Official ICCF Breed Description
Brief Historical Background
The Podenco Canario is an ancient hunting breed that developed on the Canary Islands, primarily on Gran Canaria and Tenerife. It is believed that the ancestors of the Podenco were brought to the islands by Phoenicians, Carthaginians, or Egyptians, which is supported by their resemblance to primitive Eastern sighthounds. Over the centuries, these dogs adapted to the hot climate, volcanic terrain, and difficult landscapes, maintaining their natural endurance, lightness, and ability to work for hours without fatigue. The Podenco was used for rabbit hunting, moving in quick leaps and relying on sight, scent, and hearing. The breed has preserved its strong instinct, independence, and functional exterior.
General Appearance
The Podenco Canario is a medium or large hunting dog of a dry, light, and highly functional type. The body is elongated, the muscles are well defined without excess mass. The chest is deep, the belly tucked up, and the topline straight and flexible. The limbs are tall, strong, with good leverage, providing speed and agility. The head is long and dry, with an expressive, attentive look. The ears are large, erect, triangular—one of the breed’s characteristic features. The overall appearance emphasizes endurance, lightness, and natural hunting efficiency. The dog should appear alert, tense, and ready to work.
Important Proportions
The Podenco Canario has elongated, harmonious proportions that ensure speed and endurance. The body length exceeds the height at the withers, creating a characteristic stretched silhouette. The depth of the chest is about half the dog’s height, providing lung capacity and stability during long runs. The length of the limbs is significant, giving the breed a light and high-stepping gait. The head is long, narrow, proportional to the body, and must not be coarse or short. The tail is long, tapering, and natural in shape. All proportions serve movement efficiency, quick directional change, and prolonged pursuit of prey in challenging conditions.
Behavior and Character
The Podenco Canario is attentive, highly reactive, and independent, traits necessary for autonomous hunting in difficult environments. The dog is skilled in spatial orientation, capable of making quick decisions, and maintaining focus at long distances from the handler. The temperament is balanced, without excessive aggression, though the dog remains alert and energetic. In the family, the Podenco is affectionate and calm but requires activity and mental stimulation. The breed is not prone to conflict but may be cautious with strangers. Valued traits include courage, stability, high endurance, and a well-developed hunting instinct.
Head
The head of the Podenco Canario is long, dry, elegant, yet distinctly functional, emphasizing the breed’s primitive type. The skull is elongated, flat, with smooth lines and no coarseness. The stop is weak and barely noticeable. The muzzle is narrow, long, gradually tapering toward the nose while retaining sufficient depth. The lips are thin, tight, and never loose. The jaws are strong with a scissor bite. The cheekbones are not prominent. The overall appearance of the head should be light, dry, and elongated, reflecting speed, attentiveness, and the primitive hunting nature of the breed.
Facial Region
The facial region of the Podenco Canario is dry, elongated, with clean, neat outlines. The nose is well developed, with a large, usually dark or well-pigmented nose leather and wide nostrils, important for active work in heat. The bridge of the nose is straight or slightly convex. The lips are thin and tight. The muzzle is long, deep at the base, tapering toward the nose but remaining functional. The jaws are strong and even, providing a reliable grip. The transition from forehead to muzzle is smooth and barely noticeable. The expression is focused and attentive, emphasizing the breed’s hunting nature.
Eyes
The eyes of the Podenco Canario are oval, of medium size, and set slightly obliquely, giving the dog an attentive and lively expression. Eye color ranges from amber to dark brown and always harmonizes with the coat. The eyelids are dry and tight, without sagging or irritation. The eye rims are well pigmented, enhancing expressiveness. The eyes should reflect intelligence, concentration, and quick reactions typical of a hunting breed. Unacceptable traits include overly light, round, or protruding eyes, as well as signs of strabismus—such features violate breed type and are considered serious faults.
Ears
The ears of the Podenco Canario are one of the most recognizable breed features. They are large, long, broad at the base, high set, and fully erect. Their triangular shape has clean lines with slightly rounded tips. When alert, the ears point forward, emphasizing the dog’s working expression. Their mobility helps detect faint sounds during hunting. Unacceptable traits include low set, weak cartilage, partial folding, heaviness, or breaks. Incorrect ears disrupt the characteristic silhouette of the head and are considered a significant deviation from the standard.
Neck
The neck of the Podenco Canario is long, dry, elegant, yet strong and flexible, enabling high head mobility and light movement. It widens smoothly toward the shoulders, forming a harmonious transition. The musculature is defined but not coarse, and the skin is tight without wrinkles or dewlap. Proper neck structure allows the dog to maintain balance, react quickly to prey, and work efficiently on difficult terrain. A neck that is too short, thick, or excessively thin is unacceptable, as it disturbs proportions or restricts mobility.
Body
The body of the Podenco Canario is dry, elongated, and light, emphasizing the breed’s natural speed and endurance. The topline is straight, resilient, without sagging. The withers are moderately pronounced and smoothly transition into a long, straight back. The loin is short, very strong, and dry, ensuring power transmission from the hind limbs. The chest is deep, narrow, and long, with ribs extending well back to provide lung capacity. The belly is tucked up, highlighting the dry build. The croup is long and slightly sloping, aiding speed and stability during jumps and turns. The body should appear light, strong, and functional.
