So, you’ve probably guessed it by now that all Portuguese Podengo dogs have a strong prey drive and are certainly not very welcome in the proximity of cats and other small pets. Another good thing about these dogs is that they excel in vermin control.

These dogs often hunt in packs followed by the hunters (in the past, Podengo de Mostra was a Portuguese term for pack-hunting dogs, which was later shortened to Podengo), but they can as well hunt on their own.

They are fast and agile, they have keen senses of sight, smell and hearing, and besides, they are resourceful, hardy, persistent, and brave. Even though they are different in size, Podengos share many common traits when it comes to hunting. The Portuguese Podengo dogs are in the first place excellent hunter companions. On top of that, Warren Hounds are very curious dogs, eager to explore their surroundings, so they won’t hesitate to jump over a fence or wall (if they can) and check what’s going on in the neighborhood. You see, Podengos can jump incredibly high, which is in connection with their hunting habits – they jump from above on their prey. With “proper”, I mean at least 6 feet high. Yeah, these dogs like to dig a lot! So, if you have a garden, it would be wise to put a proper fence around it. Bored Podengo can do all sorts of bad things, from annoying barking to obsessive digging. Otherwise, your dog might become bored, which in other words means trouble. So, play some games with him or take him for a long walk in nature or some park. Daily exercise is necessary in order to keep your dog nice and calm. The Portuguese Podengos are generally healthy dogs with small chance of suffering from some genetic diseases or defects. Main Portuguese Podengo dogs characteristics are intelligence, agility, speed, boldness, loyalty, playfulness, cheerfulness, alertness, resourcefulness, independence, curiosity, and endurance. You will have to correct your dog on this as soon as possible. Unfortunately, Podengos tend to bark at everything they feel odd, so it’s understandable they’re prone to excessive barking, which can be quite annoying. They will bark like mad whenever somebody comes near the owner’s property, but won’t confront the stranger nor act aggressively. These hounds make good watchdogs since they’re very alert and suspicious toward strangers. It is no wonder they are very good with children, especially, if they’re raised together. They like to play a lot and can be quite funny and crazy when happy. You should never ignore your Podengo and keep him tied somewhere alone since this can have bad effects on his mental health. Podengos enjoy company and will do anything to keep your attention.

The Portuguese Podengo dogs are known as lively, cheerful and loyal family companions. 6.1 Which One Podengo Should You Choose?.6.0.1 Podengo Português Grande Dog Size And Weight.6 Podengo Português Grande Dog Characteristics.5.0.1 Podengo Português Medio Dog Size And Weight.5 Podengo Português Medio Dog Characteristics.4.0.1 Podengo Português Pequeno Dog Size And Weight.4 Podengo Português Pequeno Dog Characteristics.3 Physical Characteristics Of Portuguese Warren Hounds.That’s why the Podengo Português breed is by the FCI included in the group 7: Primitive Types – Hunting Dogs in the class of primitive dogs. Anyhow, there’s no denying that these Portuguese dogs have many similarities with other Mediterranean hounds, such as the Pharaoh Hound, Podenco Canario, Cirneco dell Etna or Ibizan Hound. However, some experts believe that this breed particularly had evolved from small Iberian wolves. There’s a common opinion that these dogs were developed from hounds imported to the Iberian peninsula from Egypt and North Africa by the Phoenician traders approximately 3.000 years ago. Except their size and weight, they are more or less the same dogs with only a few noticeable differences, which I’ll explain later in this article. The breed comes in three varieties – Portuguese Podengo Grande ( large), Portuguese Podengo Medio ( medium), and Portuguese Podengo Pequeno ( small). The Portuguese Podengo or Podengo Português ( Portuguese Warren Hound) is a primitive type Sighthound breed originating from, as its name suggests, Portugal.