Evening Star Newspaper, October 20, 1935, Page 84

2 Magaszine Section interbreed with other dogs at all! by CECIL ALDIN Author of “Dogs of Character,” “An Artist’s Models,” Etc. Cecil Aldin, who gained inlernational fame through his paintings and slories of dogs, always enjoyed telling about his ex- periences with them. This article, wrillen at his studso in Mallorca, was the last he wrote before his death early this year. It should interest everyome who ever owned a dog. HE Island of Ibiza, smallest of the Balearic group, is the home of the oldest known breed of dog in the world. These dogs, known as Ibiza (pronounced “Ibeetha’’) hounds, were brought to the island by the Moors from Phoenicia and are direct descendants of the ancient Phoenician Hound which we see so often de- picted on Egyptian papyri and tombs. Al- though he is bred chiefly in Ibiza he can be found all over Mallorca and Minorca, the other two Islands. There is a pack kenneled not far from my studio. Broadly, the Ibiza hound's lines are those of a greyhound, with large bat ears always standing straight on the top of his head like a bull terrier’s. In coat he is sometimes slightly rough like a Welsh hound, and is generally tan and white, or a rich tan almost all over. He very seldom has any black in his markings, which are more like those of a greyhound than of a fox hound. He is pale of eye and nose, and often has a staring look ; he is usually rather pink about the lips and tongue. Besides being the quickest movers, lightest and most sure-footed dogs, these hounds have a wonderful grace which is particularly notice- able when they are seen hunting up rocky hill- sides after rabbits, hares or even wild cats. One day when I was sketching, I suddenly heard them in full cry running toward me. I thought I must be back in England hearing the Pytchley or Warwickshire coming away from Shuckburgh again. Where I was sitting, near the sea, was certainly not an ideal hunt- ing country, mostly sand-dunes, pine trees and bushes, while further inland bouldersand rocks pushed their way up through the ground growth and trees. Gradually the cry of the hounds came nearer; then a tired hare came loping toward me and traveled on. In another minute or two the whole pack of Ibiza hounds, eight or ten couples, came over the rise in full cry on her line. It was a wonderful sight that met my eyes, as I watched them all topping the rise, The dog and the vase: “Both descendants of Phoenician art” THIS WEEK F.E.D.-First Family of Dogdom On a tiny isle lives the world's oldest and purest canine race —the Ihiza hounds. Their line dates back to ancient Phoenicia, and they're sort of smooty about it: Tfie_y don’t then galloping and jumping straight down al- most to where I was sitting, every hound giving tongue as they hunted the line. Everywhere were great clumps of bushes, which fox hounds or harriers would have pushed through — not so the graceful Ibiza hound; he disdains to push his way through anything if he can leap it! To see the sixteen or twenty hounds flying the larger bushes, their pads finding the ground with the lightest gossamer touchand their thin, beautiful bodies springing into the air again like a bevy of Pavlowas, — this was the essence of poetry and motion. Where the hare had turned on seeing me, the leading dogs over-ran the line, but imme- diately went into a circular forward cast like a pack of foxhounds, until they hit it off again. Then away they went, heads down and sterns up —although at ordinary times their flags are always carried hanging down like a grey- hound’s. No one was in sight and I watched them until they once more hit the line, their feet hardly seeming to touch the ground as they sailed away from me, flying over juniper bushes, fallen trees or anything else they met on their way. In Mallorca one could not ride after them — the owners of the pack usually take up at strategic points and have a small Copyright, 1935, United Newspapers Magazine Cotpor-thn pony or mule cart to get themselves and their guns from point to point as the hunt pro- gresses. No one is with the hounds — they hunt alone; but if the hare, rabbit or quarry of any sort comes within gunshot of the sports- man, he shoots! I cannot help thinking how wonderful these hounds would look hunting over the heather of Exmoor after the fox or hare; but it is doubtful whether they could stand Britain's uncertain climate. If I were a rich man I would like to try the experiment; but that it would be an expensive and disheartening hobby there is very little doubt. Like all animals in the Balearics, they are obedient and quickly learn the word of com- mand. Among the natives this is generally emphasized with a stone thrown with unerring aim — the drastic mode of correction they have in dealing with all animal life! If they hunt too much as puppies one front leg is pulled through a tight collar and kept strapped up all day. Three legged hunting does not last long, and they are soon glad to crawl back to the farmyard and rest their one useable front leg. I have seen only one pack here in Mallorca, although there may be others — but these were properly housed and were better fed than those kept by the cottagers. They certainly have more brain room than greyhounds, and are handy and intelligent in the field. They can be trained to work as obediently as a sheep dog. One of the most interesting points about the Ibiza hounds is that these Phoenician hounds breed only with Phoenicians. There are no mongrel Ibiza hounds to be found, and never have been since Egyptian days. They are the oldest and purest breed in the world. In the Balearics they are hardy, healthy dogs, and their puppyhood has none of the amenities of the warm kennels and regular food that it October 20, 1935 Ibiza hounds: The small sketches were details for the large composition would have in England. They are tied up any- where, fed at any time food is available, and exercised two or three in leash, tied under mule carts. Milk and meat are almost unknown to them. A few chicken bones, or fish, if it has gonerotten — the pickings from thrown-away fins and a little stale bread — this is what most of these owned by small cottagers and farmers arereared on. They are very affection- ate dogs, but are at first very timid. If you hold out a hand they think that you are going to throw a stone at them; an instinct inherited through many generations. Although the Mallorcan shows his love of the canine species in a very peculiar way, he does sometimes like his Ibiza hounds, and it is not very easy for a foreigner to buy them cheaply. As a matter of fact, the native rather resents anyone else owning them, as they have lived on these islands for centuries. There would certainly be an outcry if they were shipped abroad in any quantities. Notwithstanding this feeling against foreign- ers owning these hounds, it was not long before I added one to my ever-growing kennel at Camp-de-Mar. I already had at my studio a bull-terrier, a rough haired Dachshund and a small, square Sealyham. Into this circle now bounded an Ibiza puppy called ‘“‘Quixote.” His arrival caused some consternation and not a little astonishment; but he was a very friendly soul, and as my own family (dogs included) had been trained to be polite to all newcomers who were introduced by me, they made the best of him — all except Susan, the Sealyham. Her patience was most severely strained every “‘walk time,” as Quixote took his exercise in a series of delighted bounds backwards and forwards over Susan’s back in his efforts to raise a spark of enthusiasm for a (Continued on page 12) | f