Ibizan Hound, also known as Beezers, is an athletic hound dog known for its resilience and cheerful companionship as a pet and a watchdog. Initially, they were bred to hunt rabbits and game on Ibiza’s Balearic Island. They also compete in agility, obedience, conformation, lure coursing, and tracking, in addition to being much-loved family companions.
The Ibizan Hound is an agile and leggy traveler from the beginning of civilization, known as world-class leapers and sprinters needing ample space to air out their engines. They possess a deer-like expression and elegance, with activities that reflect these qualities. However, a lithe build allows them to perform a double-suspension gallop with great agility, speed, and endurance. In addition, they are excellent jumpers, capable of springing to great heights from a standstill. In exchange for delivering an active lifestyle, Ibizan hound parents are rewarded with a devoted, active companion.
Activities: Agility, conformation, field trials, hunting tests, obedience, rally
Barking Level: Low tomedium
Shedding Level: Medium
Hypoallergenic: No
Litter Size: 6 puppies
Other Names: Beezers,Podenco Ibicenco, Ca Eivissenc, Balearic Dog
Breed’s Original Pastimes: Coursing rabbits
Life Span: 11 -14years
History of Ibizan Hound
The Ibizan Hound traces its roots back to 4,000 BC and is associated mainly with the time of the Great Pharaohs. As their name reflects, the Ibizan hound hails from the Mediterranean isle of Ibiza, where the breed was initially used for hunting rabbits. Until the 1950s, these breeds were exported and began their new incarnation as companions and show dogs. Among the rarest breeds, the Ibizan is once again honored by those whose lives he shares.
The Ibizan Hound was recognized by the AKC in 1979 and first appeared at the Westminster Kennel Club show in 1980. In addition, they rank 138th among the 155 breeds. However, they remain a rare breed today.
Ibizan Hound Highlights
The Ibizan Hound maintains an uncanny similarity to Anubis, the Egyptian God.
One of the sighthound family, these breeds are built on Greyhound lines, with long slender legs, a relatively narrow body, a slightly arched loin, a narrow waist, and a long tail.
Except for their large ears, the Ibizan is a somewhat understated Greyhound version.
Ibizans do well in apartments if exercised adequately.
They should be kept on a leash when not in a securely fenced area.
They can leave you surprised with excellent jumping skills. They are capable of jumping to greater heights.
They have a high prey drive and will chase moving objects heedless of your commands.
Ibizan Hound Personality
Ibizan Hounds are known for the following personalities:
Loyal and confident
Affectionate and lively
Smartness and playful
Friendly and outgoing
Intelligent and people-pleasing
Independent and charming
Ibizans are recognized for their unique companionship, charming personalities, and a mixture of noble royalty and wild hunters. In addition, they make excellent family pets and are patient with kids and the elderly. They are not extreme barkers but will warn of the presence of outsiders. However, they are not guarding hounds as they welcome most people warmly.
Regal in appearance, Ibizans have lithe bodies and strong limbs built mainly for their favorite exercise: running. These medium-sized breeds have short coats that come in either smooth or wire varieties and are red, red and white, or white.
Friendliness Overview
Affection level
High
Family-friendly
High
Kid-friendly
High
Pet-friendly
High
Stranger -friendly
Medium to high
Adaptability Overview
Good for apartment living
High
Good to new owners
Medium
Sensitivity level
Medium to high
Tolerates being alone
Low
Cold-tolerance
Low
Heat-tolerance
Medium to high
Ibizan Hound Physical Features
Head: The Ibizan Hounds have an elegant, deer-like look with a narrow head, flat skull, elongated and slender muzzle, oblique eyes, pointed large ears, prominent nose, thin lips, and solid, well-set teeth.
Neck: The neck is slender, slightly arched, and moderately long.
Topline: The topline is smooth and leans gently downward from the shoulders to the rump.
Body: The chest is a well-developed, deep, extended chest with a sharply angled breastbone. The back is positioned straight, and the ribs are slightly sprung.
