1.Where do you live? How many years in dogs? What do you do “outside” of dogs? Any other hobbies or interests?
We reside in Oakdale, CA. My Wife, Trina and I raise a few different breeds under the name Noble Kennels. I have been involved in dogs since I was 16 years old, so 25 years. With activities ranging from Handling, Grooming, Training, Agility, Breeding, etc.
My “get away from the dogs” is Fishing.
2. An brief overview of your breed (purpose, temperament, popularity, not necessarily by individual dog but in general).
The Portuguese Podengo Pequeno is the smallest member of the Podengos, it is primarily a sighthound, They hunt in packs, usually of all 3 sizes together. As it can be imagined, they are very active and very prey driven and, as such, they require lots of activity and exercise. They also have a tendency to be very vocal.
As more people are discovering how well suited this breed is to performance activities, specially coursing, fast cat, etc. they are becoming more and more popular.
3.Most of the Hound breeds were developed for particular (and almost always outdoor) purposes but now find themselves leading primarily indoor, air-conditioned lives. How do you think Hounds have adapted to this change? Your breed in particular?
Due to their smaller size, they adapted quite well to their new indoor pampered life. I am a firm believer that they still need regular and constant activities and exercise to maintain, not only their physical health, but also their mental health.
4.Current overall quality of the breed
Podengos are more consistent in quality and health than they were when the breed was first introduced to AKC. I think most breeders in the US understood the necessity to increase the size of the gene pool, and so they did by importing dogs from different breeders across Europe. Most developed breeding relationships with said European counterparts. This led to an influx, not only of dogs, but also Information, education, guidance and help.
5.Changes you’ve seen during your time involved in the breed
I have seen our beautiful breed go from a handful of very different examples to a solid breed with defined Breed Type. The Last National Specialty I attended had 100 entries limt and it was reached! The quality of this entry was exceptionally high, with many of dogs deserving the top award equally.
6.Any shift in the balance of popularity among breeds, and why
Like I mentioned before, people are discovering this little hard working hound and realizing its potential not only in conformation, but also in Performance Activities, such as lure coursing, fast cat, agility, obedience, rally, etc. Another factor, I believe, is the minimal grooming as well as the generally good health of this breed.
7.Any particular challenges you, as a breeder/owner, face in our current economic/social climate
Obviously, with all the new anti-dog legislations, it is becoming more difficult and more expensive to keep a kennel properly stocked for breeding. A problem quickly solved by Breeders working together as a team with one common goal, to improve the overall quality of our Podengos.
Just participating in events, with the rising price of gas, lodging, vehicles, etc. is becoming difficult and in some cases prohibiting
8.Any trends you see that you hope continue? Any that you’d like to see stopped?
I love the fact that most breeders and owners are giving as much importance to Performance Activities as to conformation. This is helping and pushing us to breed more “well rounded” dogs. I think that breeding dogs with that are capable of adapting and excelling at as many different activities as one can come up with, is a trend we can all agree to try to continue.
9.Biggest pitfall awaiting new and novice judges?
For the longest time they were only a handful of people that were involved enough to be able to teach newcomers, and the number of dogs available to these new and aspiring judges was small. Now a days, with the increase in popularity and the rise in the numbers, all judges have the opportunity to get information, education and/or hands on experience from a number of different breeders with different opinions and ideals. This is paramount on creating a good and well founded judging criteria.
10.There are numerous Hounds that are considered “glamour” breeds, and some that are more simple in make and shape. Does this affect their recognition in Group and Best in Show competition?
Well, our breed is still new-ish to akc and I think there’s still some judges that haven’t seen or judge enough Podengos.With that being said, We are not amongst the most winning breeds in the group, statistically speaking. As we see bigger entries and more dogs being bred, we will also see (hopefully) an increase in the quality of the dogs being sent to group and BIS which will improve the chances of Podengos.
11.Anything else you’d like to share?
A word of advise for anybody considering getting involved or starting to judge our breed, or any breed for that matter. Do not take my or anybody’s word as the sole truth, talk to as many breeders, owners, handlers, judges as you can, do your diligent research. Come up to your own conclusions. The more educated your opinion is, the more valuable it becomes.
12.And for a bit of humor, what’s the funniest thing you’ve ever seen at a dog show?
Probably when the standard schnauzer I was showing decided to poop on his individual free bait. I didn’t think it was funny at the time, but when I look back at it I can’t stop laughing.
