History of Breed

History of the Stabyhoun Breed

The Stabyhoun originates from Friesland, a province in the northeastern part of the Netherlands. This medium sized breed probably originates from the Spanjoel, or Spaniels, that were brought to the Netherlands during the Spanish Occupation (1568 - 1648). The first written descriptions of the Stabyhoun date back to the early 1800's.

The Stabyhoun was officially acknowledged in Holland as a breed in 1942 and the Dutch Staby and Wetterhoun Association (De Nederlandse Vereniging voor Stabij- en Wetterhoun) was formed in 1947. As a versatile breed, the Stabyhoun has been used throughout the ages as both a hunter and watchdog. This "all-around" trait was quite welcomed by farmers, who were often poor and could only afford one dog. This dog also had to be tolerant toward the other livestock on the farm, friendly with the children and protective about the premises, without being vicious or snappy.

It is both a soft-mouthed retriever and a pointer that is particularly useful for hunting ducks and upland birds. It is a fine retriever, and water work is one of its fortes. It is very sharp-eyed, owns a good sense of smell and aptitude, and works fast and efficiently. Although occasionally somewhat willful by nature, Stabyhouns are obedient, gentle, and patient dogs, which are deeply fond of their family, wanting to please their owners. Stabyhouns like to have tasks and they can be used in almost any imaginable form of training: Obedience, Hunting, Endurance, Flyball, they love to retrieve tennis balls and are excellent as Agility Dogs. They are highly intelligent and can be trained easily, but need consistency.

They are keen and active dogs outside, but very calm inside the house, as long as they get a moderate amount of exercise daily.

The Stabyhoun is a sturdily built dog and has a coat that is long and sleek all over the body, except over the croup where there may be a slight wave. The coat on the head is short while at the back of the forelegs and at the breeches it is well developed, bushy rather than feathered. The ears are trowel shaped and have feathering that does not extend past the ear itself.

The coloring of the Stabyhoun is black or brown, with white markings. Spots and/or roan in the white are permitted. Many Stabyhoun have a solid color black or brown head, but some white on the nose and/or forehead is acceptable.

The Stabyhoun usually keeps its body very clean; its coat has a naturally fresh smell and requires very little maintenance. Proper brushing to keep tangles out and minimize the shedding is all that is required.

Their coats lose dirt very quickly. After a swim the dog is usually clean and dry within a few hours. Washing should be avoided, when possible, because it affects the natural sleekness of the coat.

The Stabyhoun's preferred height at the withers is 20-21 inches for males and 19-20 inches for females. Their weight ranges from 38 - 58 pounds.

There are approximately 4500 registered Stabyhoun in Europe, mostly in the Netherlands, and about 220 in the USA and Canada.

Email Contact: President@stabyhouns.org