Surrounded by Podencos…adopt one

Another lovely rehoming story, from Janice Ball, who proves that podencos are addictive – you can’t have just one, you need more!

The story of how I came to own 4 Podencos is down to me joining facebook, until then I had never heard of a Podenco! I started to see them on various rescue sites and then I spotted Suzi who had been in kennels for over 2 years and no one had enquired about her, she really touched my heart strings and I just fell in love with her. I adopted her there and then and she came over in 2013. She has been with me now a year and she is the prettiest most loving dog ever who greets all her fellow brothers and sisters every morning with kisses and licks. She loves all people and dogs but is not too keen on cats or birds as she sees these as something to chase as she has almost certainly done a bit of hunting at some point in her past life in Spain.

Of course, after Suzi I thought maybe another Podenco to join her and I was looking on Facebook yet again and spotted a lovely young Podenco at Charlotte del Rio’s Finca. She was a really cute and naughty little one, only young and my heart was lost yet again. However I decided that as I already had a very similar dog in the guise of Rudi a very naughty and young Italian/whippet that I rescued here, maybe 2 of the same would be a bad move!

So there she was………Scarlet waiting for me to spot her. An older podenco who had been abused. Her back leg had been broken and had healed itself while she was either loose or being kept prisoner by her hunter we don’t know exactly. Charlotte rescued her and she had been with her a while and she so needed her home. I have never loved a dog more, she is just so deserving of having a home, she delights in coming everywhere with me and although she is now 11 is very energetic and up for most things. I shall never forget seeing her little face looking out of the cage in the van when she came over, worried but just taking it all in her stride.

So my pack of Podencos is growing and yes there again I am seeing a little Maneto Podenco this time, who has been found tied up with his chip cut out of his neck and he is bleeding. His ear has his hunter’s mark, cut down 2 inches so that he is always known to him. Paco as I called him is a short-legged podenco and he is a real character. He is now 3 years old but has an old head on his little body and will not stand any nonsense from any of his pack here. If anyone causes trouble according to Paco, he’s running after them with a good telling off. He is so happy on his walks and always turns round and smiles at me while jumping with sheer happiness.

My next venture was to help a friend out with her online rescue and that is where I found my last Podenco Casey. A frightened little chap who was having trouble at the pound and even after going to a rescue kennel was finding it hard and just couldn’t get used to people. I kept thinking about him and his sweet freckled face and the fact that as he was going to be a bit more work for someone, perhaps I should take him. So yes that’s just what I did and he came over in November 2013, a very frightened little boy who didn’t really come out of his crate fro 3-4 days. He wouldn’t let anyone touch him without running back inside the crate, but all my other dogs helped him so much by going in the crate with him, one by one and gradually he decided one day he was never going back in the crate again. It has taken a while for him to feel at home and he still has a few issues with certain men. He is just worried about what they may do to him as he knows what some man has done.

Casey is now a very happy dog who sits on my lap and craves love and affection. He follows me daily on my comings and goings and is really my dog, although he does love the 3 men who live here, my husband and 2 sons.

I hope after hearing how I came to own my Pods that you will consider one as they are the most affectionate and very smart dogs.I have been able to train all of mine to sit and do little tricks. They really love to be able to perform for you and make you happy. Podencos are my most favourite breed of dog and I will always have one or two or even four.