebook page I was talking about, you will get much better info there.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/5951228201/

Podengo Medios were prized for their ability to catch rabbits and Podengo Grandes likewise for boars. Clearly they will chase anything that runs away, including other dogs. But perhaps it is a matter of training. Our dog does not trouble cats in people`s houses. He knows that they are off limits.

He has even respected pet rabbits - which drive him wild when out in the open fields.

training does not negate instinct.

My dogs are never left alone with a cat.

Did you ever get a Podengo?

Since I wrote this, Maria a pure Podengo Medio has joined our family. She is an out and out huntress. She will chase anything four-legged and furry except a dog. Small dogs that approach get sent away with one two or three barks. Feral cats are chased and if they jump onto a roof, she follows inches behind their tail. If they stand their ground, she does not know what to do and will not attack. But once she lay in wait concealed in long grass in Portugal, for half an hour , waiting for a cat that had fled to return by the same route.

She has never lived with a cat. But when she stays in a house with a cat or small dog, her behavior is quite different. She seems to understand that she will not get treats if she misbehaves, and she is quite tolerant and gentle.

She is the same with other fast hounds such as podengos, english whippets, greyhounds or salukis, whom she rarely meets. They get sniffed and sometimes licked. She will play and run with them.