Ibizan Hound

The Ibizan Hound can trace its roots back to 4000BC and beyond. Closely resembling the dogs depicted in Egyptian friezes, particularly Anubis, it is true to say the breed or certainly the type, has not changed much in many thousands of years.  Phoenician traders took the Ibizan Hound’s ancestors to the Balearics, and to this day you can find their like in not just the pedigree Ibizan hounds but the many working types known as Podencos and Galgos. 

Like many of the sighthound types, their ownership has in the past been restricted to rich land-owners and nobility, with potentially severe penalties for those of lower classes found in possession of them. Fortunately, these days there are no such bans on owning beautiful sighthounds, and the Ibizan Hound enjoys life as a companion and show dog in many countries including the UK and USA.  

For those with experience of sighthounds, and capable of providing large, secure spaces for free running plus training and onlead exercise, the Ibizan is a fantastic character. If you appreciate funny, often silly, goofy dogs with a good burst of speed, and you have the patience to train a dog that wants to hunt and run, they may be a good match. 

The Ibizan Hound is fast and active and will enjoy two hours a day of dog exercise and ideally more. Once they pick up sight or scent of game they will run and run, and they are agile, athletic jumpers with little understanding of the dangers of traffic. As such, a secure place to let them run is vital as an Ibizan Hound will not be happy with on-lead only walks. This is a dog who does feel the cold and is not well equipped to cope with rain either, so a coat is necessary for slower, on-lead exercise, after free running or during harsh weather.  

Although a tall dog, the Ibizan Hound does not take up a vast amount of space as they are more concerned with being with their owners and being warm and comfortable. Not a dog for those who believe dogs should not sit on sofas however as the Ibizan is a snuggler! Better suited to country and rural suburbs, the city or town environment may be overwhelming and stressful and unlikely to provide the secure space for free running that these hounds require. A secure garden with very high fencing is vital as the Ibizan Hound can jump extremely well! 

The Ibizan Hound needs to have a balanced diet including all the main nutrient groups for dogs and a constant supply of fresh water. It's also important to conduct regular body condition scores to ensure you keep your dog in ideal shape and remember to feed him at least twice daily and in accordance with the feeding guidelines of their particular food. 

The Ibizan Hound is easy to groom, in both the short- or wire-haired varieties. A weekly brush should suffice with both coats. Find out more about dog grooming and daily care with our article. 

When it comes to dog training, sighthounds are often thought to be hard to train but this is rarely true, in fact in the Ibizan Hound has a working past and has fulfilled a role very similar to that of gundogs, in retrieving prey to hand and working closely with their owner. They are a sensitive breed and owners must work hard to keep them engaged, never using harsh methods as only the kindest and most thoughtful use of positive reinforcement will succeed here! Careful attention must be paid to teaching a good recall (although this should never be relied upon), as well as early and thorough socialisation with people and other animals. 
 

With sensible older children the Ibizan Hound can make a good companion but bear in mind that this is a sensitive breed that does require a lot of exercise, so homes with very small children, or busy, noisy households may just not have time for this dog. 

While many dogs are traditionally thought of as being good with children, all dogs and children need to be taught to get on with each other and be safe together. Even so, dogs and young children should never be left alone together and adults should supervise all interactions between them.