Tail: The tail is set low and reaches the hock as a continuation of the spine.
Forequarters: Their shoulders are clean-cut with moderate angulation, elastic shoulders, long and straight forearms, and hare-foot feet.
Hindquarters: Angulated stifles with the hindquarters being set under their body. The thighs are firm with flat muscling and straight hocks.
Coat: Short coats that come in either smooth or wire varieties.
Color: Red or white, solid or in any variety. No pattern or color is preferable to the other.
Gait: The gait is effortless, light, and graceful in single-tracking movement.
Disqualification (AKC Standards)
Any coat color other than red or white and any pigment color is not as described.
Ibizan Hound Temperament
Ibizan Hounds are bold, outgoing, affectionate, even-tempered, energetic dogs that are also perceived as hyperactive and friendly. They are ideal for a family who wants an active dog for hiking, hunting, and other outdoor exercises. Also, they can make excellent watchdogs. They adapt to new situations but might require time to warm up to outsiders, often making them ideal home alarm systems that bark when something is wrong. Proper training and early socialization will help them become more comfortable around new people as they grow. Ibizans require a considerable amount of interaction with people. Yet, they tolerate other dogs well if adequately socialized.
A tall, secure fence is essential if your Ibizan frequently goes to the backyard because they can jump up to 6 feet high. So, engaging in running, hiking, and swimming will tire out your Ibizan hound. In addition, these breeds retain their strong hunting instinct to run and chase, and small animals may catch their attention.
Ibizan Hound Training
Ibizans are brilliant dogs and learn and respond quickly, making training more convenient. Puppy training classes and early socialization are recommended. These breeds can be strong-willed at times, so reward-based training is essential. They excel in canine sports, including agility, rally, tracking, obedience, and lure coursing. In general, hounds are not bred to work closely with people, so they require short, fun workout sessions to keep them interested.
Here are some of the activities that you need to do with your Ibizan:
Ibizans are highly energetic hounds that need a secured high fence due to their outstanding hunting instincts. However, as they are an athlete and independent dogs, you can fulfill an Ibizan’s exercise needs with daily walks and activities such as frisbee and playing fetch. Also, they can be your jogging and hiking partners.
An idle Ibizan can end up exhibiting undesirable or detrimental behavior. Hence, engaging them physically and mentally is crucial to keep them happy. These hounds feel dissatisfied if they do not get a chance to run daily. They mainly like to play hunter and chase any small animal that moves, so you must be cautious about letting them off the leash.
You can meet your Ibizan’s daily exercise requirements by:
Ibizans are low-maintenance, non-hypoallergenic moderate shedders with short and wired coats. Grooming sessions can be a great bonding experience for you and your dog. Brush them weekly once to remove loose hair and dead skin cells. Bathe them to maintain the short coat clean of dirt and debris. Check their eyes frequently for redness, irritation, or discharge. The nails need to be trimmed periodically. Brush their teeth daily to control dental difficulties. Ears accumulate dirt and must be cleaned weekly to avoid bacteria and other ear-related issues.
Grooming Overview
Easy to groom
High
Drooling tendency
Low
Amount of shedding
Medium
Ibizan Hound Health
Ibizans are healthy hounds. However, like other canines, they are predisposed to health diseases originating from their heritage. Thus, to maintain them healthy, it is vital to take them to the veterinarian for routine check-ups and ensure that they are updated with vaccinations.
Health Overview
Overall health
Medium to high
Weight gain tendencies
Low
Size
Medium
Hip dysplasia: When a dog’s thigh bones do not suit into the pelvic socket of the hip joint, it results in hip dysplasia, which is a heritable disorder.
Hypothyroidism: A condition where a dog’s metabolism reduces due to a lack of thyroid hormone production. Signs are:
Lethargy
Gaining weight
Reluctance to work out
Hair Loss
Von Willebrand’s Disease: The most dominant hereditable bleeding trouble in hounds is Von Willebrand’s disease (VWD). It’s caused by a lack of a typical protein that enables platelets to adhere jointly and form clots to close shattered blood arteries.
