Ibizan Hound Podenco Stories
PODENCOS RULE OK?
If there is anyone out there thinking of adopting a Podenco – do it!!!
They are the most amazing dogs – very clean, fun loving, extremely affectionate and obedient [most of the time!]. I had always had Dobermann bitches and could not imagine having any other breed but my 2 Podencos have totally stolen my heart.
My first Podenco was Chica who was thrown out of a car just outside [fortunately] the house of some friends of mine in Andalucía. She was pregnant and absolutely terrified of humans. She built a nest in my friends’ garden and subsequently gave birth [totally on her own] to 5 healthy puppies. My friends eventually managed to get her trust and moved the family into one of their outbuildings. By this time I had fallen in love with Chica . Homes were found for the puppies and Chica was taken in to live with my friends until I could return to Spain and bring her back with me to the UK. She is a small Podenco of about 5/6 years and absolutely adorable.
Chica came to me in 2008 and settled into life in the UK, with myself and Ira [ elderly Dobermann] without any problems. Because she was so wonderful I decided, when Ira died, to have another Podenco to keep her company.
So Gypsy came next in October 2009. She came from Ibizan Hound Rescue and was one year old when she arrived in the UK. She had been very badly treated by humans and is still slightly submissive with men. Her tail had been hacked off but she makes up for it by wiggling her bum, hence the name Gypsy Bendy-Bum! She is so full of energy and such a buffoon. We are attending dog training at the moment and she is learning so fast. A fantastic dog!
Chica and Gypsy have become firm friends and my life is so enriched by having them around.
Ibizan Hound Rescue was fantastically helpful and Diane, her foster mum, sent me photos and details of Gypsy’s personality; and still keeps in touch.
So, come on!! Adopt a wonderful Podenco, you will NEVER regret it!!!Jess’ Story
First of all we would like to take this opportunity to give a huge thanks to Valerie
and the Ibizan Hound Team for making it possible for my Mum and I to have such an amazing rescue dog in our lives. When Jess arrived in November 2009, although a little timid, she was a very gentle and affectionate dog. We bonded instantly and she has fitted in with our family brilliantly. It was very clear when we got Jess that she had been very well looked after by the rescue team.
Jess is out everyday walking in the countryside. Most of the time she is off the lead, her recall is brilliant. She is fantastic with sheep and horses. I jog three times a week for about 3 miles and Jess is at my side there and back, no lead and absolutely loves it. Whenever we are in the pet shops/stores, we take Jess with us where she chooses her own little bags of goodies. Toys are her favourite especially her frizbee, teddy and tug toy. Jess has started agility classes, where she has been complemented for her beauty, behaviour and responsiveness. Due to her agile physique and her speed she is a prospect for Crufts 2011.
We can take Jess anywhere and she is constantly complimented on her temperament, manners and her attractiveness. Jess is also fantastic with children, I have two young cousins and they adore her and she adores them. She loves playing with them and is extremely gentle. We walk along the beach most weeks where Jess loves to chase the birds. Having been very close to the birds, has only ever wanted to play with them. Her personality is full of fun and mischief; she is very patient, affectionate and we are really privileged to have her in our lives. Jess is growing with confidence every day and its amazing watching her. She has brought so much to our lives it is difficult to put into words, so much so that we are adopting a playmate for her. We didn’t need to look anywhere else, we knew exactly where to go and he will be with us by the end of March.
If anyone has any doubts about adopting a podenco from the Ibizan Hound Team, please don’t hesitate to give them my details and they are very welcome to visit our home, as I can’t recommend them highly enough.
Mia Mawdsley
Scotland
Annabel's story.
I never could have imagined what I would find one cold November morning when I went to order firewood down at the log yard. As I chatted with the old man who ran the place I sensed a movement behind me and glanced around. Talk about do a double take. There was this poor skeleton of a podenco with oddly formed front legs. I was so shocked and upset. The woodman told me she was a stray that visited his place everyday for scraps of stale bread that he saved for her.
I was more horrified when I realised that she had milk and, therefore, had puppies somewhere. It took days for me to find her puppy (obviously I couldn't take mum away until the puppies were found). Alone and close to death he was in a little hole in the hard, arid land that mum had managed to dig out for him. His eyes looked newly opened and I think he was between 10 and 14 days old. I took both mum and puppy away. As soon as the puppy, Corky, was old enough to leave his mum he went to live with my friends. Mum stayed with me and had surgery on the most misshapen of her front legs.
She was a very nervous dog to begin with but as she bonded with me her cheeky nature became evident. Despite her funny little legs she is a very happy and comical dogs and runs like the wind (especially if a rabbit or squirrel are in front of her!). She is a joy to be around and I swear that if this dog were human she would be a stand up comedian. We love her to bits and she constantly has us in stitches with her antics. She has a bright and sunny disposition which undoubtedly carried her through the very hard times she had to endure as a dog struggling to survive on the streets.
She loves living in the UK, the softer ground here seems to suit her much better and the discovery of squirrels (which we did not have in the South of Spain) has livened her up no end.
For many reasons Annabel is a very special dog and she touches everybody who meets her. She is a great ambassador for Podencos in the UK and does much to raise awareness for the breed.
