Looking Around with Lee – The Ibizan Hound

By Lee Canalizo

BREED EXPERTS COMMENT ON THE IBIZAN HOUND

The next breed we tackle in my ongoing series of inter- views with breed experts is the Ibizan Hound. Anyone who has interacted with an Ibizan Hound knows they are described as “a bit aloof, but a sweet-natured, family-oriented housemate… These dogs are very active; World-class sprinters and leapers, Beezers need ample, secure space to air out their engines”. These traits and this drive make them contenders in the toughest Hound groups. I reached out to longtime breeders of Ibizan Hounds and Hound experts to discuss the breed and get their perspective about changes they have seen in the breed over the past few decades.

I asked them the following questions:

1. Do you feel we have changed the make and shape of the Ibizan Hound?
2. What do you see in the breed today that you did not see since the breed was first recognized?
3. What did you see in the breed then that you do not see today, both in and outside the show ring?

Comments from Judy Umeck

1. Do you feel we have changed the make and shape of the Ibizan Hound?

I do feel we have changed the make and shape of the Ibizan Hound. Unfortunately, I do not think it is for the better. As with many breeds in the show ring today, what we now see be- fore us is a generic show dog. Most lack the fine breed type points set forth in our standard, among them:
• Deer-like elegance
• Sharply angled prominent breastbone
• Small, oblique eyes, clear amber to caramel in color
• Large, high-set, pointed, erect ears
• Heads with the skull and muzzle on parallel planes • Slightly sloping pasterns with a correct hare-foot

You can read through our breed standard and look up at the dogs before you in the ring and see square or heavily muscled dogs that are “well built” but sadly lacking in those fine, individual breed type points that separate the Ibizan from other hounds.

Short URL: https://caninechronicle.com/?p=135170

Posted by Alex on Oct 27 2020. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.