Eye Diseases: Ibizan can be prone to these eye diseases:
Corneal damage
Dry eye (keratoconjunctivitis sicca)
Pink eye (conjunctivitis)
Eyelid mass
Cataracts
Glaucoma
Cherry eye
Entropion
Autoimmune Thyroiditis: When a dog’s immune system damages the thyroid gland, it is called autoimmune thyroiditis. Losing weight, vomiting, diarrhea, increased hunger, and heart murmurs are signs of this illness.
Allergies: Your dog can be prone to allergies which can appear in the following ways:
Food-based allergies: If your pet is allergic to certain food ingredients, you can adopt an elimination diet that involves deliberately removing the suspected ingredients to which your dog may be allergic.
Contact allergies: When your dog’s immune system reacts adversely to certain topical substances such as bedding, flea powders, dog shampoos, and other chemicals, he suffers from contact allergies. However, eliminating the cause of the allergy reduces the symptoms.
Inhalant allergies: If your canine accidentally inhales airborne allergens like pollen, dust, and mildew and suffers from any symptoms, he is said to have inhalant allergies. Treatment for these allergies varies with the severity of the disease. Often, ear infections accompany these allergies.
Deafness: A heritable disorder prevalent unilaterally or bilaterally. Bilaterally deaf dogs need some special considerations. To understand your pet better, adopt a scientific test called the BAER (Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response), which helps you detect deafness.
Cataract: A cataract occurs when the eyes’ lens begins to have a clouding formation, affecting vision. This health problem may lead to permanent blindness if left untreated.
Retinal Dysplasia: The retina becomes detached and abnormal, causing blindness.
Epilepsy: The often-inherited Idiopathic epilepsy frequently causes seizures and can occur in moderate and extreme seizures. Unusual actions, such as running as if being chased, stumbling, or hiding, may signify a seizure. Seizures are alarming, but dogs with idiopathic epilepsy have a favorable long-term prognosis. Seizures may be caused by various reasons other than idiopathic epilepsy, including metabolic conditions, respiratory diseases of the brain, cancers, toxin poisoning, and extreme head trauma.
Axonal Dystrophy: A rare neurological condition seen periodically in Ibizan Hounds.
Recommended Tests for Ibizan Hound
Hip Evaluation
Thyroid Evaluation
BAER Testing
Ophthalmologist Evaluation
Ibizan Hound Diet and Nutrition
Ibizans are high-energy hounds and require 2 to 3 cups of high-quality dry food daily. Various commercial kibbles are rich in proteins, but consider giving them high-quality lean meat and canned puppy food. Frequently, provide your dog with clean and fresh water. Then, according to the vet’s guidance, you can split their meal time into two.
Ibizan Hound Living Condition
Well suited to apartment life as long as they are given daily walks and frequent play sessions.
Ibizans have a strong chase instinct, so they must be leash-walked, and a very tall fenced yard is a must.
Bored, lonely Ibizans may find an unpleasant way to keep themselves active, like barking or chewing.
If you can keep them physically active, mentally stimulated, well-trained, and socialized, Ibizans will thrive as house dogs.
Did You Know?
According to the IHCUS, a statue of Anubis (watchdog of the dead) found in the tomb of Tutankhamun is believed to be an identical duplicate of Ibizan.
The Ibizan debuted at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in 1980.
The Ibizan Hound Club of the US became an AKC member club and earned specialty show status in 1992.
Phoenician sailors are said to have brought the Ibizan to Ibiza’s island in the 8th century.
Ibizans sometimes hunted alongside ferrets, which were used for flushing rabbits from their dens.
Getting an Ibizan from a reputable breeder is best to prevent inevitable occurrences like health disorders. In addition, it is best to check with the puppy’s parents to ensure their health and happiness.
On average, an Ibizan Hound puppy may cost around $800 to $1500, not including miscellaneous expenses.
