What is it like owning a Podenco

Being the owner of a Podenco

I have heard several people wishing that they had a Podenco too after visiting me and meeting Amber inside the house. She is absolutely adorable, lazy, likes to cuddle, can do some cool tricks and has the talent of making people laugh.

She really is a different dog, she actually reminds me of a cat quite a lot. She uses her paws when asking for attention, investigating objects or playing. She often cleans herself with her tongue, sleeps on your lap or right next to a radiator. She is also very talkative and has her own language of grunts, squeeks and rumbles, she uses this language to let us know when we are talking too loud when she is sleeping, when she would like attention or wants to go out or when she would like us to wake up. Also if you are scratching in the right area she will let you know that that is the spot she likes you to keep on scratching.

She truly is the adorable sweet queen of the house.


She has two personalities though... outside she is the opposite, if she wouldn't be on a leash, she disappears as soon as she smells something interesting, zig-zagging her way towards the source of the smell, completely deaf to anything else around her. She does occassionally run back, sticking her head out of the bushes to check if we are still there, turns around and runs towards the smell or animal or whatever she found.
She is very distracted by all the sounds, smells and movement outside at all times, it was especially bad when we first had her. She is more used to the world now, and with some nice treats she actually pays some attention to the human attached to her, but this attention is gone as soon as something more interesting comes past. She is a real hunter, and very hard to snap out of her hunting zone as soon as she is in it.

Running!!!

I am training recall, with a whistle and some very amazing treats, but I would never trust her even if she would listen well, one hare racing past and she just can't resist chasing it. Let's her hunting instinct will calm a bit over time...

She is the kind of dog that is very independent, who doesn't really need an owner there, she just likes to wonder around by herself and do her own thing most of the time, and this comes back in her training.
A Podenco is an ancient breed, which are known for their independece and hard to train personality, that doesn't mean that she can't be trained, it can just take some more time than with other types of dogs.  

Always exploring

For example, I wanted to teach her some agility, I let her jump over a small obstacle, praise her, give her treats... she is happy and excitited, so we do it again! She is still happy and excited! Oke, let's try it one more time!... She is a bit less excited... If I would ask her again to jump over the obstacle... she sometimes just walks off, wondering why I would ask her to jump the same thing 4 times?! How absolutely useless! 
So whatever I train, I keep the sessions very short, and only train a certain thing once or twice a week, so it doesn't become boring and uninteresting, this way she keeps her excitement about it and it stays fun.

One more example, playing fetch. She comes up running very excited with a tennis ball, wants me to throw it. So I trow it and she goes after it like a maniac, runs back, I trow the ball again, she still runs after it and catches it just like any ball crazy dog would do. I trow it again... and.... suddenly... she decides that the game is boring now, so she just gives me a sheepish look, looks back at the ball and walks in the opposite direction. This kind of behaviour has suprised many people, most people know dogs that would go after a ball or play with a toy all day long if they could, and even when they are tired they would still go after it when you throw it. Not Amber though... only when she feels like it. Because of her sudden decisions that she doesn't like to play anymore caused us to accidently hit her in the face with a ball or other toy sometimes... oops.... (we don't throw it hard though, don't worry).

Oke oke, one more example of why she is so different to other dogs. I went to this searching group where toys would be hidden in the forest and the dogs would have to find it, bring it back to the owner and receive a treat or playtime (see outdoor activities). Amber knows what is expected, we do it at least once a week by ourselves and she always likes it! So we go to this group, every person hides their dog's toy one by one, and get their extremely excited dogs out of their cars... I mean, those dogs are almost exploding out of their skin from excitement of finding this toy in the forest, the owners have to hold on to the leads with their life otherwise they would burst out and find the toy immediately. They are often barking, almost shaking and crying. As soon as the owner releases them they burst forward like a canon into the forest, run around like crazy, and when they find the toy they run back to the owner as fast as they can just for a minute of playtime, they couldn't be happier! 
So then I get Amber out of the car, she calmly walks with me, smelling the ground for all the interesting dog smells, looks up at the people with a slowly wagging tail. I first let her sit, she sits calmly, looking at me. I tell her 'zoek!' and she goes into the direction I point at, trotting not running... sniffs around a bit, if she finds the toy she picks it up, looks over at me and slowly walks to me to receive her treat. After which she already starts sniffing around for other way more interesting smells.
I must say, she does get more excited with the actual scent tracking, where food is the price, but she is hard to really get excited. 

Very playfull with other dogs and toys outside

Of course I am not saying that every Podenco is the same as Amber, Amber lived in a shelter for a year and it could very well be that she picked up some habits in there. Personality wise, she is very calm and independent. I received some puppy pictures from someone who adopted one of her siblings. On the pictures you see the two other siblings right at the fence and interacting with the person taking the picture, on the background you see Amber, by herself, chewing a toy. I guess she has always been a bit of a shy dog, a bit of a loner and not easily impressed. 
However, I do read a lot of stories from other Podenco owners, and some characteristics are very much related to the breed. Their independent nature, couch potato inside and fearless hunter outside, not very willing to please (compared to breeds like the border collie, golden retriever etc.), catlike behaviours and a lot of humor.

And always alert...

You got to love them, but they are not for everybody! I personally really love how she is, I am a calm person myself, not very loud or outspoken, I can be very lazy but like to be active as well, so as a dog she fits my personality perfectly. So for anyone looking for a dog, looks should come on second place, research the breed and get to know the personality of the dog before you adopt, if you do it right you are going to have an amazing companion!
  

Check this video for some funny, real podenco like moments!