Stabyhoun

The Stabyhoun is a dog breed that originates from Friesland, a province in the North of the Netherlands (which probably is a descendant of Spaniels brought to the Netherlands by the Spanish conquistadors). The first part of the name is probably from the Dutch: sta me bij (stand by me). The last part is simply Friesian, meaning dog. It is pronounced "hoon". The stabyhoun is a gundog of which descriptions were already found as early as 1800. In earlier days it was used for small game and bird. It turned out to be a fine mole catcher, which also during the hunting season was used as an all-round gundog. It was a fine pointer, an excellent tracker and also a good watchdog. It was also used as a draught dog.

The stabyhoun is still used as a gundog, although today often English and German breeds are more popular. A stabyhoun can be taken out in the field for hours. It will wait steadily and calmly for the shot. The Stabyhoun is both a soft-mouthed retriever and a pointer that is particularly useful for hunting ducks. It is a fine retriever, and water work is one of its strongest sides. It marks well and is easily controlled over greater distances and is an eager searcher. It brings in any game alive and undamaged. When catching moles and other vermin these animals are killed through breaking the neck, but the furs remain undamaged. It is a good swimmer that can handle cold water and loves to please its owner. This dog has a very laid back temperament and it loves to play with children. Many Dutch owners use its natural retrieving abilities for playing with balls, because it will go into the water and find the balls then bring them back. This dog is a wonderful pet to have around the house and is just perfect for life in Holland with its waterways and parks. While it makes a good watchdog it is friendly and amiable. It is also a very powerful dog and larger ones can pull sleds in the winter. Today it enjoys a moderate, though very devoted fancy among Dutch sportsmen and homeowners and its numbers are increasing slowly but steadily. It has yet to gain any significant fancy outside of Holland.

Since the dog used to be owned by farmers who were in general poor it was very welcome to have such an all rounder, because often only one dog could be afforded. The dog had also to be tolerant toward the other livestock on the farm, friendly with the children and protective about the premises, without being vicious or snappy. As a versatile breed, Stabyhouns have been used through out ages as a guard and watch dog for the farms, but before all it is a hunting dog. It is very sharp-eyed, owns a good sense, works fast and quickly, and is specialized hunting in the watery areas and -specially in the dawn of it’s history- hunting foxes and other animals, which hunt game. Heavily built with beautiful coat Stabyhoun is equally perfect for the hunter’s companion, and as a family’s loyal friend. But, it is not fit to be just a family dog. Staby´s are eager hunting and sporting dogs, so they need lot of exercise and activities. By their nature, Stabyhouns are obedient, peaceful, kind and patient dogs, which are deeply fond of their family, and they always want to please their owner. Or as said by nature Frisian: "The Staby is reflecting a character of the Frisian people. stubborn (better stated as wilful), straight, social and quiet, friendly but mostly a bit reserved for strangers".

Its looks have not changed a lot today, although in earlier days the breed was often mixed with that other Friesian breed, the wetterhoun, because only working capacities were counted. In 1942 the breed was officially acknowledged and since then crossbreeding between the two has stopped.

• The population of the stabyhoun today is about 3500 animals. Therefore careful breeding is important.

The average life expectancy is 13-14 years. Males are 53 cm and bitches 49 cm (19 to 23 inches), measured at the shoulder and the dogs weight from 45 to 55 pounds. Acceptable colors are black, brown and orange with white marking. Spotting and/or roan in the white are acceptable. Tricolour is objectionable. The coat is long and sleek and with a natural fresh smell. The dog doesn't need much grooming. It usually keeps its body very clean.

Stabyhoun has a nice temperament, friendly, tolerant, and willing to please. The dogs are used in almost all-imaginable forms of training. Agility, obedience, hunting, triathlon, endurance, Frisbee: a healthy stabyhoun has no physical problems with these activities. A characteristic of the stabyhoun is very tolerance toward children, and also animals that belong to the household are treated in a friendly way.

