The Andalusian Hound is a very characteristic breed from southern Spain, which although it can also be seen as a companion dog, the truth is that it is still used for hunting , an activity in which few breeds overshadow it.
- Size : between 32 and 64 cm
- Weight : from 8 to 33 kilos
- Hair type : very short and straight
- Character : he is shy, smart and very active
- Health : very robust
- Life expectancy : between 12 and 15 years
Origins of the Andalusian Podenco
There are many theories about the origins of this breed, but the truth is that its typology is very similar to that of other podencos, a type of dog that we can already see represented in cave paintings.
Podenco type dogs are not only seen in Spain, but are common in the Mediterranean basin and it is said that their origins are lost millennia ago, although in the case of the Andalusian podenco it has always been said that it comes from the dogs that Phoenicians brought to the Peninsula.
This theory is very romantic, but in recent years specialists have turned to genetics, which has shown that the Andalusian Hound is no older than the rest of Europe's hunting dogs .
These studies have shown something that is known by looking at this hound, and that is that its DNA is the most similar to that of wolves, which explains its behavior and how resistant it is to diseases.
Currently it is only recognized in Spain , something that happened in 1992. No international association has done so, since it is practically the same as the Portuguese hound.
Characteristics Andalusian Podenco
The selection of the hound has not been carried out for its external appearance, but rather its ability for hunting has taken precedence. This has caused their external appearance to vary greatly from one dog to another.
This looks very good on the hair, since there are three varieties such as the sardine type (with long and hard hair), the silky type (long, silky hair) and the straight type (with fine and short).
What the three types do agree on is that they do not have undercoat, so they are not the best animals to live outside if it is cold.
The hair tone can be white or cinnamon, combining both with each other and without any black spots.
Its body is very muscular and has a saber-shaped tail. Thus, as soon as we see it we realize that we are facing an athlete who is not going to get tired no matter how much he runs.
As with hair, there are three sizes : small, medium and large. They range from 32 to 64 cm, with a weight that starts at 8 kilos and reaches 33 in large size males.
As you can see, it is almost possible to talk about three different breeds when combining sizes with hair, although in Spain it is recognized as one.
Character of the Andalusian Podenco
This hound has an ambivalent character, since it is one when it is at home and another if it goes out to the field.
Inside the home, the Andalusian Hound is a calm animal and very attached to its owner, to whom it will be very faithful and will follow everywhere, willing to learn what we teach it and very obedient.
He is distrustful of strangers, so he can be a good watchdog, barking if he sees someone he doesn't know. In fact, long ago it guarded the properties of its owners.
When he goes out to the field he is a different dog. Here its hunting and independent streak appears , since it has been selected so that it can hunt autonomously, searching for rabbits and bringing them to its owner.
For this reason, it is said that it is a stubborn dog, but in reality it only responds to what man has asked of it for centuries, without caring about anything else.
Education of the Andalusian Podenco
Educating him is not easy, since you have to know that the instinct is there and that once he goes out into the field there will always be a fight between the education we give him and the smells he detects.
If we want it as a companion dog, we have to work a lot with it from a young age , insisting on obedience exercises and even taking them a little further and practicing what is called advanced obedience.
We must insist a lot on this, because only then will we be able to control it when we are in open areas where there are animals such as rabbits, since it is programmed to hunt them.
It is best to go to a professional trainer who can help us, and never stop practicing with him, since if we have him as a pet that will keep his mind busy.
Health of the Andalusian Podenco
If we are looking for a healthy dog, a breed that is not predisposed to genetic diseases like others, this is the Andalusian Hound in any of its varieties.
The reason for its health is that it has never been bred to be beautiful , nor have crosses been made with other breeds in order to establish a specific characteristic, but its breeding has been based on its usefulness.
It has only been bred with dogs that were good hunters and those that were in good health. Thus, and although it may sound harsh, those who had some kind of disease did not live long, so only the fittest have reproduced.
This means that now you will only have to go to the vet in order to vaccinate and deworm it every three months.
Care of the Andalusian Podenco
The care is very simple. The hair needs more or less attention depending on the variety, but even if it is long, it is fine if we brush it a couple of times a week.
We must give him good feed, which contains enough energy, since he is going to use it . It is not a dog that has a tendency to gain weight, so we can leave the food at its disposal so that it can eat when it gets hungry.
He needs a lot of sport and to be entertained , so he is not the best dog to live in a city, in the classic small apartment and go down to the park for a few minutes.
He will be happy next to a hunter, especially if he can go out hunting for rabbits, and also with a very athletic person who takes him running, hiking, to the mountains or we can change this for Agility, a sport in which He's going to have a great time.
While he is at home, idle, we can always buy him a Kong-type toy, with which he will have a good time while he takes out all the food that is inside, and it is also a good idea to put at his disposal dog toys that stimulate the brain.
Adopt an Andalusian Podenco
Adopting an Andalusian hound is very simple, since when the hunting season ends, quite a few are abandoned or taken to shelters in the best of cases.
If we call any Andalusian shelter or look at their website, it is not unusual for them to have several podencos to be adopted , being able to choose sex and age without problem, as there will even be very small puppies.
Before taking him home we have to think about how much exercise we are going to be able to give him, since if he spends the entire day locked up in an apartment he will soon cause problems, barking too much or destroying everything out of anxiety.
In this way, perhaps it is best to adopt it only if we live in a house in the town with a large garden, and where getting to the countryside does not cost us more than crossing a few streets.
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