Swan
Swan was bred by Miss Hanna M. Mucha. She was whelped in Tasmania on the 4th of May 2004. Her sire is Aust. Ch. Sherrak Gonzales and her dam is Xarnego Miss Izzys Girl. Swan is one month away from her 2nd birthday and only a few shows away from attaining her Australian Championship.
Swan is our first Ibizan Hound. Since picking her up from the airport, Swan has been a joy to live with and own. She is an extremely elegant and refined Ibizan girl. She “hovers” as she moves in the show-ring and she is lady-like as she plays with her friends. Her beauty and character is reminiscent of a deer. Swan is also very affectionate, loving and intelligent. The Ibizan’s hunting instincts are innate and very strong. Swan can be obstinate, however with firm and consistent discipline and handling, she has reformed to become a well-mannered member of the family.
Ibizans are specialised hunting sighthounds exclusively bred over thousands of years for the purpose of seeking and retrieving game. Although Swan looks malnourished and emaciated, she is actually very fit and athletic. She is wormed and fed a balanced diet according to schedule and she brushes her teeth with raw bones thrice a week. We have tried to fatten Swan up but she refuses surplus food. It is acceptable considering that the excess weight would be a burden on her love for running. We believe that Swan is a model citizen for her breed.
The history of the Ibizan is shrouded in mystery. Refined to perfection on Ibiza, the breed’s history goes back to antiquity. Some say the breed originated in Ancient Egypt, others say it is a modern development and it is only coincidence that the Ibizan resembles the artworks of ancient Egypt, including the god Anubis. What is for certain though, is that the Ibizan has been breed in isolation on the Baleric islands for many generations for the purpose of hunting rabbits. Through many generations of selective breeding on Ibiza, the Ibizan has developed into a exceptional and formidable animal that it is.
The controvesy over the origin of the Ibizan makes the breed even more alluring. At the end of the day, Swan's bloodline is as old as any dog breed's bloodline. To us, she is a living work of art. The Ibizan Hound world population is limited and only about 30 Ibizans exist in Australia and New Zealand. Australian bred Ibizans are famous for their excellent health and come from the famous English Sin’s line.
