Ibizan Hound
The Ibizan Hound (Ca Eivissenc) is one of the oldest dog breeds in the Mediterranean. Present for centuries in the Balearic Islands, this elegant hunter has accompanied generations of farmers and hunters and forms part of the cultural heritage of Ibiza and Mallorca.
The possible origin in Egypt
It has traditionally been believed that this breed of dog originated in Egypt. According to this theory, the original breed, known as the Tesem in ancient Egypt, was spread throughout the Mediterranean by a people of seafarers and traders, the Phoenicians. In fact, it was the Phoenicians who founded the city of Ibiza under the name Ibosim in the 6th century BC.
If we look closely, the appearance of an Ibizan Hound is very reminiscent of the ancient Egyptian god Anubis.
Physical characteristics of the Ibizan Hound
In Ibiza, and also on the other Balearic Islands, this dog is used exclusively for hunting rabbits. In contrast, on the Iberian Peninsula it is used for both small and large game.
It is a sturdy, large, hardy and athletic animal. It stands between 60 and 75 cm tall and weighs between 20 and 30 kg. It has a long, slender neck and large ears that stand very upright.
There are three types of coat: smooth (strong and glossy), coarse (rough), and long (soft). The coat’s shade and colour are usually white, reddish, or a mixture of the two. The muzzle, ears, eyelids and paw pads are flesh-coloured.
The Ibizan hound in action
This dog has an alert appearance, as if always on the lookout, and is a very active, intelligent and independent animal. Its senses of sight, hearing and smell are highly developed, and it possesses a keen hunting instinct.
But what is most fascinating is its extraordinary agility, which enables it to make tremendous leaps and change direction rapidly, even whilst in mid-air. Its movements are astonishing, both in terms of distance and height. All this, combined with its great stamina, makes it ideally suited to navigating the Mediterranean garrigue and being an excellent hunter.
Hunting with the Ibizan Podenco
The natural hunting habitat of the Ibizan Podenco is the garrigue, a landscape of low scrub with an uneven surface, which rabbits exploit to great effect in their escape strategy. As they are small, agile and elusive, they run at breakneck speed in a zigzag pattern, and very few dogs are capable of keeping up with them.
By instinct, they work as a team, perfectly coordinated in a pack of up to 10 dogs. As soon as one of the dogs spots a rabbit, it lunges at it whilst barking, alerting the rest to help corner the prey. They usually bring the rabbit back to their owner alive.
If you’ve never seen this animal in action, we recommend this video – it really is quite a spectacle!
The Podenco is also part of Mallorca’s heritage
Although it is considered a breed native to Ibiza, it has always been very much present in Mallorca, living alongside and working with the island’s farmers in hunting and foraging for food.
In fact, there is currently an organisation in Mallorca, the “Societat de caçadors amb cans eivissencs de Mallorca”, dedicated to the protection and promotion of these animals and their involvement in hunting activities.
Final conclusion
Few dog breeds can boast of having accompanied the inhabitants of the Balearic Islands for so many centuries. It is a living part of the rural heritage of Mallorca and our islands, particularly Ibiza. In some ways, this reminds us of another animal, also deeply rooted in our islands and which has been with us for hundreds of years: the Mallorcan Porc Negre.
Would you like to find out more? Follow this link: Origin of Porc Negre
Origin of Porc Negre