What was the Ibizan Hound first bred for?

Answer 1

The Ibizan Hound is very similar to the Pharaoh Hound, with the main difference being coat color and the Ibizan's larger size. Depictions of dogs that looked much like today's Ibizan Hound were found in ancient Egypt about 3400 BC. It is thought that sea traders brought these dogs to the island of Ibiza, along with other surrounding islands off the coast of Spain about 700-900 BC. The dogs were used to hunt rabbit, providing food for the islanders. The dogs also hunted for themselves as they were not fed by the humans. This fast, hunting greyhound type is able to hunt in both daylight and night. They hunt by sight, hearing and smell, alone or in packs. When the prey is discovered the Ibizan points and when it bolts, the dog's sight hound instincts come into play and the hound is in full flight in strong pursuit. When the pray is captured the dog can be trained to bring it back to the hunter like a retriever. The Ibizan Hound is often used in the sport of lure coursing. They were recognized by the AKC in 1978.