Overview
The Portuguese Pointer, or Perdigueiro Português, is a pointing dog from Portugal. It is used mainly to find and point red-legged partridge.
It is a medium-sized, short-coated gundog, bred for stamina and a good nose in the warm, dry Portuguese countryside.
History
The first breed standard was written in 1939. The Fédération Cynologique Internationale accepted the breed definitively in 1955, and in 2006 there were 1805 bitches in the stud-book.
Appearance
This is a medium-sized dog. Dogs stand 54 to 60 cm and weigh 20 to 27 kg, while bitches stand 50 to 56 cm and weigh 16 to 22 kg.
The coat has no undercoat and is short, close and coarse, thinner around the natural openings and softer on the ears and head. It is yellow from light to dark, with or without white markings.
Temperament
The breed is a keen, hard-working hunter that is generally attentive to its handler and good-natured with people. It has the drive of a true gundog and does best when given a job.
Care and exercise
It needs a lot of daily exercise and ideally regular hunting or field work. The short coat takes little grooming beyond brushing. Check the ears after outdoor work.