Woody is a three-year old podenco. He came to the UK to live with me in November 2009. He had been tied up outside the shelter in January 2008, injured and underweight. His left shoulder had been broken previously, but with the care of the team at the shelter, his limp disappeared during his time with them.
I knew nothing about Podencos, but as soon as I saw a photograph of Woody posing on the table looking so regal, but kind and cuddly at the same time, I knew I wanted to give him a home.
So, I read about the breed on the internet. There’s a good description of their character on this site I then emailed the shelter in Los Gallardos. I was given honest, helpful information about Woody and podencos generally. I was also given some email addresses of previous podenco-adopters, so that I could ask them about any concerns I had, which was great.
A holiday in Spain was booked, and this included a visit to the shelter to meet Woody. I don’t know whether he knew he had to impress me, but he stood on his back legs with front paws on my shoulders and gave me a big kiss. That clinched the deal as far as I was concerned. I wanted to take him home there and then! The commitment of the team at the shelter was incredible, and I was pleased to know that I was being assessed and considered as a potential adopter – as great importance is placed on the home being suitable and permanent.
Happily, I was offered the chance to give Woody a home, subject to a homecheck and re-fencing my garden to make it podenco-proof! Everything was so easy after that. All healthchecks and vaccinations are done, pet passports provided, they are driven over to the UK in small groups by experienced drivers - it really is all done for you. See How to Adopt a Hound on this site. The information I was given about Woody’s character was comprehensive and very accurate, I was amazed that Valerie, the shelter manager, had the time to get to know the dogs so well, there are so many there. I was given the x-rays of the shoulder injury, and advice on how to minimise future problems. I also felt that, if needed, there was support and advice available post-adoption, which was reassuring.
I wouldn’t be without Woody now, and would have no hesitation in recommending these dogs. He is affectionate, an utter comedian, sweet, gentle, playful, loyal, sociable, inquisitive, and not averse to stealing sausages from the worktop! 
All the local dog-walkers are delighted to see him when we’re out, he loves showing off and it’s great to see him leap and run. I have worked on his recall and he is very good now; however, podencos are hunting dogs and love a chase, so I only walk in safe areas away from roads. He is elegant & very agile, and loves to jump stiles – sometimes waiting until I’m halfway over and jumping through my legs! If you want a loyal companion with lots of cuddles and entertainment, consider adopting a podenco!
From Maddy and Kevin, North Somerset.
Petra, our 3 year old podenco/lurcher, came to live with us in June 2008. She
had been abandoned as a puppy and spent the next 2.5 years at the rescue centre waiting for her forever home. We are so lucky to have Petra in our lives, she is truly a wonderful girl. She makes us laugh with her funny ways, and it is so rewarding to see her develop and flourish as the months go by.
She is such a bright, happy, affectionate little dog – her tail is always wagging! She loves cuddles, and adores snuggling up to us on the sofa. She is a treat to take for walks, she just loves to be out on the hills, sniffing about in hedges, jumping over stiles or bird-watching!
I cannot recommend PAWS/Ibizan Hounds highly enough. We had a 6 month wait for our girl and throughout that time we had lots of exciting updates and photos. Petra was even fostered into a home environment for the last 2 months of her life in Spain. So much care and attention went into preparing her to live with us and we are so thankful to the Ibizan Hounds team for all they did. She was the perfect match for us and our resident rescued greyhound.
The descriptions we had of her were very open and honest and we really felt
like we knew her by the time she arrived. All the travel arrangements were so well organised and we were very happy that all her needs were more than met on the journey over. If you are considering a long-distance adoption, it is definitely worth it! Everyone who meets Petra in the UK says they can’t believe she waited so long for a home, it seems that lots of people think she is the perfect dog (well, she is!).
We love Petra to bits and I just couldn’t imagine life without my special girl.
This is from Chris, Sharon and Callum who found their Podenco abandoned in Velez Malaga:
We have been on your website and seen the work you do, and my wife and myself both think you deserve world wide recognition. (Comment - many thanks for your comments from the Iibizan Hound rescue team)
We have an andaluz podenco and he is our baby. We lived in Velez Malaga for a few years and our dog was dumped very close to the apartment that we were renting. He was 1 or 2 days old, eyes closed, very very little fur and cold.
My wife hand fed him every few hours for 24 hours a day for 6 weeks. This included 
stimulating his bottom and willy with a cotton bud. We now live back in England due to family ill health, and our dog Martes (we found him on a Tuesday) is now 6 and a half years old. He loves his walks in the fields and woods, but most of all he loves the beach.
We are fortunate in that we live in Torquay and have lots of different walks for him. I would just like to say that if anyone is thinking of taking one of your dogs and is a bit wary if they will settle in England, let them have my e-mail address and I will let them see how happy our little boy is, and send them photo's.
These dogs are the most loving, affectionate, loyal, happy and gentle of most breeds we know. Martes certainly knows how to wrap us round his little paws, with his many ways of communicating. He tends to paw us, wag his tail at the food cupboard and smile playfully. He has been an absolute pleasure to have and we are honoured that he found his way into our lives.