The Odyssey dog is fiercely loyal and stubborn by nature

The dog in The Odyssey represents eternal loyalty, but the Portuguese Podengo is also an independent, strong-willed breed that requires an experienced owner, Yle reports.

In the story of Odysseus, the hunting dog Argos is the only creature to recognise him immediately when he returns from the Trojan War after 20 years disguised as an old beggar.

In the new film The Odyssey, Argos is portrayed as a Portuguese Podengo, a hunting breed more than 2,600 years old. The small, rough-haired dog combines unusual independence with loyalty to its owners.

A stubborn and strong-willed breed

“Stubborn as a donkey. They have no desire whatsoever to please,” says Outi Piisi, chair of the breed association and a conformation judge. Piisi owns two rough-haired Portuguese Podengos.

Piisi, who has decades of experience with dogs including Irish Wolfhounds, says her breeders would not sell a Podengo as a first dog to anyone. She says she understands that decision well.

The Portuguese Podengo is rare in Finland. Piisi says that in roughly nine years, only one person she encountered has recognised the breed.

The breed comes in three sizes: small, medium and large. In addition to the rough-haired variety seen in the film, there is a smooth-haired variety, making six variations in total.

Piisi describes the Podengo as independent and primitive. The breed is still used for hunting in Portugal, and some Finnish Podengos have a strong prey drive while others have a weaker one.

“The breed is primitive, but at the same time extremely loyal to its own owners. That is quite a rare combination in a dog’s temperament,” Piisi says.

A strong prey drive can make everyday life difficult. Piisi says her younger dog has killed four European hares in the fenced yard at home, animals that were considerably larger than the dog.

“If the dog gets loose, it actively goes looking for prey. The risk of an accident is high if there are a lot of cars nearby,” Piisi warns. She says dog forests in Finland have provided relief for owners of Podengos and other dogs.

Loyal, but not eager to please everyone

Piisi says her own Podengos defend their owners against other dogs, but that does not mean they are aggressive.

Unlike many dogs eager to please, a primitive dog does not run up to everyone with its tail wagging. It first observes a new person and only then approaches to say hello.

The breed is rare in Finland. In 2009, Finland had the world’s second-largest Podengo population after Portugal. Since then, registration numbers have followed the general trend and declined.

Last year, 12 rough-haired Portuguese Podengo puppies were born in Finland. By the beginning of August this year, 16 puppies had been registered.

Piisi says the film One Hundred and One Dalmatians caused a sharp increase in the breeding of Dalmatians. She does not expect the popularity of Podengos to rise in the same way.

“There may be somewhat more enquiries about puppies, but not on a large scale, especially since this is quite a rare breed,” she says.

Even if demand increases, there are few dogs available. Finland has only a small number of breeders, and the same is true of Sweden.

The film presents the dog’s loyalty as moving. In reality, the Portuguese Podengo is also extremely loyal, but only to people who understand its primitive nature and are prepared to live with an independent, strong-willed dog.

The dog’s 20-year lifespan in the film is not far from reality. Piisi knows of Portuguese Podengos in Finland that lived to 18. The breed’s average lifespan is 12 to 15 years.