Dog
Portuguese Rabbit Dog Champions
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Pronunciation:
pawr-chuh-geez rab-it dawg
Breed Description:
The Portuguese Water Dog breed of dog ranges in size from a small to a meidum sized breed of dog. They come in three size categories known as Pegueno, which is small, medio, which is medium and grande, which is large. Regardless of size, the breed should be a lean and athletic looking breed with a noticeable tuck up. They are a breed of sighthound so they should have that very slender and leggy appearance to them. The top line is slightly arched and the head is wedge shaped with a large muzzle. The ears are large and stand erect. The tail should be long and should curve slightly at the end.
The coat of the Portuguese Rabbit Dog can be found in two varieties:
Smooth: This is a very short coat that should lay flat against the dog and create a smooth line. The texture should be hard.
Wirehaired: This is a medium length coat that covers the dog completely. It should have a wiry texture and there should be face furnishings. The overall look should be of a shaggy dog.
Both coat types can be found in a number of colors including black and white, yellow and fawn with or without white markings.
Temperament:
The Portuguese Rabbit Dog breed of dog is an intelligent and calm breed that can be strong willed so they are better suited to owners that can provide firm and consistent training. The breed does very well with children of all ages and they can do well with other dogs. Generally, they are usually easy to train and they are often very protective of their family. The breed is not recommended for homes with small pocket pets since they do have a strong prey drive and socialization is very important with this breed since they can be wary of strangers, which may lead to some aggression problems.
Height:
The Portuguese Rabbit Dog can be found in three sizes and the average hieght for the three sizes are, small: between 8 to 12 inches, medium: between 15 and 22 inches, large: between 22 to 27 inches.
Weight:
The Portuguese Rabbit Dog can be found in three sizes and the average wieght for the three sizes are, small: between 9 to 13 inches, medium: between 35 and 44 pounds, large: between 44 to 66 pounds.
Health Problems:
The Portuguese Rabbit Dog breed of dog is a very hardy breed and has no known health problems at this time.
Living Conditions:
The Portuguese Rabbit Dog breed of dog is not recommended for apartments. This is an active breed that needs plenty of space to run around in so a home with a large, fenced yard is best for this breed. It is important to remember that the Portuguese Rabbit dog does have a high prey drive so they need a fenced yard since they will run after neighborhood animals. The breed does well as an outdoor dog but it is important to provide them with adequate shelter from the elements.
Exercise:
The Portuguese Rabbit Dog breed of dog is a very energetic breed of dog and will need about 60 minutes of exercise each day to stay healthy and happy. It is important to note that the breed will become very destructive if they are bored so exercise is very important.
Life Expectancy:
12 to 14 years
Grooming:
The Portuguese Rabbit Dog breed of dog is very easy to groom, regardless of coat type. Generally, a weekly brushing is enough to keep them looking great and the smooth coated variety can be kept clean with a weekly wipe down. Bathing is done only when necessary and the breed can go with only one or two baths per year. Ears should be cleaned on a weekly basis and the nails should be trimmed once or twice a week. The Wirehaired variety may need to have their coat hand stripped every few months to remove dead hairs.
Origin:
The Portuguese Rabbit Dog breed of dog was developed in Portugal and is believed to be a very old and primitive type of dog. In fact, the breed was developed with very limited human interaction so they are considered to be very similar to what they were hundreds of years ago, except in regards to size, which has been altered due to careful breeding. While it is unclear what the breed was developed from, it is believed that either the Pharaoh Hound or the Iberian Wolf were the contributing animals to this breed. Regardless of how the breed was developed, we do know that the Portuguese Rabbit Dog was commonly used for hunting small game and it became well known for its ability for hunting rabbits. The Portuguese Rabbit Dog is often used in that capacity today and has been used for hunting in both packs and on their own. The breed has remained a fairly uncommon breed outside of Portugal. Comments
The standards for all the breeds accepted to the AKC are used here for breed information, and those not part of the AKC are resourced from FCI standard information, where it is written and coded into the club rules for those breeds.
