The elegant, agile, deer-like hound has an exotic look with its amber eyes and large ears. The dog is peerless when it comes to broad and high jumping abilities which it eloquently uses to hunt in the rough terrain.
Physical Traits
Area of Origin: Spain
Used for: Hunting
Average Life Span: 10-12 years
Color: Red, white or combination of these two
Coat: Smooth or long or wiry coats
Average Height: 22-29 inches
Average Weight: 42-55 pounds
Group: Southern, AKC hound
History and Domestication
The Ibizan Hound looks a lot like the Pharaoh hound with the only difference being the color and coat of the larger Ibizan dog.
Depictions of dogs resembling today’s Ibizan Hounds have been found in Egyptian paintings dating back to 3400 B.C.Â.
Egyptian art frequently included these hounds as its main subject. A concave dish dating to 3100 B.C. was discovered at Nagada in upper Egypt. It is known as the Golenischeff plate.
Considered one of the oldest purebred canines still in existence, it is believed that traders from Egypt brought these dogs to Ibiza and Spain in about 700-900 BC.
Their primary function was hunting and providing food not just for the indigenous people but also for themselves as they were not fed by their owners.
Standard Physical Characteristics
This is an elegant, fine-boned and slender breed. Ibizan hounds have a long and narrow head with a long and tapering muzzle. The stop is very small. The nose is rosy flesh in color. The small eyes are amber colored and give this dog an exotic look. The large ears are erect and pointed. The slender and long neck is slightly arched with a long and deep chest.
Care, Grooming and Health
Three coat varieties are present in Ibizan Hounds: smooth-haired, longhaired and wirehaired. But none of them require a lot of upkeep and grooming. Their coat can be kept shining and smooth by occasional brushing and combing or running a rubber glove over it. This breed sheds moderately.
Ibizan Hounds require a great deal of exercise along with two or three long walks a day to satiate their migration instinct. They also need to stretch their legs with a nice run everyday. You can also let them run alongside your bicycle or let them retrieve. Do not let them off leash unless in a secure area. These are hardy and strong dogs but some of them may be prone to seizures, allergies from drugs and flea powders.
Living Conditions
Ibizan Hound will manage in an apartment if provided with enough exercise. A large, high-fenced yard will be required as these dogs can jump pretty high. They are also fast runners and once on the run, it will be difficult to recapture them.
Temperament
Fanciers sometimes call them “Beezers” due to their calm, quite, playful and polite temperament. The Ibizan Hounds are good with children and are gentle, sensitive and sensible dogs. They can be protective and independent and may hold back from strangers. Due to their hunting instincts, be careful with small pets like rabbits and cats. They must be well-socialized from puppy stage. They like to learn and do it very efficiently. This breed is known to blush when it gets excited.
