Data on the appearance of the Spanish Podenco, external norms, characteristic behavior and health, walking, diet, training, interesting facts. Puppy cost. Spanish Podenco are very reckless dogs. They are like the people of the country in which they live - the Spaniards. Spanish hunters are very passionate people, but they will never destroy what they really hold dear. They are interested in their children seeing the beauty of the nature of their native land, enjoying the running of a greyhound dog and rejoicing for the animal that has left.
Data on the appearance of the Spanish Podenco breed
For the Spaniards, the Spanish padenko, a very valuable breed, is a national pride. Spanish Wirehaired Greyhounds are rare. They are closely related to their smooth-haired cousins and the ancient Spanish breed such as the Galgo. Unlike their smooth-haired counterparts, wire-haired Podenko are still exclusively working and are used for hunting.
The first greyhounds in what is now Spain appeared in the first century BC. They say that they arrived here with the Phoenicians, who preferred to hunt for a hare. All Mediterranean greyhounds are descended from Egyptian dogs. In fairness, it must be said that the homeland of all greyhounds without exception is the territory of Southern Siberia and modern Mongolia. It was in these places, seven thousand years before the birth of Christ, that the first greyhound dogs appeared that could hunt, which is called by sight.
Greyhounds are quite different from other breeds. Their main advantage is, of course, speed. When they chase their prey, they can accelerate to 90 kilometers per hour, almost twice as fast as any other breed. In the vast majority of dogs, vision is poorly developed. In addition to the fact that they can distinguish little in the distance, the dog's eye cannot accurately estimate the volume of an object. Greyhounds have no problem with this.
Similar dogs - Mediterranean greyhounds, are on the island of Ibiza, in the Canary Islands, in Portugal. There are several varieties of such dogs in Spain. In principle, they are all generally similar. They are similar not only in appearance. First of all, these are hunting dogs. Of course, in our time, they are bred as companion dogs, but hunting blood makes itself felt.
It is impossible to say exactly how the name of the podenko is translated. In general, podenko in Spain is called a dog that hunts for a hare, the so-called hare greyhounds. But, in the center of Spain they hunt not only hares, but also wild boars. Many Mediterranean greyhounds were once and now paired with ferrets. Podenko finds a rabbit, but then, if the "eared" dives into a hole, a ferret is launched there.
At one time, English dog handlers carried out a wonderful PR campaign. They officially registered the Maltese Greyhounds under the name of the Pharaoh Hound. What is the connection here? Until the time the Maltese dogs were registered under this name, Spanish Podencoes in Europe were called Pharaoh dogs - the oldest greyhounds in Europe.
According to the classification of the International Cynological Federation, the Spanish Podenco belongs to the class of primitive breeds. Such dogs, like their wild cousins - wolves, can drive their prey for days without giving it a minute of rest. Ultimately they will force her to surrender. Endurance in such conditions is the key to success.
Spanish podenko dogs are tireless. Being on the hunt all day, they will not stop for a second and will not rest. Dogs in constant motion and search. Despite their excellent working qualities, in their homeland, these dogs are not officially recognized as hunting dogs. Here they are considered ordinary companions. Unlike other greyhounds at exhibitions, they do not require special documents.
Description of external norms of the Spanish Podenco standard
This is a primitive, slender and muscular dog, fast, strong and hardy. The height at the withers in males is 58–71 cm and in bitches 55–65 cm. The weight of males is 21–26 kg and females are 18–22 kg.
- Head narrow, elongated. The skull is flat. The furrow is not visible. The hillock is manifested. Cheekbones are flat. The brows are not visible.
- Muzzle rectangular, narrow and long. The bridge of the nose is even or with a slight hump. The stop is smoothly flowing. The lips are tight, dark brown. The jaws are strong and long. The dentition is developed, connects like scissors.
- Nose - rounded, with dilated nostrils, flesh brown or brown. The pigment may thicken towards the edge.
- Eyes Spanish podenco are not large, rounded-slanting, amber, brown-yellow or light brown. Body eyelids, well taut.
- Ears erect, high growing. Cartilage is elastic, sharp at the ends.
- Neck - long, tall and graceful.
- Frame - elongated format, with lean muscles and strong bones. The chest is well developed and voluminous. Curved ribs. The back is strong. Loins, elastic. The croup is slightly sloping. The bottom line is tight.
