Ibizan Hound
A Balearic sighthound that hunts rabbit by sight, sound and scent together, which sighthounds usually do not. It clears high walls from a standing start.
Photo by Pets Adviser from Brooklyn, USA, CC BY 2.0
Overview
The Ibizan Hound is a sighthound from the Balearic Islands that hunts rabbit using sight, scent and hearing together, which is unusual: most sighthounds work by sight alone. The enormous upright ears are functional rather than decorative.
It is lean, tall and extraordinarily athletic, capable of clearing high fences from a standstill, which is a practical consideration rather than a party trick.
Temperament
Independent, sensitive and playful. Ibizans are affectionate with their families and reserved with strangers, and they are considerably more interactive than most sighthounds.
They are clever, mischievous and good at problem solving, which includes opening doors and getting onto counters. They are also soft and respond badly to harsh handling. The prey drive is high and applies to cats and small animals.
Care and grooming
A short or wire coat, a weekly brush, minimal shedding.
Sighthound anaesthesia sensitivity applies and any vet should be told. The breed is generally healthy, with axonal dystrophy and seizures reported at low rates. Eleven to fourteen years.
Living and exercise
An hour a day with a chance to run in a secure space, and the fence needs to be high, because a five or six foot fence is not reliably enough.
They feel the cold and need a coat in winter. They are calm indoors once exercised and they are not off lead dogs in open country.
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