Portuguese Podengo History

The probable origin of the Portuguese Podengo is with the primitive, multi-purpose hunting dogs obtained, used and distributed by Phoenician traders during the circumnavigation of Africa in 600 BC and reaching Portugal in the 700's BC. This is evidenced by artifacts found under the Lisbon Cathedral.

The Phoenicians traded and traveled extensively in this region between Iberia and England, and it is entirely possible that the Phoenicians brought these valuable hunting dogs with them not only for hunting but also for trading. Goods moved via river transport from the southern Iberian trading cities and stored on the island of Ibiza likely resulted in the distribution of the early Podengos in those areas as well.

When the Moors invaded and occupied Iberia (Spain, Portugal and France) from the early 8th century AD to the mid- 12th Century AD* they likely brought their own version of these primitive dogs with them, thus influencing and defining the Iberian breeds such as the Podengo in Portugal and the Ibizan Hound and Galgo in Spain.

The Podengos were developed into different sizes in Portugal, the largest being the Podengo Grande which was developed for deer and wild boar hunting. It will exhaust and detain large game and await the hunter's gun. The Grande is now very rare in its home country.

Developed for rabbit detection, chasing, catching and retrieval, the knee-high Podengo Medio has a hunting style which includes not only full-out chasing but also catlike stalking and jumping above dense brush and digging in rocky crevices to find prey.

While registered Podengos from Portugal and other European countries are relatively new to the United States, Portuguese hunters in the United States, (in New England, down the East Coast and in California) have always had hunting Podengos. The first entire pack was imported into the United States in the late 1800’s