Ibizan Hound...

I really want one. I've been in love with this breed for quite a few years now, but now I seriously can't stop thinking about them. I might not be able to get one until after Bamm crosses the bridge (hopefully NOT anytime soon because he's my baby boy), but I figured it couldn't hurt to swoon and imagine myself owning one at some point.

Our next dog is going to be Josh's so we'll end up getting whatever he wants. That wont be until we're living in VA though and settled down a bit. He's been debating on whether he wants a puppy or whether he wants to rescue a young adult. I'm not exactly sure what he is leaning more towards, but I know the thought of getting a hunting dog has crossed his mind.

But... EVENTUALLY I do want an Ibizan hound. They're just so amazing. I plan to get one from a breeder though so I've been browsing around at some breeders just to get an idea. How soon is ok to start contacting breeders though? It might not be for another 5 or more years if I end up waiting until after Bamm is gone, but I've heard that there are waiting lists for a lot of Ibizan breeders and I want to develop some sort of relationship with the breeder I end up getting a pup from and meet their dogs, etc.

Those of you who have had experience around beezers... what was your likes and dislikes about the breed? I'm researching a little bit right now about lure coursing since I've never seen one live and don't much about the sport. I know that Ibizans tend to excel at lure coursing though so I'm looking into it as well for the future. I'm checking to see if there are any lure coursing events in my area that I can go watch for fun and if there are any other events around here where I might be able to meet up with some Ibizans since I have only ever met one in my entire life.

Guys I'm seriously swooning...

I love them and wanted them for years and years. I think they're the prettiest breed in the world. Realistically they're just not the right fit though. They're clownish and very very athletic. they can JUMP high over most normal fences. They're not as aloof (imo) as most sight hounds but they're definitely a bit different and independent. Prey drive of course being sight hounds.

That said, I have a friend that just had a beezer litter. If you wanted I could definitely put you in touch! I'm not sure what she does with her dogs other than show but she'd be a good resource.

Here's Sar's site: Abbaio Ibizan Hounds

She's super nice and young and fun. I've known her for years.

ETA: Now I'm drooling over beezers again. :lol-sign:

Ya the biggest thing is the fence issue. When we have our own place we're going to build an 8 foot high fence though. From what I've read they can generally easily jump 5-6 feet at a stand still which is completely insane. lol.

Just checked out your friend's website and first off her website is beautiful. Her female, Klementine... OMGGGG *drool* and apparently she's the mom of the litter too. That stinks that I can't get one right now. According to her website she has two puppies from the March litter that are still available

If I contact her can I let her know that you referred me to her? I'd like to contact her just to get to know her better and since she obviously breeds Ibizans maybe I can learn some more about the breed from her. Also... she's apparently up in New Jersey? Once I move back up to VA, NJ is really not that far of a drive at all.

Yeah definitely tell her you know me! (Just say Laur with the papillons and she should know. She knows Beau at least) Sarah's really cool. I think you'd like her.

And yes, I adore Klemmie. <333

I've known quite a few Ibizans, actually was offered ownership on one a few years ago... their jumping abilities are the ONE thing holding me back though. Otherwise they're on my shortlist.

Thanks. I'll totally let her know.

Ya the jumping thing has really been the only major concern for me... but I figure if I want one bad enough then I have to find ways to make it work, which is why I told Josh that when we buy our own house I'd like our fence to be 8 feet high.

This video of an Ibizan jumping just blows my mind
YouTube - Ibizian Hound Super Dogs

keep in mind jumping fences is a learned behavior. Sonic is 29.5" TTS and can jump into the bed of a full sized truck w/the tailgate up, but he won't jump a 4 ft fence. when hunting he goes through barbwire fences rather than over.

Keegan's breeder has a friend who breeds beezers... I got to cuddle a litter of 4-week-olds when I visited her. They were really cute, and the parents seemed like really nice dogs as well. They seemed to have that sighthound stoicism, but were a bit mischevous as well. Very independent.... too independent for me but nice dogs anyway.

Romy might know the name of the breeder if you're interested, you might want to send her a PM. The breeder's in WA state.

Most sighthounds and many larger athletic dogs have jumping abilities like what is shown in the video. The record high jumps are often won by sighthounds. But I have seen them sail over a 6' kennel run because they wanted to be with their person. Fence jumping only becomes an issue with any dog because they are allowed to find it reinforcing. I know Ibizans are known for being fence jumpers specifically but I think there are things you could do to prevent them from ever strating. I would probably consider training them to an IF set inside the regular fence as an additional barrier from a fairly young age.

I really love the look of Ibizans but I'm under the impression they are a more primitive sighthound, more like the Pharaoh Hound then a Greyhound or Whippet. I could be wrong though, as I haven't ever spent much time around one. I have spent time around Pharaoh Hounds and know that while they are super cool dogs, they are just too primitive for me.

Pharaohs and beezers aren't nearly as primitive as people like to think they are. Pharaohs are a relatively recent re-creation of European origin. Beezers are a dual purpose sight/scent hound developed in Spain. They're more primitive than say, a lab. But not as much as a saluki. I find that on the sight hound spectrum, they tend to be more handler oriented than a lot of other breeds.

