Portuguese Hound
General Facts :
The Portuguese Hound comes in three sizes: the large ( Grande ), the medium ( Medio ) and the small ( Pequeno ). The medium-sized Portuguese Hound is a moderately-sized sighthound that has a well-proportioned head with a flat skull and a pronounced stop. The nose is usually brown but there are some cases in which it could be black. The dog has large ears that are naturally upright, shaped like a triangle and very mobile. The dog’s muzzle is straight and the chest is prominent and quite muscular.
The dog has small-sized oblique eyes that are brown to honey colored. The dog’s feet are cat-like and they have very well arched toes with strong and hard pads. The Portuguese’s back line has only a slight arch and a very muscular but also strong neck, without dewlap. The dog’s coat comes in two varieties: the smooth coat and the wirehaired coat. The first one is longer and harder than most of the sighthounds have while the wirehaired coat is medium-sized, coarse and shaggy.
Origin :
The Portuguese Hound might be a descendant of the small Iberian wolves but some consider it to be descending from the Pharaoh Hound. The dog is also known as the Portuguese Rabbit Dog thanks to its rabbit hunting abilities.
Dimensions :
Height :
• Small : Between 8 and 12 inches ( approximately 20 to 31 centimeters )
• Medium : Between 15 and 22 inches ( approximately 39 to 56 centimeters )
• Large : Between 22 and 27 inches ( approximately 55 to 70 centimeters )
Weight :
• Small : Between 9 and 13 pounds ( approximately 4 to 6 kilos )
• Medium : Between 35 and 44 pounds ( approximately 16 to 20 kilos )
• Large : Between 44 and 66 pounds ( approximately 20 to 30 kilos )
Additional Information :
The Portuguese Hound coat colors may include fawn, yellow or black with white markings. The medium-sized ( Medio ) is considered to be the fastest of the three Podengos. The dog is very intelligent and lovely, perfect as a watchdog and known for its courageousness. These dogs are affectionate and are very good as family companions.
They aren’t recommended for apartment living as they are very active and need a lot of exercise in order to be happy. Some of these dogs may fight with other dogs so they shouldn’t be left around other dogs. The dog needs little grooming, an occasional comb and brush is required in order to remove the dead hair. Their life expectancy is around 13 years.
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