
The Pequeno is a very hardy, healthy breed with few health issues. Talents: Agility, obedience, lure coursing, watchdog, and companionship.The Portuguese Podengo Pequeno’s trot is light and agile, well suited to hunting for hours at a time over rough terrain. Coat color ranges from yellow to dark brown or black, although yellow and fawn are preferable. The coat can be either smooth (short and dense) or wire (rough, long, and harsh). The feet are oval with toes slightly arched. When raised, it should have a sickle shape. The tail should be strong and tapered with light feathering along the underside.

The back is straight and long the belly is lean and slightly tucked up. The triangular ears should be set at the level of the eyes, and are carried upright or tilted forward when attentive. The eyes should be almond shaped, honey to dark brown in color, with a lively expression. The muzzle is pointed and the stop is barely defined. Small in stature and rectangular in shape, the Portuguese Podengo Pequeno has a wedge-shaped head and erect ears. The Pequeno was accepted into the AKC Hound Group as of January 1, 2013. In Europe, the dog comes in three sizes-small, medium, and large-but in the United States the breed has been split into the Portuguese Podengo Pequeno (small) and the Portuguese Podengo Medio/Grande (medium/large). It is also still a popular hunting dog due to its ability to locate prey via sight, sound, and smell. The breed, which can have either a smooth or wire (rough) coat, excels in agility, obedience, and rally, as well as lure coursing. The first Portuguese Podengo Pequeno came to the United States in the 1990s as of 2011, there were several hundred of these dogs in this country, valued as both pets and athletes. Farmers in Portugal used the dog for hunting rabbits and small game, and they were bred to have tremendous endurance, be able to penetrate thickets, and hunt alone or in small packs. The breed can still be seen on eleventh-century churches in Portugal and in some literature dating back to the fourteenth century. The Portuguese Podengo Pequeno arrived on the Iberian Peninsula with the Phoenicians more than 2,000 years ago. Portuguese Podengo Pequenos are still not super popular in the United States.Photo copyright ©. They are highly intelligent and trainable, provided the training is kept fun and interesting for them. They are surprisingly good jumpers and very diligent diggers, so a regular fence might not be sufficient to keep them safe. Portuguese Podengo Pequenos should never be trusted off leash in an unenclosed area because they have a tendency to wander off, so you’ll want to have a fenced in yard before bringing one into your home.

They won’t be a good friend to rodents because of there history as rodent hunters, so be sure to keep them separated or just don’t mix them at all. They love children and other animals, including dogs and even larger animals such as horses and livestock, and can do well with cats as long as they are familiarized with them as puppies.

In fact, the vast majority of Portuguese Podengo Pequenos (over 75%!) are of the wire haired variety, though the verdict is still out on exactly why that is.Ĭheerful, intelligent, and hardy, Portuguese Podengo Pequenos can do very well in all sorts of living situations, whether it be a small apartment in a huge metropolis or a quaint family farm in a rural area.

Just like their larger counterparts, they come in two varieties: smooth haired and wire haired. Portuguese Podengo Pequenos make delightful pets and are commonly kept as companion animals. They are small dogs and were mostly used to hunt small game, though they are courageous enough to try hunting something much larger if given the opportunity! They were primarily used as rat hunters and were often brought aboard ships to help keep the rat population down during long voyages at sea. Portuguese Podengo Pequenos have a long history spanning back to 5th century Portugal. Just like their much larger cousin, Portuguese Podengo Pequenos are still mostly found in Portugal and areas of the world with large Portuguese immigrant populations. Portuguese Podengo Pequenos are the smaller variety of the Podengo, a much larger but very similar Portugese breed. Despite being a relatively rare dog, Portuguese Podengo Pequenos are so smart and eager to please that they have been starred in dozens of movies! Are you a breeder? About this Breed
