Origin
The Ibizan Hound is an athletic, lithe and tall dog that commands a lot of attention thanks to their noble and proud looks. They have been highly prized in many European countries including Spain, but are not as popular here in the UK remaining pretty much an unknown. However, things are changing as more people are becoming aware of these attractive dogs and the fact they boast such kind and loyal natures. With this said, very few Ibizan Hound puppies are registered with the Kennel Club every year which makes finding a breeder a bit challenging.
The Ibizan Hound is thought to be one of the most ancient hound breeds on the planet although their true origins remain a bit of a mystery. There are images of very similar looking dogs on the walls of Egyptian tombs and on ancient pottery which dates back to 5000 years ago. It is thought that the breed was developed when similar dogs landed on Elvissa when Phoenician traders visited the island to trade.
These dogs were used to hunt and proved to be excellent at the task they were bred to do. With this said, the hounds we see today are very much like the dogs of ancient times with the breed not having changed that much over the thousands of years they have been in existence. Ibizan Hounds are still used to work in the Balearic Islands as well as in mainland Spain and over the years they have become more well known in other parts of the world, although they are still quite rarely seen outside of their native land.