Tail
The tail of the Podenco Canario is long, strong at the base, and gradually tapering to a fine tip. Set low or moderately high, it hangs in a natural curve when relaxed. In movement, it may rise slightly but must not curl into a ring or lie on the back. Its whip-like shape is a characteristic breed feature. The tail is covered with short hair and emphasizes the dog’s elongated silhouette. Unacceptable traits include excessive shortness, breaks, high carriage, or deviations from the natural line. A correct tail helps maintain balance during turns and rapid acceleration.
Exterior Description
Forequarters
The forequarters of the Podenco Canario are straight, long, very dry but strong, providing lightness and high speed. The shoulder blades are long, moderately sloping, and well laid back, creating a correct shoulder angle and good reach. The upper arm is long and dry. The elbows are directed strictly backward, not turned inward or outward. The forearms are straight, long, and parallel. The wrists are strong and dry. The pasterns are slightly sloping, elastic but not weak. The feet are long and oval, with tight pads and well-knit toes, providing good traction on rocky and uneven ground. The forequarters must emphasize lightness, speed, and natural hunting functionality.
Hindquarters
The hindquarters of the Podenco Canario are long, dry, and powerful, providing a strong push and high endurance during prolonged hunting. The thighs are long, muscular but not coarse, and well defined. The lower thighs are elongated and dry, forming correct joint angles. The stifles are strong, directed strictly forward. The hocks are low set, strong, and flexible, providing maneuverability on rough terrain. The metatarsi are straight, vertical, without softness. The feet are oval, compact, with tight pads and well-knit toes. The hindquarters must provide driving power and stability in the breed’s quick and light movement.
Gait and Movement
The gait of the Podenco Canario is light, springy, and very free, reflecting the breed’s natural speed and endurance. At the trot, the movement is straight, fast, with good reach in the forelimbs and strong drive from the hind limbs. The topline remains stable, without sway. The dog must demonstrate excellent coordination, sudden acceleration, rapid directional changes, and sustained pace. Movements are economical, airy, without heaviness or stiffness. Faults include toeing-in, toeing-out, short steps, weak joints, or coordination issues. Correct movement highlights hunting efficiency and the breed’s physical excellence.
Coat
The coat of the Podenco Canario is short, smooth, dense, and tight to the body. It is firm enough to protect the dog from scratches, branches, and sun exposure in the island climate. Undercoat is minimal or nearly absent, suitable for hot environments and aiding thermoregulation. The coat is even in length, shorter on the head and limbs. Unacceptable traits include excessively soft, long, wavy, or curly coat, as well as lack of density or noticeable looseness. The coat must emphasize the dry, light type of the breed and provide functional protection during work.
Acceptable Colors
Acceptable colors of the Podenco Canario include various shades of red, fawn, and brown—from light sandy tones to rich reddish hues. Uniform, zoned, and slightly shaded variants are allowed, as long as the color remains natural and harmonious. Limited white markings are acceptable—small spots on the chest, tail tip, or toes—provided they do not disrupt the overall appearance. Unacceptable are large white patches, fully white dogs, unusual, marbled, or black colors not typical for the breed. The color must emphasize the natural and primitive type of the Podenco Canario.
Size
The Podenco Canario is a medium or large dog, maintaining lightness and dryness of build. Height at the withers for males is typically 55–64 cm, for females 53–60 cm. Weight ranges from 20 to 30 kg, depending on build and musculature. The dog should appear tall, light, and swift, without excessive massiveness or coarseness. Body length exceeds height at the withers, emphasizing the stretched silhouette. Deviations that disturb balance, functionality, or working type are undesirable. All measurements must support the breed’s natural specialization—rapid pursuit hunting.
Faults
Faults in the Podenco Canario include features that disrupt harmony or reduce working ability. These include weak bone, insufficient musculature, excessive softness, short limbs, or coarseness. Important faults are overly short or broad head, weak jaws, very light or round eyes, low or soft ear set. Movement faults include stiffness, short steps, toeing-in, toeing-out, or weak joints. Coat faults include excessively soft, long, or wavy hair, pronounced undercoat, or lack of density. Behavioral faults include cowardice, nervousness, or weak hunting instinct.
Disqualification
Disqualifying faults include serious deviations that compromise breed type or functional ability. Unprovoked aggression, panic fear, severe nervousness, or lack of control disqualify the dog. Unacceptable issues include severe bite faults, absence of several essential teeth, deformities of the skull or limbs affecting movement. Dogs with excessive depigmentation of nose or eyelids, fully white coat, large incorrect patches, or colors not typical for the breed are disqualified. Alopecia, very small size, pronounced bone weakness, and congenital or genetic defects affecting health and work ability are also grounds for disqualification.
Important Notes
Evaluation of the Podenco Canario must consider the breed’s natural specialization—hunting in hot climates and rough terrain. The dog's ability to conserve energy, sustain long runs, and react quickly is essential. Seasonal coat changes due to climate are acceptable. Young dogs may show temporary disproportion due to growth and muscle development. Loss of primitive type, excessive decorativeness, or coarseness is unacceptable. Special attention is given to balanced temperament, strong prey drive, and harmonious movement reflecting the breed’s natural working character.
Conclusion
The Podenco Canario is an ancient, functional, and enduring hunting breed that retains natural agility, speed, and a stable temperament. In the ICCF system, only dogs with official ICCF documentation confirming origin, identification, and compliance with the standard are eligible for shows and breeding. Breeding aims to preserve working qualities, correct proportions, a light dry body, proper temperament, and harmonious exterior. The dog must show confidence, activity, and natural hunting motivation. The Podenco Canario remains a loyal partner and effective hunting dog true to its traditional type.
