Mastering the art of Ibizan Hound presentation: expert tips and insights for showcasing their natural grace and beauty.
Nan Kilgore Little
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“A wise breeder puts on show, only his best stock and presents them in the peak of condition, physically fit, clean and trained to show off their best points.” —Tom Horner, Bull Terrier Expert
The motivation for showing should be the proud presentation of a fine example of the breed to knowledgeable judges and to our fellow fanciers and breeders. It is a mistake to show anything less than breed-worthy. People remember the good and the bad.
The Ibizan Hound should be shown in its natural state. The condition should be such that it could show and course on the same day. There should be some neatening of the coat allowed, but razoring of the smooths and sculpting of the wires is contrary to the spirit of the Breed Standard. The Standard calls for longer hair on the underside length of the tail and back of thighs. Some individuals have barely noticeable longer hair and some have quite noticeable feathering. This is not a point for judging except that it would be preferable to show the Ibizan in its most natural state.
People come into the breed often attracted by the wash and wear qualities, and then proceed to think up things to trim. Whiskers are actually vibrissae, hairs attached to facial nerves. Some Sporting breed fanciers are aware of this and caution on trimming and increased eye damage.
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No handler can set up a dog as well as a good dog can set up itself. A sound dog of confident temperament should walk into position. Unfortunately, in spite of all good training, a small number of Ibizans hate showing.
The Ibizan in the show pose should stand four-square; hind legs only slightly wider set than the front. The straighter upper arm required by the breed is not set back to the deepest point of the chest, but rather, slightly in front of it. The front is not wide. Hocks should be parallel from the side. This means that from the hock joint to the ground, one follows a straight line down the backline of the dog. The Ibizan should not be stretched so that the topline slopes.
The Ibizan is famous for its ability to jump high from a standstill. The neck should proudly show off its length and arch. Too often, the handler pulls the neck forward, straightening it, losing the lovely arch.
Moving the Ibizan in the ring should show off its wonderful suspended trot. Two things often conspire against this: ring size and a handler that can’t keep up. This does not mean that one should race around the ring, encouraging overextension. If the hind foot is falling in front of the front foot, it is overextending.
The Ibizan does need to be shown at a brisk enough pace to allow for the suspension phase of the trot. Too slow and this cannot be accomplished. Also, the dog needs to be able to reach a speed to single track.
There have been some issues with tail carriage over the years. In the past, people seemed to be looking for lower tail carriage, fearing an overly curly tail. The tail can be carried high or low. The Ibizan has such a wonderful natural grace. It should be our mission to proudly present it to the fancy.
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