Ibizan Hound

Ibizan Hound - Breed Profile:

Origin: Spain
Colors: Red, white, combination of both
Size: Medium
Type of Owner: Experienced
Exercise: Vigorous
Grooming: Very little
Trainability: Slightly difficult to train
Combativeness: Tends to be fairly dog-aggressive
Dominance: Moderate
Noise: Average barker

Physical characteristics

The Ibizan Hound is a medium size dog with an agile, deer-like built, long arched neck, long wedge-shaped head, and amber eyes. The body is elegant and athletic, with a deep chest and slightly sprung ribs. It is fine-boned, but not as slender as in many other sight hounds. The topline is smooth and flowing. The front legs are very long, perfectly straight, strong and close. The back legs are very strong too, with flat muscling. The skull is long and flat, with a very slight stop. The muzzle is elongated, fine, and slender. The large triangular ears stand up when the dog is alert. The prominent nose extends beyond the lower jaw. Its colour is usually rosy flesh, never black or liver. The teeth should meet in a scissor bite. The tail is long and slender, hanging low when the dog is relaxed and carried a bit higher when the dog is alert. The gait is graceful and floating.
Ibizan Hounds weigh 42 to 55 pounds. The height is 22 to 29 inches.

Temperament

Ibizan Hounds are quiet, clean, playful and polite. Trainable, but may be wilful and get bored easily. Many individuals are friendly while some can be somewhat independent and reserved. Tends to be combative with dogs of the same sex but proper socialization at an early age should eliminate this. Sensible and sensitive to their surroundings. Can be protective of their owners. The Ibizan Hound was bred to hunt small creatures so it is best to keep these animals out of their way. Nonetheless, these dogs can get along well with cats if raised with them from puppyhood. These dogs tend to mature quickly as they are natural learners and will pick up skills with great vigour and intensity. Plenty of exercise is necessary to keep this dog happy. Bored dogs can become destructive, barky, and gruff.

Coat and grooming

The coat comes in two varieties: smooth and wire-haired. In the smooth variety, the shortest hair is on the head and ears while the longest hair appears on the thighs and under the tail. Wire-haired dogs have a coat 1 to 3 inches long,with a possible generous moustache. The back, back of thighs, and the tail have more hair. Ibizan Hounds come in solid white, solid red, or a combination of these colours. Very little grooming is necessary.

Health

The Ibizan Hound has a genetic propensity for Axonal Dystrophy, a nerve and muscle disease. Some lines seem to be prone to seizures. This breed is also sensitive to the cold. The lifespan is 10 to 12 years.

Other interesting facts

The Ibizan Hound is very similar to the Pharaoh Hound, with the main difference being the coat colour and the Ibizan's larger size. Depictions of dogs that looked much like today's Ibizan Hound were found in ancient Egypt about 3400 BC. It is thought that sea traders brought these dogs to the island of Ibiza, along with other surrounding islands off the coast of Spain about 700-900 BC.