Portuguese Podengo

The Portuguese Podengo is an ancient, rugged coursing hound with a history dating back thousands of years to the ancient Phoenicians. It's believed they were brought to the Iberian Peninsula by merchants and explorers and earned their passage aboard ships with their impressive vermin hunting and watchdog abilities. They can be found in three sizes, Pequeno, medio, and grande, and may have either smooth or coarse coats. Quickly becoming a breed of choice for hunting, the small and medium varieties excelled at chasing down small prey such as rabbits while the larger dogs hunted animals like deer and even wild bores. Their big, triangular ears sit atop rather large, pyramid-shaped heads which are home to dark, expressive almond-shaped eyes. They are also known as Portuguese Rabbit Hounds, Portuguese Sighthounds, or simply as "Pods".