Ibizan

AKC Group: Hound

Club: Ibizan Hound Club of the United States

Secretary : Michelle Paulin-Brown
Address: 1245 N 8Th St, Colton, CA , 92324-2439
Website: www.ihcus.org
Email: ahramkennels@aol.com
Club Type: Specialty

General Apperance:

The Ibizan's clean-cut lines, large prick ears and light pigment give it a unique appearance. A hunting dog whose quarry is primarily rabbits, this ancient hound was bred for thousands of years with function being of prime importance. Lithe and racy, the Ibizan possesses a deerlike elegance combined with the power of a hunter. Strong, without appearing heavily muscled, the Ibizan is a hound of moderation. With the exception of the ears, he should not appear extreme or exaggerated.

Size:

Size --The height of dogs is 23½ inches to 27½ inches at the withers. Bitches are 22½ to 26 inches at the withers. There is no preference for size within this range. Sizes slightly over or under the norms are not to be regarded as demerits when other qualities are good. Weight --Average weight of dogs is 50 pounds; bitches, 45 pounds. Proportion --Slightly longer than tall. Substance --The Ibizan possesses clean, fine bone. The muscling is strong, yet flat, with no sign of heaviness.

Coat:

There are two types of coat; both untrimmed. Short --shortest on head and ears and longest at back of the thighs and under the tail. Wire-haired can be from one to three inches in length with a possible generous moustache. There is more hair on the back, back of thighs, and tail. Both types of coat are hard in texture and neither coat is preferable to the other.

Temperament:

The Ibizan Hound is even-tempered, affectionate and loyal. Extremely versatile and trainable, he makes an excellent family pet, and is well suited to the breed ring, obedience, tracking and lure-coursing. He exhibits a keen, natural hunting instinct with much determination and stamina in the field.

History:

Ibizan Hound history is traceable back to approximately 3400 B.C. The Glory that was ancient Egypt was a most fitting setting for this regal hound, which was owned and hunted by the Pharaohs. Numerous artifacts found in the tombs of the Pharaohs now reinforce the existence of such a dog in those long past times.

The tomb of Tutankhamen proved a treasure trove when discovered in 1922. Anubis, "The Watchdog of the Dead," a long-honored deity, was well represented by a full-sized true to life statue, which is the identical duplicate of the Ibizan Hound of today. It was originally thought that the jackal had been the original model, this miscalculation due to the fact the Ibizan was extinct in its land of origin at the time of the discovery.

We can but surmise the movement of the breed from Egypt to the island from which it now derives its name. The hardy sea-traders of Phoenicia were well traveled in those days and had entry to many lands. It was the Phoenicians who discovered the island known as Ibiza in the 8th or 9th century B.C.

This breed survived the hard life that the Ibizan group of Islands has imposed on it. Only the fittest could survive, as food is scarce, and the natives used these dogs to assist in providing the necessary food to sustain their lives.

The first Ibizans reached the United States in mid-1956, imported by Colonel and Mrs. Seoane of Rhode Island. Eight pups were the result of the first breeding, along with several other imports these form the foundations of the breed here. Over the years the breed has flourished in this country. The Ibizan Hound Club of the United States has been most stringent in impressing upon the owners and breeders of this hound the importance of fully retaining the fine qualities of this dog first and foremost, and has kept its pledge to preserve it true to form.