Ibizan Hound

About the Ibizan Hound

Farmers on Ibiza and the other Balearic islands have long used the Ibizan Hound to take rabbit in rough terrain, working in small groups and using sight, scent and remarkably acute hearing together. The dogs leap from a standstill to clear stone walls, and any garden fence intended to hold one needs to be a good deal higher than it looks.

Tall and lean at about 60 to 70 cm, with enormous erect ears, an arched loin and a light, springy trot, in red and white or solid red or white. The coat comes smooth or wire-haired, both correct. This is a sensitive breed that responds badly to heavy-handed training, and a stud with an outgoing, resilient temperament is a genuine asset, because shyness travels down the generations easily in the sighthound breeds.

The Ibizan is a fairly sound breed without a long list of DNA tests attached to it. Ask about hip scores and a current eye certificate, and about seizures and thyroid function in close relatives. Axonal dystrophy has been reported here, so a direct question about neurological problems in previous litters is sensible. As with the other sighthounds, mention the breed's response to some anaesthetics to any vet who takes on a puppy.

Health & breeding

We check every hip, elbow, eye and DNA result you give us against the Royal Kennel Club’s public records by hand, and we record who checked it and when. The Royal Kennel Club’s public records may not include all the screening a dog has had, so a dog with no Royal Kennel Club record showing is not necessarily untested.