- Tail - set low, long, crescent-shaped. In a calm state of the dog, he is lowered between the limbs.
Extremities:
- Front - strong bones and dry muscles. They are flat. The tendons are strong. The blades are movable.
- Rear - parallel to one another, with strong bones. Thighs with developed mesomorphic muscles.
- Paws - not large, rounded. The fingers are tightly connected. Elastic pads with thick skin.
- Coat There are three types of Spanish podenco. There are wire-haired dogs, long-haired and short-haired dogs.
- Color - there is one-color and spotted two-color. For example, red, white, red, white-red and white-red.
Typical behavior of the Spanish Podenco dog
People have good feelings for all dogs. Someone wants to shove in the bosom and then long and gently stroked. With others, you must definitely knock around, tinker. Podenko, however, are special dogs. It's not easy to find a common language with them. They will not pay attention to some outsider eccentric. They have better things to do. How many traces you have to unravel, how many smells to recognize! When they are in "free swimming", one gets the impression that the dog is hovering above the ground.
Of course, this can be said about any greyhound, but these at first glance unsightly dogs fascinate. In every movement of the podenko, there is strength, dexterity and predatory cunning. You can sympathize with the rabbits that live in the surrounding forests. These dogs only recognize one owner. His authority for these dogs is indisputable. The dog can be distracted, run or play, but when he hears the sound of a hunting horn, he immediately returns.
Interestingly, these dogs jump out a bit when chasing an object. They behave in the same way on the hunt. They jump to see their prey in the tall grass. The Spanish Podenco has high set, erect ears. Some experts are convinced that this set of ears allows these greyhounds to hear better. The nose of these dogs is tuned as a high precision instrument. If a hare or a rabbit - Spanish podenko - lurks within a radius of several tens of meters, they will immediately feel it. But, for this you need to explore every pebble. The terrain in Spain is uneven. There are a lot of slopes covered with stones of different sizes. Sometimes Padenko's paws are knocked down in the blood, for such trifles do not slow down their excitement. They climb up and down with such virtuosity that one is amazed. The dogs scour the mountain slopes in search of even a hint of prey. They cannot be slowed down. The rabbit is a very fast animal, and most importantly, nimble. On a bend, he can slip away and go into a burrow.
The owner of the podenko is obliged to live in the interests of his dog. We must also earn the right to be called the master. This is a person who not only puts the bowl on time and sometimes scratches his pet behind the ear. It should be everything for the dog. Only in this case the animal will reciprocate it.
Spanish Podenco health
These greyhounds are very ancient canines. Their genetics have evolved over the centuries, so the Podenko's immune system is strong. On average, their lifespan is between fourteen and fifteen years. But, some individuals lived to be seventeen, or even eighteen years old. No hereditary diseases have been identified in the breed.
For your dog to be healthy, he needs good maintenance. That is, a thoughtfully balanced composition of food, its timely use. Also, the dog needs proper physical activity. Timely preventive procedures for the destruction of external and internal parasites. It will not be superfluous, throughout life, to regularly vaccinate Podenco. As the saying goes, it is better to prevent a disease than to cure it later.
The biggest problems for Spanish maynko workers are injuries after hunting. They can be inflicted not only by an animal, for example, a boar. The dog travels long distances and can injure itself. Be sure to examine your pet after the hunt. Check their eyes first. Have a dog scratched them, or have dirt or grass in them.
Then carefully examine the skin for mites. If the parasite has dug deeply, then do not remove it yourself, use the help of a veterinarian. The paws of the Spanish padenko are also checked. Dogs travel long distances and there can be cuts and injuries on the pads of the paws. Everything must be disinfected and anointed with wound healing ointment.
Serious incisions require the intervention of a veterinary surgeon. If your dog is injured by an animal, it must be taken to the hospital very quickly. It is very important to call him back and describe the symptoms before visiting the veterinarian or on the road. The doctor must assess the situation in advance and know how to proceed. Prepare the necessary instrument and operating room for patient acceptance. Sometimes, every minute counts.
How to care for a Spanish Podenco?
- Wool Podenko has three types: hard, short and long. Wire-haired dogs are combed out with a furminator, and they are bathed less often, because their hair is not very dirty. Long-haired ones are combed with a slicker, and short-haired ones - with rubber mittens. All bathing concentrates are selected for a specific type of dog's coat, since they have a different composition and, accordingly, a different spectrum of action. All shampoos must be diluted with water so as not to harm the skin of the animal, that is, not to degrease much. Thorough rinsing should be done after each soaping. If the chemical remains on your pet, it may develop dandruff. The dog dries out on a warm mat. Make sure that there are no drafts in the room where it dries, otherwise there may be problems.
