Podenco Post

Category: Advice

  • Muzzle a podenco? Never!

    Podenco with muzzle 400
    I have been involved with podenco and galgo rescue for 14 years. I’ve travelled regularly into Spain with a French rescue association to bring Spanish rescued galgos and podencos back to France for foster and adoption. I have NEVER met a podenco which needed to wear a muzzle!

    I was horrified to see this photo, especially on a senior dog. Yet it should not be a surprise since the podenco seems to be with a greyhound from a UK retired racing greyhound rescue, some of whom believe every greyhound/galgo should be muzzled.

    Since moving back to the UK in January 2021 I have met many greyhounds who are companion dogs and not one of them wore a muzzle. Naturally all were on leads when walked in public but their adopters had never felt the need to use a muzzle. To me, it creates the image that the dog is dangerous!

    Have any of my readers felt the need to muzzle their adopted Spanish dog?

    I’ve had an email from a reader to say dogs have to be muzzled on ferries. However, when we have travelled our dogs on ferries they are not muzzled as they travel in cages, as do the dogs on official pet transport. If the dog is loose in the vehicle, then they could be muzzled, perhaps?

  • Denuncia App for smartphones

    Denuncia app for smartphones 400 5 2021

  • What is an Alpha Dog?

    Myths about the Alpha Dog – do you have one? Read the full article here.

  • 10 Commandments

    10 commandments Paranormal 400

  • Poignant thoughts from a Vet on euthanasia

    This is a story from a vet in South Africa. Not about galgos but but probably there are many more vets around the world and in Spain who feel the same as her, putting down healthy galgos in perreras.

    ‘I have been writing this post in my head for nearly 3 years and until today I’ve never been brave enough to post it. But recently some people doing similar work and facing much the same reality have used social media to speak up about a topic that for so long has not been discussed. Their bravery has given me the courage to finally share my thoughts and experiences about something that I’ve needed to for so long.

    Today I euthanased 5 dogs. This is not an uncommon task for a vet to perform and getting into the profession you are well aware of the fact that this is something you will have to do in your chosen career. However, the dogs I put down today were not sick, they were not injured, they were not old and they were not unhealthy in any way. They were not untamed and they were not aggressive. They were perfect, healthy and normal dogs. There was no reason for them to lose their lives today other than that they were failed by humans because of the current overpopulation crisis of domestic animals particularly dogs that so few people are prepared to accept and try to understand.

    (more…)

  • Having a dog makes you rich – are you a millionaire?

    Having a dog makes you rich 400

  • Dog poisons growing in your garden

    Many common garden plants are actually poisonous to dogs. Click on this link to read the full article.

  • Glaucoma in podencos

    Even though I’ve been involved in the plight of the podencos since 2007 after my first journey into Spain with the French association L’Europe des Levriers to bring back rescued podencos and galgos for rehoming in France, I’m always learning about them.

    Recently I was contacted by a reader whose Podenco has been diagnosed with glaucoma, asking if it could be hereditary. Going on my scant knowledge of glaucoma in humans as my late mother-in-law was a sufferer and her son is regularly tested for the problem, my guess is that this could be an inherited problem.

    Researching information on glaucoma in dogs, I came across this website which explains the problem.

    Sadly my reader’s dog was diagnosed too late to save its sight so be aware that if your dog seems to have conjunctivitis, it should also be tested for glaucoma – treatment early enough can save the dog’s sight.

    If any other readers have experience of this with their podencos, please share your experience.

  • Why punishing your dog doesn’t work

    Read the full article on this link.

  • Fern’s Law in the UK – make it compulsory for lost & stolen pets to be checked for chips

    On this link you can read the petition for Fern’s Law – to make it compulsory for lost and stolen pets to be checked for microchips when recovered.

    On this weblink you can read the report of the debate in Parliament.