The Ibizan Hound is an ancient sighthound breed with a particularly unique temperament. They are soft-tempered and sensitive, yet have a love of life and desire for adventure. Many are described as clowns or jesters – they delight in making people laugh with their oddball antics! They can also be slow to mature and retain puppy mischievousness for a longer time than other breeds, although they aren’t normally incredibly destructive or in-your-face. Most of the time, Ibizans are actually very polite – which may fool you when they pull pranks on you! Finally, although they are independent in character, they do desire to be with their people. They prefer to be in the room with their owner most of the time, but not necessarily in the middle of the action.
Unlike many other sighthounds, the “Beezer” (as he is affectionately refered) does enjoy using his voice! The breed doesn’t bark non-stop, and probably wouldn’t be classified as a nuisance barker, but compared to his almost-silent relatives he can be quite noisy. This makes him a great watchdog because he will alert to anyone coming to the door. He also might bark if he’s excited, hungry, and occasionally if he has found something to chase outside. The Ibizan was bred to hunt in packs, and vocalizing on the hunt was a desired feature! Many members of the breed have a very deep, very loud bark that can be quite intimidating.
Ibizans come in two coat types – smooth and wire. While smooth coats are always very short, wire coats may be short (sometimes called broken) or slightly longer (up to 3 inches long). Both coat types are considered very easy to take care of, although each variety does shed moderately. They are particularly clean dogs that don’t normally seek out dirt and mud like some other breeds. When they do get dirty, their coats tend to repel dirt (not completely, but mud does tend to dry and fall off rather than getting worked into the coat).
Beezers can be quite active. It’s no surprise that this breed (one of dogdom’s highest jumpers and fastest runners) needs plenty of daily exercise! Because of their amazing Houdini abilities, they need to be allowed to run only in areas that are securely fenced. Six feet is considered the minimum height for a fence with an Ibizan, as many can clear six feet easily if they so desire! Another note about fences – the Ibizan Hound has a very high prey drive and will often chase anything that moves. Their chase instinct is so hard-wired that they will “forget” any training they’ve had and ignore their owner calling for them to come back. For this reason, it is vital that they never be let off-leash in an unfenced area. 
The breed is incredibly smart and learns quickly, however some have a hard time with formal obedience. They prefer to do things their own way, and might question the relevance of the commands being taught. A mixture of stubbornness and sensitivity means that a trainer must walk a fine line while working with an Ibizan. These dogs might completely ignore a trainer that has no follow-through, yet shut down at a harsh correction. A tip – take advantage of their excellent problem-solving abilities and create engaging puzzles for them to solve! Try to incorporate those puzzles into training sessions to keep them engaged! Remember that this breed was bred to work independently from people and therefore may be a challenge.
An Ibizan is expected to be aloof when meeting strangers, although some members of the breed can be shy or scared. Fearfulness is not a desirable trait but unfortunately does crop up in certain lines. They are good with children, especially if raised with them. Because this breed can be sensitive, older children are a better match for this breed than younger ones. They are also normally very good with other dogs, and many are fine with cats (if raised with them, and if cats are indoor-only). Rabbits, rats and other small pets might be interpreted as prey. Beezers will probably leave them alone if they are caged, but if the small animal is out of the cage all bets are off!
These sensitive souls make horrible kennel dogs and absolutely need to be inside with people! Not only do they need the companionship, but their naturally low body weight and single coat means they get cold very easily. They also need (and enjoy) access to couches, cushions or blankets. They can adapt to living in an apartment, but only as long as their owner can take them out (a lot) for exercise. While getting out and stretching their legs is a necessity, these dogs will also spend a good portion of their time chilling out inside the home.
Some Beezers can become excellent counter-surfers and their great dexterity means that they are able to leap up onto the counters themselves! Many Ibizan owners are surprised to see their dogs on counters, tables, and occasionally even on top of a fridge! A bit of behavior modification may be necessary to curb this problem if it comes up. Female Ibizans, in particular, tend to be very food-oriented! Males can be picky about food, and may go through low-appetite stages while young.
