The Podengo Galego is a traditional Spanish breed of warren hound from the autonomous community of Galicia in north-western Spain. It is recognised by the Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación – the Spanish ministry of agriculture – and by the Xunta de Galicia, but not by the Real Sociedad Canina de España.[3][4][5]

Podengo Galego
Other namesCoeillero Galego[1]: 585 
OriginSpain
DistributionGalicia, principally Ourense and Pontevedra
Traits
Height
42–52 cm[2]
Males
46–52 cm[2]
Females
42–46 cm[2]
Weight
10-15 kg[2]
Colour shades of tan, from sand to reddish; occasionally chocolate/liver
Kennel club standards
MAPA (page 57, in Spanish) standard
Xunta de Galicia (page 6332, in Galician) standard
Dog (domestic dog)

It is one of four traditional breeds of Galicia, the others being the Can de Palleiro, the Guicho or Quisquelo, and the Perdigueiro Galego.[6] It is related to the medium-sized variety of the Podengo Português of northern Portugal.[1]: 585 

History

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The Podengo Galego is a traditional breed of warren hound from the autonomous community of Galicia. It was officially recognised by the Xunta de Galicia in April 2001;[4] it received national recognition by royal decree in May the same year.[3] A stud-book was established at the same time; it is maintained by the breed society, the Club de Raza do Podengo Galego.[6]

It is distributed throughout Galicia, but mainly in the provinces of Ourense and Pontevedra.[1]: 585 

Its conservation status was described in 2009 as "in danger of extinction", but improving.[1]: 526  A dog census in the comarcas of O Deza and Tabeirós – Terra de Montes in Pontevedra in 2024 found 1059 of the dogs, or about 7% of all dogs identified by breed in the census; in some concellos of the area – including A Estrada, Cerdedo-Cotobade and Dozón – it was among the three most numerous breeds of dog.[7] In 2025 The Podengo was listed by the Real Sociedad Canina de España among the breeds in the process of recovery.[5]

Characteristics

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The Podengo is of medium size and light build: body weights range from 10 to 15 kg, while heights at the withers are from 42 to 46 cm for bitches and 46 to 52 cm for dogs; bitches are somewhat more slender than dogs.[2][6] The coat may be of any shade of tan, ranging from sand-coloured to reddish; a chocolate or liver coat is occasionally also seen.[2]

The Podengo is a warren hound, used principally for hunting rabbit and hare, or occasionally for fox. It can also be trained to hunt feathered game such as partridge, quail or woodcock.[1]: 585 

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Miguel Fernández Rodríguez, Mariano Gómez Fernández, Juan Vicente Delgado Bermejo, Silvia Adán Belmonte, Miguel Jiménez Cabras (editors) (2009). Guía de campo de las razas autóctonas españolas (in Spanish). Madrid: Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Medio Rural y Marino. ISBN 9788449109461.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Podengo galego: Ficha técnica (in Galician). Xunta de Galicia: Consellería do Medio Rural e do Mar. Archived 8 July 2012.
  3. ^ a b [Miguel Arias Cañete] (25 May 2001).Real Decreto 558/2001, de 25 de mayo, por el que se regula el reconocimiento oficial de las organizaciones o asociaciones de criadores de perros de raza pura (in Spanish). Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación. Boletín Oficial de España. (142): 14 June 2001. Reference: BOE-A-2001-11347.
  4. ^ a b Juan Miguel Diz Guedes (26 April 2001).Orde do 26 de abril de 2001 pola que se fai público o estándar racial do Podengo Galego e se crea o libro xenealóxico da raza. (in Galician). Diario Oficial de Galicia. 91: 6329–6334. Archived 14 June 2024.
  5. ^ a b Razas Españolas (in Spanish). Madrid: Real Sociedad Canina de España. Archived 11 July 2025.
  6. ^ a b c Podengo galego (in Galician). Xunta de Galicia: Consellería do Medio Rural e do Mar. Archived 16 July 2013.
  7. ^ Alfonso Loño (10 November 2024). Más de 34.000 ladridos (in Spanish). Vigo: Faro de Vigo. Archived 10 November 2024.