They tend to do really well at tracking in addition to coursing. They're totally into everything, unlike a lot of sight hounds though you can find individuals who are much more laid back. It also depends on the lines. In Spain the wire and smooth coated varieties are treated as separate breeds and not crossed like we do in America. So the Spanish wire coats tend to be a lot more laid back. The Spanish smooths are much more active.

Lizzy the breeder is Alfheim. They have incredible beezers. Their dogs are Spanish imports from a hunting kennel, and do incredibly well at show and in the field. If I ever get one it will be through them. Dudley is my favorite. He was ranked in the top 20 ibizans in the country at only a year old and at three already has his DC and is a multiple best in field winner. He has just a wonderful rock solid temperament and a great attitude.

Yggy

I can't remember what their fences look like, but I visited another breeder who had 6 foot chain link. Her dogs would boing straight up and be higher than the top of the fence. I asked her if they ever got out and she said no. They just never tried jumping over. Strider is 32" and he has cleared a 6' fence from a stand still to reach me, but he never jumped our 4' fence at home even with kitties and raccoons running around outside in his view. Kaia is even more of a chicken about jumping. If I stand on a picnic table and hold a raccoon tail at arm's length and wiggle it, she can jump up and take it from me. But she won't jump over a 2' baby gate even if I'm coaxing her with food. She just stands there and cries.

And in my experience, they are one of those breeds that naturally LOVES babies. Of any species. The one breeder I visited told me a story of her beezer killing a huge rat in her garage. He was so proud of himself. Then she heard some squeaking and looked around until she found the nest of baby rats that belonged to the huge one. She got her dog, showed him the rat nest, and said, "Okay! Kill 'em!"

He just stared at her with this look of utter revulsion. As if to say, "you want me to kill babies!?!" And he walked off. She ended up doing it herself, and he was pretty disgusted with her for a while after that.

I have some hands on experience with Pharaoh Hounds. IMO they are much more primitive than Greyhounds (which I have a lot of hands on experience with), although less than Basenjis (have quite a bit of hands on experience with them as well, even though IMO they are not really sighthounds ). The Pharaohs I knew were definitely rather independent and the male especially was quite obsessed with hunting while outside. He's a great courser now from what I hear and I always thought that was what he really wanted to do. The female was a bit softer in temperament and less hunt oriented. But with training, she'd get into moods were she just didn't want to work though and there wasn't much you could do. Neither were all that handler focused and were fairly easily distracted away from the task at hand. Most people at the training club couldn't understand why anyone would want dogs who were so independent and "wild" (the male was extremely bouncey LOL). I really enjoyed them and loved sighthounds in general but after working with them, I don't know that I'd want one.

Comparatively, the Greyhounds I worked with and knew were all pretty handler focused and really, fairly easy to train with positive methods. They had plenty of prey drive and did well at coursing too but they were not primitive or even terribly independent. They very much wanted to be with their people and they weren't as easily distracted from them (unless you were at lure coursing LOL). I raised a Grey puppy and I can't think of one bad thing to say about her. She was as near perfect as a puppy could be - housetrained very quickly, wasn't destructive, was social but focused on me and loved learning new stuff.

Like I said, I don't really know Ibizans. It certainly could be that they are more Greyhound like than Pharaoh Hound like. I have met quite a few but haven't interacted with them enough to really say how their temperament strikes me. I can say I have never met one who was aggressive or "weird". In the 90s, what I would call a commercial minded breeder in my area had several. They had an obedience training business, showed in conformation some and bred various breeds of dogs, usually whatever they thought could sell to the pet market or as potential competition dogs. Over the years they bred or were currently breeding or planning to breed GSDs, Dobes, Cardigans, Doxies, BCs, Borzoi, Akitas and Shelties. I'm sure I missed some. Anyway they had probably three Ibizans and said that the breed was going to be "the next big thing in obedience". Obviously, they never became the next big obedience breed I don't know if they bred any litters of Ibizans but I know their involvement with the breed was short. Looking back, I really can't imagine their training methods meshing well with any sighthound.

It would be cool if they tended to be a more handler oriented sighthound. I love their looks and they seem like very fun loving dogs

Skittle here is a link for you.
HareHill Hounds - Home of America's Top Ibizan Hounds I've meet quite a few of the dogs on that site and they are ALL lovely.

Beezers are an interesting breed. They are pretty handler oriented, but not have to be up your butt. They also tend to be a bit reserved with others outside their circle. They DO tend to have a mischievous streak to them, some more than others.

They are pretty dogs, but ...

I know that dog Even with all the work she does with him he is not that reliable (according to his owner) She says he is harder to work with than any other dog she has had, simply because he decides not to do things and doesn't care what she thinks at all.

Laur> And really they are more aloof, not less aloof than most sighthounds. Whippets are far from aloof, and most greys I meet (well bred ones and some race ones) are very happy to see people.