TRANSLATION: Carla Cruz
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ORIGIN: Portugal

UTILIZATION: Hunting dog, watch dog and companion.

F.C.I. CLASSIFICATION:  Group 5,   Spitz and Primitive types.
                                       Section 7, Primitive type – Hunting Dogs.
                                       Without working trials.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY:
Primitive type dog, its probable origin lies in the ancient dogs brought by the Phoenicians and Romans to the Iberian Peninsula in the Classic Antiquity. It was subsequently influenced by the introduction of canines accompanying the Moors in their invasions on the 8th century. This breed adapted itself to the Portuguese territory and climate, originating what is nowadays the Portuguese warren hound. It evolved morphologically throughout the centuries due to its functionality, with the Small variety being selected, from the 15th century on, as a ratter on the discoveries caravels.

GENERAL APPEARANCE:
Quadrangular pyramidal head, with prick ears, sickle tail, well proportioned body, with sound skeleton and well muscled; very lively and intelligent; sober and rustic. Exists in three sizes, in the Smooth and Wire-haired varieties.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS:
Large and Medium-sized Podengo – Sub-mediolign, almost square, of medium or large corpulence, depending on whether it is the medium or large sized variety, with a relation – body length/height at the withers: 11/10 and depth of chest/height at the withers: 1/2.
Small Podengo – Sub-longilign, of small stature, with longer body length than height, with a relation - body length/height at the withers: 6/5 and depth of chest/height at the withers: 1/2.
In all varieties, the muzzle length is shorter than the skull length.

BEHAVIOUR/TEMPERAMENT:
Large and Medium-Sized Podengo – in the Medium-sized, its natural aptitude as a rabbit hunting dog is exploited, hunting either in packs or alone, thus being also known as warren hound. The Large-sized is used in big game hunting.
Small Podengo – It is used to search for rabbits in holes and on rocks.
All varieties are also used as watch dogs and as companions.

HEAD: Lean and shaped as a quadrangular pyramid, with large base and very sharp extremity.

CRANIAL REGION:
Skull: Flat; almost straight in profile; prominent supraciliary arches; scarcely perceptible frontal groove; horizontal inter-auricular area with prominent occipital protuberance.
Stop: Barely defined; divergent longitudinal superior cranium-facial axes.

FACIAL REGION:
Nose: Tapered and obliquely truncated, prominent at the tip; nostrils darker coloured than the coat.
Muzzle: Curved, with a straight profile; shorter than the skull; broader at the base than at the tip.
Lips: Close fitting, thin; firm, opening horizontally and well pigmented.
Jaws/Teeth: Normal with scissors bite, with white solid teeth; normal occlusion of both jaws and full dentition in the Large variety.
Cheeks: Lean and obliquely set.
Eyes: Very lively expression; slightly prominent from the orbits; colour ranging from honey to brown, in accordance with the coat; set on obliquely and small; eyelids darker than the coat colour.
Ears: Set on obliquely and of medium height; straight, with high mobility; vertical or slightly tilting to the front, when attentive; pointed, broader at the base, triangular; thin, with considerable height, longer than the width at the base.

NECK: With an harmonious transition from head to body; straight; long; proportioned, strong and well muscled; no dewlap.

BODY:
Top line: Straight, level.
Withers: Tenuous regarding the neck and back.
Back: Straight and long.
Loin: Straight; broad and muscled.
Croup: Straight or slightly sloping; medium sized; broad and muscled. 
Chest: Down to the elbows; of medium width; long, with the sternum sloping back and up; ribs slightly arched and slant; pectoral not too outstanding and muscled, not very broad.
Bottom line and belly: Slightly uprising; lean belly and flanks, slightly tucked up.
Tail: Set on rather high than low; strong, thick and thin edged; of medium length; at rest falls slightly arched, between the buttocks down to the hocks, in action it raises, horizontally slightly arched, or vertically in sickle shape, but never curled; fringed in its under side.

LIMBS:
FOREQUARTERS: Upright when seen from front and side; well muscled and lean.
Shoulder: Long; oblique; strong and well muscled; open shoulder angle, approximately 110º.
Elbow: Parallel to the axial body plane.
Forearm: Vertical; long and muscled.
Carpus (Pastern joint): Lean and inconspicuous.
Metacarpus (Pastern): Short; strong; slightly slanting.
Forefeet: Rounded; long toes, strong, tight and slightly arched; short and strong nails, preferably dark, tough and firm pads.
HINDQUARTERS: Upright when seen from back and side; well muscled and lean; parallel to the axial body plane.
Thigh: Long; of medium width; muscled.
Stifle joint: femur-tibial angle approximately 135º.
Leg: Slant; long; lean, strong, muscled.
Hock: Of medium height; lean; strong; open hock angle, approximately 135º.
Metatarsus: Strong; short; slant; without dewclaws.
Hind feet: Rounded; long toes, strong, tight and slightly arched; short and strong nails, preferably dark, tough and firm pads.

GAIT/MOVEMENT: Swift trot, easy and agile movements.

SKIN: Mucous membranes preferably dark pigmented or always darker than the coat; thin and tight skin.

COAT:
HAIR: Short or long coat; medium thickness; smooth hair when short or wire hair when long; the short coat is denser than the long one; in the long and wire variety, the hair in the muzzle is long (bearded); without undercoat.
COLOUR: accepted – yellow, fawn, sable, in the light, common and dark varieties; solid, white-patched or white with patches of these colours.
In the Small Podengo, the following colours are accepted but not preferred: black, brown, in their tones; solid, white-patched or white with patches of these colours.

HEIGHT AND WEIGHT: 

- Height at the withers
20 to 30 cm in Small
40 to 55 cm in the Medium-sized
55 to 70 cm in the Large

- Weight
4 to 6 Kg in the Small
16 to 20 Kg in the Medium-sized
20 to 30 Kg in the Large

FAULTS: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

FAULTS
BEHAVIOUR – Signs of shyness.
CRANIUM/MUZZLE – Parallel longitudinal superior cranium-facial axes.
JAWS – Incorrect occlusion or badly implanted teeth; level bite; incomplete dentition in the Large variety.
NOSE – Partial lack of pigment.
NECK – Arched.
BODY – Arched top line.
CROUP – Too sloping.
DEWCLAWS – Their existence is depreciative.
COAT – Silky and/or with undercoat.

SERIOUS FAULTS
CRANIUM/MUZZLE – Convergent longitudinal superior cranium-facial axes.
NOSE – Total lack of pigment.
EARS – Rounded.
BELLY – Too tucked up.
TAIL – Curled.

ELIMINATING FAULTS
BEHAVIOUR – Aggressive or too shy.
GENERAL APPEARANCE – Signs of outcrosses with sighthounds, pointer breeds or any other cross-breeding.
JAWS - Undershot or overshot.
EYES – Of different colour.
EARS – Bent or lop.
COAT COLOUR – Brindle; black and tan; tricolour and totally white.

N.B.: Males should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
Any animal presenting any signs of physical or behavioural abnormality should be disqualified.