- Yellow and fawn in all shades from light to dark, with or without white markings, or white with patches of these colours.
- Preferred: In the Small Podengo, the following colours but not preferred: black, brown, with or without white markings, or white with patches of these colours
About the Portuguese Warren Hound-Portuguese Podengo
Origin: Portugal
- Typical life span
- 12-15 years
- Size
- Medium — from its typical weight
- Weight
- 16-20 kg
- Height
- 40-55 cm
- FCI status
- Recognised by FCI
- FCI groupFCI divides this breed into varieties, and our sources don’t record which one a breeder works. Ask them which variety their line is.
- Spitz and primitive types
- Origin
- Portugal
- Also called
- Podenco Portugues
- Known hereditary risks
- 4 documented conditions, with the test for each
About
What is a Portuguese Warren Hound-Portuguese Podengo?
Ancient multi-purpose hound from Portugal that comes in three sizes (Pequeno, Medio, Grande) and two coat types (smooth and wire). Medium-sized, agile breed with erect ears, wedge-shaped head, and keen sight and scent abilities developed for hunting rabbits and small game
Portuguese Warren Hound-Portuguese Podengo history and origins
Ancient breed dating back over 2000 years, likely descended from dogs brought by Phoenician and Roman traders. Developed in three distinct sizes to hunt different game across various Portuguese terrains, primarily rabbits and small game
Portuguese Warren Hound-Portuguese Podengo appearance and size
Typically 16-20 kg and 40-55 cm at the shoulder — published as one range rather than separately for males and females.
What the breed standard says
- Bred for
- Hunting dog, watch dog and companion dog
- Behaviour and temperament
“Large Podengo: used for hunting big game. Medium Podengo: also known as Warren Hound, its natural aptitude as a rabbit hunter is well used, hunting either in a pack or alone. Small Podengo: used for searching rabbits in holes and rocks. All varieties are also used as watch dogs and as companion dogs”
Quoted from FCI standard n°94. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
Breed reference from The Dog API.
Characteristics
- Size
- Medium
- Exercise needs
- —
- Easy to train
- —
- Amount of shedding
- 1 of 5
- Grooming needs
- 4 of 5
- Good with children
- —
- Cost to keep
- —
- Tolerates being alone
- —
- Intelligence
- —
- Health of breed
- 4 conditions documented
Pros & cons
Pros & cons for the Portuguese Warren Hound-Portuguese Podengo
What you get with the Portuguese Warren Hound-Portuguese Podengo
- Purpose stated in the standard: “Hunting dog, watch dog and companion dog”
- The standard describes the breed as: “Large Podengo: used for hunting big game”
What you are taking on
- 2 serious inherited conditions are documented, mainly in eyes. The health guide tab has the test to ask for on each.
- High grooming needs — the standard’s own description is “Two varieties: Either short and smooth or long and wire - both of medium thickness”
Drawn from sources rather than written as an opinion — cited health research, the registry’s own standard, and peer-reviewed longevity. FCI breed standard; Tzouganakis et al. 2021 — allele frequency of the ADAMTS17 PLL mutation in the Portuguese Podengo, PubMed. One breeder’s animals can differ from any of it, and an empty column means we hold nothing for that side rather than that there is nothing to say.
Characteristics
FCI standard · Portuguese Warren Hound-Portuguese Podengo
Coat and colour
As the FCI standard sets it out. Every line below is the standard’s own wording, tagged preferred.
Coat
Two varieties: Either short and smooth or long and wire - both of medium thickness
without undercoat.
The short coat is denser than the wire coat.
In the wire variety the hair on the muzzle is longer (bearded)
Colour
- Preferred
- Permissible
- Undesirable
- Disqualifying
Preferred, permissible, undesirable and disqualifying are FCI’s own words about the breed. They describe what the standard asks for — not an assessment of any individual dog, and not ours.
FCI varieties
FCI lists 3 varieties of Portuguese Warren Hound-Portuguese Podengo — small, medium-sized, large — and recognises every one of them in all 2 coats: Long- and wire-haired, Smooth- and short-haired.
Measured at 15+ months · Height at the withers (cm)
Size classification
Height at the withers. The standard also publishes a weight range for each size.
2025303540455055606570
- Small20–30 20 to 30 cm
- Medium40–54 40 to 54 cm
- Large55–70 55 to 70 cm
One range per size, for both sexes.
Height at the withers in cm. Transcribed from FCI standard n°94, read 2026-08-31.
Shortened from FCI standard n°94 — each label is the standard’s own wording with the verdict lifted into the tag beside it. Read the full clause at source.
What the standard penalises
What a judge marks the Portuguese Warren Hound-Portuguese Podengo down for, and what puts one out of the ring, in the registry’s own words. This describes the breed standard — it is not a checklist for the animal in front of you, and a pet with a disqualifying fault is an unshowable dog rather than an unhealthy one.
Severe faults
Marked heavily against a specimen in the ring.
- Cranium/Muzzle: Convergent superior cranium-facial axes.
- Nose: Total lack of pigmentation.
- Ears: Rounded.
- Belly: Too tucked up.
- Tail: Curled
Breed-level information from The Dog API. It describes the Portuguese Warren Hound-Portuguese Podengo in general; any individual animal can differ.
Health guide
Health & screening guide for the Portuguese Warren Hound-Portuguese Podengo
Known hereditary risks for the Portuguese Warren Hound-Portuguese Podengo breed, and the specific documentation to request from any breeder before paying a deposit. A responsible breeder will have these readily available; deflection is a red flag.
4 conditions documentedThis is breed-level literature, not veterinary advice about an individual animal — your vet knows the animal.
Health checklist (PDF)Bones & joints
Hip dysplasia
Monitor
Malformation of the hip joint that can progress to osteoarthritis. It is screened for by the breed's US parent club, though no published prevalence study specific to this breed was found.
What to ask for
Hip evaluation from OFA or PennHIP on both parents
Patellar luxation
Monitor
The kneecap slips out of its normal groove, causing an intermittent skip in the gait that can become permanent. It is screened for by the breed's US parent club.
What to ask for
Veterinary orthopaedic (OFA) evaluation for patellar luxation on both parents
Eyes
Primary lens luxation (PLL)
Serious
The lens of the eye detaches from its normal supporting fibres and can fall forward or backward inside the eye. It is painful, often needs emergency surgery, and can cause permanent blindness if missed; a UK genotyping study found the causative allele at a notably high frequency in the breed.
What to ask for
DNA test for the ADAMTS17 mutation (c.1473+1G>A) on both parents
Progressive retinal atrophy (prcd-PRA)
Serious
Progressive, incurable degeneration of the retina leading to blindness. Commercial DNA panels list this breed as appropriate for the standard prcd test, although it is not yet a formal requirement of the breed's US parent club.
What to ask for
DNA test for prcd-PRA on both parents
Gallery
No photographs yet
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Puppies
No puppies listed right now
No Portuguese Warren Hound-Portuguese Podengo breeder has a record on this platform yet, so there is nothing to list. That is a gap in our coverage, not a fact about the breed.