Life With an Ibizan Hound

Life with an Ibizan Hound
By Erica Kasper

Here are some of my personal experiences of being around and living with an Ibizan Hound.

As Puppies

House Training
As long as the puppy was brought up in clean and pleasant conditions by the breeder an Ibizan puppy should be easy enough to house train and not mess in a crate. An Ibizan is a clean animal and does not like to soil in their bedding. Of course this does not mean you don’t have to work at it. A puppy will only be successful if their owner spends the time to housetrain them. This means recognizing the signs of when your puppy has to go and bringing them out to relieve themselves after a nap, eating, or play session.

Management = a well behaved Ibizan puppy

Management is the key to a well behaved Ibizan Hound puppy. An Ibizan puppy is energetic, adventurous, and fun loving. They need ways to keep themselves entertained or they will take it upon themselves to find something fun to do. This could be chewing on your favorite pair of shoes, re-decorating your house with toilet paper, etc... (this list could go on and on, use your imagination). The first key to managing a puppy is picking up after yourself. If he likes shoes, put all your shoes in the closet. Do let your puppy roam free around the house unless you are right there to watch it. If I am trying to get something done and can’t be right there to watch a puppy I will either crate them, put them in an ex-pen, or put a leash on them and tie it to my waist. It is no fair to get upset with or yell at a puppy who has chewed something it should not. They are puppies they don’t know better. It is your job to keep things away from them.

Counter Surfing

Ibizans are very well known counter surfers. But this too is easily fixed with managing the situation. Never leave anything tempting on the counter and your Ibizan will never teach itself that it gets rewarded with something yummy or fun when it jumps on the counter. If your Ibizan insists on jumping on the counter while you are working in the kitchen that might be a good time to put that crate to use or keep the kitchen gated off.

Exercise

Exercise is the number one way to have a well behaved Ibizan Hound puppy. A tired puppy is a well behaved puppy. Make sure you are getting your puppy the exercise it deserves. Take him outside for a walk. If you have a fenced in yard run around and play with your puppy. This is a great time to interact and bond with your puppy in a positive manner. Please remember not to over exercise your puppy though.

Keep it positive

Having an Ibizan puppy is such a fun rewarding experience. Yes you have to work at it but at the end of the day it is very much worth it. Just remember to keep it positive with your puppy. This will build an unbelievable bond. If you find yourself constantly having to scold and tell your puppy “no” that's a good sign you have to work on an aspect of your behavior with your puppy, not the other way around.

Working with an Ibizan

An Ibizan Hound grows very attached to his family and is quite loyal but he will still keep his independence. They definitely have an abundance of free will. They are always looking for ways to benefit themselves and that is critical to remember when working with your Ibizan. When training an Ibizan I always like to make it seem like it was their idea.

The Ibizan Hound is a hunting breed. They where bred to work with the hunter but also to work out away from the hunter (usually along with other Ibizans). They think for themselves and will find the best way to capture their prey. You can see this in the breed from the onset. They are great problem solvers, even if it’s not a problem you really wanted them to solve!

The Ibizan Hound is an athletic, agile, and energetic dog. They are not couch potatoes (although they do love to sleep on the couch after they have had their fill of exercise). They hunt using their nose, ears, and eyes. Although they are classified as a “sighthound” in the AKC, they are much more. Working among the brambles and in the thickets of Spain, sometimes sight is the last sense they will use, to find their prey. They are built to spring up in the air from a standstill and leap with amazing grace.

You must make sure you have an adequate fence for your Ibizan. Here's a picture of Kadin "flying" over a 5ft fence like it is something minor in his way.

An Ibizans hunting instinct is strong and it is something to understand when your looking at this breed. Since we do not hunt with our Ibizans like they do in Spain, they use their instincts where they can, like in the backyard or at the park. They enjoy hunting everything from rabbits, birds, squirrels, mice, toads, lizards, and things under ground like moles and voles. The Ibizans that prefer the underground critters will sniff them out above the ground and if you let them they will dig trenches until they are successful at excavating the mole or vole from their home which is when they go in for the catch. This is just an example of how strong their noses really are.

It is great to have a safe area to just let your Ibizan Hound run. They are fast and love to stretch their legs!

Down Time

As long as you keep your Ibizan physically and mentally happy they do enjoy some good down time! They are very good at seeking the most comfortable place in the house. They usually will adjust their lifestyle to their owners. If their owner works all day that is when they will sleep. They will also adjust themselves to the weather. If it too hot or cold outside they will sleep until the warmer or cooler parts of the day.

Coexisting with other dogs and animals

For the most part Ibizans do well living in a “pack” environment. You do have to be cautious of more then one male in the house and you must know your dogs. They love wrestling and playing with another Ibizan playmate.

Ibizans can do well with small breeds and cats. It is best to try and bring them up as a puppy around cats and small dogs. They will get used to them easier that way and look at them as part of the family. This is something that should always be monitored though. They should not be left alone without supervision as accidents can happen. Outside you should be especially careful as Ibizans have a strong chase drive. Even if they get along great with a cat or small dog in the house if they see something small running outside the chase will usually be on. They do not mean to be harmful but it's a big game to the Ibizan.

Watch dogs

Ibizans usually make great watch dogs. They are very alert about their surroundings and will bark when they feel something is not quite right. They have big barks and can be quite intimidating to a passerby. They are a much better watch dog then they are a guard dog though!

Out and About

It is important to get your Ibizan out and socialized when it is young. If you do this most Ibizans will enjoy going out seeing new places, and meeting new people. Some Ibizans are quite outgoing and love all people and new experiences. It is natural though for an Ibizan to be a bit reserved with strangers or new places and once they feel everything is ok they will warm up and become friends.

Forever Young and Sense of Humor

Living with an Ibizan Hound you have to have a sense of humor. They are big comedians and many times will try to do things just to make you laugh. Even when they are doing something naughty sometimes all you can do is laugh because they seem to do it with such style. They are very good at keying into how you are feeling and hate to see you upset or sad. Ibizans also seem to be "forever young" and keep their youthful personality throughout life. They are playful and curious even as adults. This is not to say there are no serious Ibizans out there either.