Did you know that Portuguese is it the sixth most spoken language in the world?  This is especially interesting when you consider that only 5% of Portuguese speakers actually live in Portugal. It is the official language of nine different countries (Portugal, Brazil, Mozambique, Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Timor-Leste, Equatorial Guinea, Cape Verde, and São Tomé and Principe), and if you count the Chinese autonomous territory of Macau, it would be ten places on earth that speak the tongue. As languages go, it can be a tricky one to learn: Each verb tense in Portuguese has six different conjugations for a variety of pronouns!

Another interesting factoid is that there is no actual word for hound in Portuguese despite the fact that there are ten breeds native to Portugal. If we take the Portuguese Podengo, for instance (the breed that serves as the logo of the Portuguese Kennel Club), Podengo is an abbreviation of a medieval phrase, Podengo de Mostra, which was a term for pack-hunting dogs. Indeed, sometimes the Podengo was simply referred to as a “dog that hunts the rabbits.” Another name for Portugal’s national breed is the Portuguese Warren Hound; this is an apt name for a rugged hound that in its “mid-size” flushes or digs rabbits out of dense brush, rock crevices, or the network of rabbit burrows known as warrens.

The Podengo is divided into three size categories that are not interbred: The small, or Pequeno, is thought to be the most common Podengo abroad. The medium, or Médio, is the most common size in its native country. The large, or Grande, is the oldest of the three and was developed for deer and wild boar hunting. Interestingly, a breeder can get a Medio out of two Grandes, and a Grande out of two Medios. As for coats, they may be short and smooth, or longer and wired, and dogs can come in a palette of coat colors that include red, chestnut, white and gray.

At present (2021), only the Pequeno is fully recognized by the AKC, though the Grande and Medio are AKC FSS listed and there is a Portuguese Podengo Medio and Grande Club. This means the Grande and Medio can compete in conformation in shows that offer a miscellaneous class, and may participate in lure coursing, obedience, rally, and agility, but especially tracking! These are multi-sensory hounds who have superb tracking abilities. 

Breed enthusiasts have described the breed as a rustic, no-frills hound that borders on “primitive.” That said, they are playful, funny dogs with a strong prey drive, and like all breeds, the Podengo isn’t for everyone. Fans admire their high intelligence, watchfulness, and discernment (read: they don’t fawn over strangers), and for these owners, it is the perfect breed.

Image: Portuguese Podengo appears courtesy of the AKC