Dog Breed Guide

Ibizan Hound

Profile

Size

Large

Country of origin

Spain (Ibiza)

Origin

Ancient

Bred for

Rabbit hunting

Height

male 66 - 72cm (26 - 28in), female 60 - 67cm (24 - 26in)

Weight

male about 22.5kg (50lb), female about 19kg (42lb)

Life span

11 - 14 years

An elegant hunting dog with long, slender legs, large erect ears and a long, narrow head. Its nose, ears and eye rims are pink, and its amber eyes give it a distinctive look. The coat may be short or wiry, in combinations of red and white.

It has a phenomenal ability to leap high from a standstill, spotting prey in the undergrowth from above and pouncing on it. Because of this, a home with an Ibizan needs a high fence.

Calm and friendly, the Ibizan is affectionate with its family, but its instinct to chase prey is extremely strong. It will chase small moving animals with total abandon, so be careful where you let it off the leash.

Good to know

On Ibiza, one of Spain's Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean, this dog has been used to hunt rabbits for thousands of years. It is believed to have been brought to the island about 3,000 years ago by Phoenician merchants trading across the Mediterranean.

Its appearance closely resembles hunting dogs painted on the walls of ancient Egyptian tombs, and it has long been said to be a descendant of the dogs that hunted alongside the pharaohs.

Hunters on Ibiza still send packs of several dogs after rabbits on the rocky hills. The dogs find their prey with their keen hearing and sense of smell, leap over the brush and run it down with astonishing bursts of speed. The breed first reached the United States around 1950.