- Teeth Brush a couple of times a week to prevent plaque buildup, which will eventually turn into stone. Sparing soft brushes are used that do not damage the gums and perfectly remove bacterial plaque. Edible and flavoring cleansing pastes. So, your dog will not oppose the procedure, but rather the opposite. For the prevention of oral diseases, buy special toys for the dog. They have a well thought-out shape and good rubber composition for excellent plaque removal.
- Ears Spanish podenco standing. Therefore, they have good ventilation. They are rarely required to be cleaned - there is nothing difficult about it. We buy a herbal lotion that softens sulfur and mud accumulations. We bury it in the dog's ear and massage it lightly. After a couple of minutes, wipe off everything that is superfluous from the inside of the ear to the outer surface with a napkin.
- Eyes Spanish Paddenko require inspection after the hunt. Dust or specks that get into the eyes are wiped with a sponge soaked in lotion in the direction towards the inner corner of the eye. The sponge is changed to a new one after the first wiping of the mucous membrane and the manipulation is repeated. Lotions soothe irritation, relieve redness and inflammation, and have antimicrobial effects. If serious injuries are found, do not self-medicate, take the animal to a veterinary ophthalmologist.
- Claws at the Podenko, they almost always grind off themselves, since the dog is mobile. Well, if the stratum corneum needs to be removed, then the tool for shortening them is claws. You can make a "manicure" with a file by sawing the stratum corneum to the desired length. The good thing about this tool is that you definitely won't hurt your dog. Without experience with claws, you can touch the living layer of the claw. Then the dog will be in pain and it will be necessary to stop the blood so that an infection does not get into the wound. To do this, wet the cotton wool with peroxide and wipe the damaged claw.
- Feeding podenko increased during the hunting season. The dog needs to get a full balance of substances in order to recover from exertion. Be sure to add fish oil to your diet. It perfectly strengthens joints, ligaments and heart muscle. With a natural composition of food, the dog should receive vitamins and minerals separately every day. Dry food does not require additional vitamin supplements, since they have already been added to the concentrate formula. When physical activity decreases, the portions of food should be smaller.
- Walking these greyhounds are long lasting. If Podenko live in the city, then this is not a reason to deny them long walks. The owner is obliged to walk with them for a long time, or bring them to fenced areas so that the dogs can run to their hearts' content. To run for Spanish podenko is the same as breathing for a person.
Learning Spanish Podenco
The training of such dogs is based on hunting instincts.
In Russia, hunting takes place using two types of canines: hounds and greyhounds. The hounds look for the beast, raise it, drive them out of the forest zone, and then let the greyhounds down, which chase the beast and hunt it. Spanish Podenco are versatile - they serve a dual purpose. They find the prey themselves, pick it up and take it.
In America and England, cynologists have adopted their own, different from the European division of breeds. There, greyhounds and cops are united into one group, which includes the Spanish Podenco.
Interesting facts about the Spanish Podenco
The Spaniards came up with an interesting collar system. Many of the Spanish podenko get lost on the hunt, and you can't just let them off the leash. A tag is attached to the collar, on which the dog's name, address and phone number of the owner are written. If the pet is lost, then it will not be difficult to find it. Moreover, in Spain, residents are very kind to both other people and animals. If this happens, then no one can even think of demanding a reward for the found dog.
In addition, these collars are quite wide. Inside they are leather, and outside they are covered with metal plates that can serve as protection for hunting. The collars are colored with red stripes so that the pet can be seen from a distance. So, this is not a tribute to fashion, not just a beautiful accessory, but a thing vital for a podenko.
In Spain, there are quite strict rules for the transport of dogs. More than two dogs are transported in a small van. They try not to put two males together, because before the hunt, naturally, the dogs get excited and can injure each other. This is a kind of safety technique.
Spanish Podenko puppies price
Outside Spain, these dogs are little known. Their numbers are stable, but not great. Therefore, every puppy is worth its weight in gold here. The Spanish hunters line up for them. It is said here that it is impossible to find a more reliable assistant on the hunt. The price for a puppy is 1100-2000 $.
More about the breed in the following video:
