Podenco
one of the oldest breeds of dog in the world,
descending from the ancient Pharaoh Hounds of Egypt
Podencos are often referred to as Invisible Dogs or
The Great Forgotten. They are the most abused dog in Spain.
Bred to hunt and kept, usually chained, in squalid conditions - these
‘working dogs’ are not protected by Spanish law. It can be difficult to
imagine the suffering they endure, hidden from view.
Podencos are smart, curious and clownish, they have a profound
awareness of their surroundings and a sensitivity to their humans.
Podencos reward their human companions with great loyalty, love,
affection and are wonderful family members if the adopter is ready to
devote time and energy to their Podenco.
Podencos vary widely in size and are classed as either small, medium, or
large. Podencos have three different coat types: smooth, long, and wire.
The typical colors for Podencos are shades of dark brown and red usually
mixed with white.
Podenco Ibicenco • Ibizan Hound
The Ibizan Hound is an elegant and agile breed, with an athletic and
attractive outline and a ground-covering springy trot. Ibizan Hounds are
intelligent, active, and engaging by nature. This breed originates in
the island of Ibiza and has been traditionally used in the
Catalan-speaking areas for rabbit, deer and wild boar hunting.
More information:
Wikipedia
•
FCI Standard
Podenco Canario • Canarian Warren Hound
The Podenco Canario is a very agile, slender and lightly built but
sturdy dog. There are two distinct sizes of Podenco Canarios. It is a
slightly elongated and very muscular dog with a brown (chocolate), red,
or yellow coat, can be accompanied by white, brown, or tan markings, and
usually have short fur.
The Podenco Canario is found on all of the Canary Islands. The legend is
that it had descended from ancient dogs brought to the islands in
antiquity from North Africa by the earliest human settlers and isolated
there.
More information:
Wikipedia
•
FCI Standard
Podenco Andaluz • Andalusian Hound
The Ibizan Andaluz is one of the lesser known Podencos because the breed
is not recognized by the FCI. The Podenco Andaluz, or Andalusian Podenco
varies in looks and size. Bred for hunting, as the name suggests, they
originated in the Andalusia region of Spain. It’s one of the
Mediterranean sighthounds directly descended from the early Egyptian
hounds.
More information:
Wikipedia
If you are interested in these beautiful dogs and want to learn more, visit the website of some of the organizations that are dedicated to helping them.
You can even adopt one of the dogs and change life of you both for the better 😊