PORTUGUESE PODENGO
 
(Podengo Portugès)

ORIGIN : Portugal.
 
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE VALID ORIGINAL STANDARD 25.09.1967.
 
UTILIZATION : This breed is mainly encountered in the north of the country. According to their natural disposition, these dogs are used for hunting rabbits, singly or in a pack.  They are also appreciated as good watch dogs.
 
CLASSIFICATION F.C.I.   Group  5        Spitz and primitive type
Section 7  : Primitive type - hunting dogs without working trial.
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MEDIUM SIZED PODENGO

GENERAL APPEARANCE: Of medium size and substance, well balanced in proportions, well muscled and with strong bone.
 
TEMPERAMENT: Very lively and clever, unassuming and robust.
 
HEAD
Lean, shaped like a four-sided pyramid with a large base, diminishing considerably towards its pointed end.
 
CRANIAL REGION:
Skull     Flat,  almost  straight  in profile.  Superciliary  ridges prominent.  Frontal groove hardly perceptible; the region between the ears horizontal; occipital bone prominent.
Stop  Barely defined. Longitudinal axes of the skull and foreface divergent.
 
FACIAL REGION:
Nose   Tapering towards the slightly protruding tip; frontal plane of the nose slightly slanting; its colour always darker than that of the coat.
Nuzzle Nasal bridge rounded (in cross section); straight when seen in profile.  Nuzzle shorter than skull and broader at its base than at the front end.
Lips  Close fitting, thin and horizontal.
Jaws/Teeth   regular, with strong white teeth.  Normal bite.
Eyes     Very  lively  expression;  slightly  protruding from the eye-sockets; colour varies according to coat colour, from honey to chestnut brown; small and set obliquely; colour of eyelids darker than coat colour.
Ears   Set on medium high and oblique; carried erect, very mobile; vertical or slightly inclined forward when the dog is attentive; triangular shape, broad at the base, tapering to a point; ear leather thin; length of ear remarkably greater than width at set-on.
 
NECK:   Harmonious transition from head to body; straight, suitably long; strong and well muscled.  No dewlap.
 
BODY:
Topline:  Straight or slightly arched.
Back:  Long, straight or slightly sloping.
Loins: Straight or slightly arched; broad and muscular.
Rump: Of medium length, broad and well muscled; straight or slightly slanting.
Chest:  Forechest slightly accentuated, muscular, not too wide; chest deep and long, of medium width; long sternum rising towards rear; ribs hardly rounded, oblique.
Belly/flanks:  Lean, with a slight tuck-up.
Underline:  Slightly rising.
Tail :  Set on high rather than low, strong, thick, of medium length, tapering towards a fine point; in repose hanging between hindlegs with the tip slightly curved upwards; in movement carried horizontally with a slight upward curve or carried upright in sickle shape; never curled up into ring shape.
 
LIMBS
 
FOREQUARTERS
General:    Seen from the front and from the side, vertical and straight, well muscled and clean.
Shoulders and upper arm : Long and oblique; strong and well muscled; forming a blunt angle at shoulder joint.
Forearm  Vertical, long and muscular.
Pastern joint  Clean, not prominent.
Pastern  Strong, short, slightly slanting.
Front feet  Round; long, strong, tightly bunched and strongly arched toes; nails strong, short, preferably dark; pads hard and resistant.
 
HINDQUARTERS
General :  Seen from behind and from the side, straight and parallel; well muscled, clean.
Upper thigh  Long, of medium width, muscular.
Second thigh : Long, slanting, strong, muscular, clean.
Hock joints : Set on medium high, clean and strong, forming a blunt angle.
Hocks : Well boned, short, slanting; without dewclaws.
Hind feet : Round; long, strong tightly bunched and strongly arched toes; short, strong, preferably dark nails; hard and resistant pads.
 
MOVEMENT  Swift and light-footed.
 
SKIN
Mucous membranes preferably with black pigment or, in any case, darker than coat colour.  Skin thin and close fitting.
 
COAT
Texture    Short or long coat. of medium strength; smooth in the shorthaired variety; wiry (similar to the bristles of a wild boar) in the long-coated variety. The short coat is denser than the long coat. With the long coat there is a distinct "beard" underneath the lower jaw. No undercoat or fluff.
Colour   Predominant colours are yellow, fawn (in all shades from light to very dark) and black (diluted or faded); self-coloured with or without white markings; or white as basic colour with markings in the listed colours.
 
 
HEIGHT AND WEIGHT
Height at withers     40 - 55 cm
Weight                   16 - 20 kg.
 

Measurment and weight of a typical male

FAULTS : Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded, should be in exact proportion to its degree.
 
SERIOUS AND DISQUALIFYING FAULTS
General appearance : Any sign of crossing with a Galgo (Spanish sighthound) or a Perdiguero (Portuguese Pointer).
Jaws : Incorrect bite, badly placed teeth.
Eyes : Of different colours.
Ears : Tipped over or folded.
Neck : Arched.
Body  Topline distinctly arched.
Belly  Too much tucked up.
Rump : Exaggerated slope.
Dewclaws : Undesirable (affect the grading of the dog).
Tail : Curled up.
 
N.B. : Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

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LARGE PORTUGUESE PODENGO

The breed characteristics of the Large Podengo, a nearly extinct variety in the country of origin, are almost identical with those of the medium size Podengo, with the following exceptions
 
General appearance  Strong dog with plenty of substance, mainly used for hunting deer.
Height at withers  55 - 70 cm.

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SMALL PORTUGUESE PODENGO

The breed characteristics of the Small Podengo are also nearly identical to those of the medium size Podengo, with the following exceptions
 
General appearance   A small dog somewhat elongated In proportions which is used for hunting rabbits as well as driving them from their burrows or rock clefts.
Skull  Flat or slightly arched.
Body  Length of body exceeds height at withers.
Limbs   Short.  Forearm straight or slightly turned from outwards to inwards in its whole length.
Coat : Short, smooth.
Height at withers  20  30 cm.
Weight                  4 - 5 kg.

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