Say the word, “canario” in a roomful of dog fanciers, and most will think of the “Canary Dog of Prey,” better known as the Presa Canario, a mastiff from the Canary Islands. There is another “canario” breed native to the Canary Islands, however, and this one is a medium-sized hunting dog that takes its place in our series on pondeco dogs –  rabbit hunters that share attributes.

The Podenco Canario is sometimes mistaken for a Pharaoh Hound, Ibizan Hound, Portuguese Podengo, or the Cirneco dell’Etna. Some believe the breed to have had very early Egyptian origins, and dogs were probably brought to the Canary Islands by the Phoenician traders, the Greeks, the Carthaginians, and maybe Egyptians, themselves. Others think the Canario is more closely related to European hunting hounds from the Mediterranean. While both theories may be correct one way or another, it’s interesting to note that DNA studies revealed evidence of gene flow from the Podenco Canario to the Cirneco dell’Etna. Whichever one chooses to believe, the Canario is an ancient breed, perhaps seven thousand years old.

Like the other podenco breeds, the Canario is well suited for rabbit hunting, and traditionally works with a ferret, a method of hunting still authorized on the islands. A rabbit stands little chance against a dog that can locate it at the bottom of crevices, in wall cracks and piles of stones – even in volcanic tubes, the labyrinth of conduits formed by flowing lava. The hound’s prodigious nose, keen sight, and equally keen hearing makes short work of tracking a hare, and once found, a Canario lets loose with his “song of the rabbit,” the name hunters have given the hound’s staccato repetitive barking. Otherwise, the dog is a quiet hunter.

The Spanish Kennel Club (Real Sociedad Canina de España) recognizes the breed, has does the FCI and the United Kennel Club. As mentioned in the post on the Podenco Maneto, podencos are often mistreated because of ignorant superstitions and a “disposable dog” mindset. For this reason, there are a number of rescue and welfare groups that deal with the large number of Canarios that are abandoned when hunting season is over. Willing owners find the dogs smart, hardy, and loving, though standoffish with new people, and with a bit of a mischievous streak.

There are a variety of Instagram pages devoted to podencos, this is one of them, and this is another. They are handsome dogs upon which to gaze!

Image: A chocolate Podenco Canario from Wikicommons