The appearance of the stabyhoun has some very typical characteristics, of which the sleek coat is one. The hair on the ears is long at the top and decreasingly shorter up to the last 1/3 of the ear, where the hair is short. The shape of the ear is the form of a mason's trowel. The hair on the legs and tail is also typical. On the back of both the front and hind legs, the hair is bushy, as it is on the tail. It should never be feathering. The dog has a rather wide brisket and fairly big, well-developed feet. Remember it has to be able to walk, swim and climb for long periods at a time! The expression of the face should always be gentle and intelligent. General Appearance: A simply sturdily built long coated pointer, greater in length than height, which should be neither too coarse not too refined in build. The skin fits the body closely: there is no dewlap nor do they show too much lip. Temperament: Devoted, soft and gentle as a pet, intelligent, obedient, easy to train, relaxed, good guard dog, not vicious or snappy Head: Dry, should match the body, showing more length than width. Skull and foreface equally long. The skull should be slightly domed, not narrow, but may never give the impression of being wide. It flows with a slight rounding into the cheeks. These must be poorly developed. The stop is only slightly indicated. The foreface powerful, tapering to the nose, without getting pointed. The bridge of the nose straight so that viewed from the side shows neither concave nor convex line. Muzzle broad, the nostrils wide open. Lips tight and not pendulous. Teeth strong with scissor bite. Ears: Set fairly low, ear shell not much developed, and carried without turn closely against the head. Ears strongly developed, which cause the fold in the ear not to take, place directly at the root but further on, so that the ear is not carried against the head but stands away from it, are not what is required. The ears are moderately long and have the form of a mason's trowel. The feathering of the ear is a typical characteristic of the breed. They are rather long at the base of the ear, decreasing in length down to the point where the lowest 1/3 part of the ear is covered with short hair. The long coat must be straight; slightly wavy is permitted, but curled is objectionable. Eyes: Lying level in the head, medium in size, round with tight lids, without showing haw or third eyelid. There are neither protruding nor deeply set. Color dark brown for dogs with black ground color, brown for dogs with a brown or orange ground color. Eagle's eyes are objectionable Nose: Black for dogs with a black ground color, brown for dogs with a brown or orange ground colour. No split, nostrils well open, nose well developed. Neck: Short and round, verging into the top line with a very blunt angle, so that the head is mostly carried low. The neck is slightly arched. No throatiness, no dewlap. Brisket: Viewed from the front rather wide, showing more width than depth, so that the forelegs are rather wide apart. Under brisket rounded, but not like a hull, not reaching lower than the elbow. Body: Powerful. The ribs well rounded. Back ribs well developed. Back straight, rather long, the croup only slightly sloping. Loin powerful the belly only moderately tucked up. Tail: Long, reaching to the hock. Not set high, carried downwards to the last third part, which is bend upwards in a gentle curve. In action the tail is lifted, but never so as to curl The tail is covered with longer hair on all sides to the end, without curls or waves, not feathered, but bushy. Forequarters: Shoulder well laid against the chest. Shoulder blade well laid back, well angulated. Lower arm powerful and straight, forelegs straight, with no weak pasterns. Toes well developed and arched, neither cat feet nor hare feet, pads thick. Hindquarters: Powerful, well angulated. Hock placed low; short rear pasterns. Hind feet round with well-developed pads. Coat: Long and sleek all over the body. Only over the croup there may be a slight wave. The coat on the head is short. The coat at the back of the forelegs and at the breeches is well developed, bushier than feathered. A somewhat curly coat shows that a cross has been made, and that is why the dogs with that sort of coat cannot be recognized as Stabyhoun. Color: Black, brown or orange, with white markings. Spots and/or roan in the white is permitted (Orange breed does not exist anymore) Size: Ideal size for dogs is 53 cm, for bitches 50 cm. (19 to 23) Weight: Ideal 45 pounds for females and 50 to 55 pounds for males. Note: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum

The stabyhoun is a healthy dog. In the past the breed had some problems, but careful breeding expelled most problems. Epileptics occurred in the past, but the inheritable form has luckily not been diagnosed for a long time.

The stabyhoun does not need any special care apart from proper brushing. All you have to do is keep tangles out. The dogs moult (shed) usually twice a year, and thorough brushing helps the dog to finish its moult in about two weeks. Washing should be avoided when possible, because it affects the natural sleekness of the coat. The coat by its nature will lose dirt very quickly. After a swim the dog is usually quite clean and dry in a couple of hours.

Because the stabyhoun population is small careful breeding is very important. The association has breed advisors and the official opinion of the club is to keep inbreeding very limited. More specifically: not over 10%. Although in the last 10 to 15 years dogs have gone abroad, there is no population elsewhere to fall back on. The dogs are sold relatively cheaply in Holland, especially because most breeders see them as a national heritage. This makes them breed out of love rather than out of other motives. The average number of puppies in a litter is 7, and the bitches are not allowed to have more than 5 litters in their lifetime.

They must have a dog-show judgement of "very good" at least twice (or of "excellent" of course). Some people consider this too low a standard, but with a small population one cannot afford to lose genes too easily. The judge has to be accredited for the breed; judgements by all-rounders are also permitted. The bitch has to be over 18 months and no older than 9 years of age, at least one year should elapse in between litters, the hips have to be x-rayed (not over FCI-C result), and the combination has to be approved by the breeding committee. Sometimes wrong colours may be passed on, which is to be avoided. The association keeps very careful track of these matters. The studs have to be 18 months of age, with the same show and hip results as the bitches, and they are not allowed to give over 20 litters in their lifetime. It is preferred to have no more then 3 litters out of a male a year, so on the breeders' days the litters can be checked and notes can be taken as of the traits that the males (and females) may or may not inherit. Stud-owners are expected to appear on these breeders' days. It is expected the breeders will promote the breeders' days towards those who have bought puppies in the past year, so that as many as possible will visit these days.

Not many books exist on the stabyhoun, and none have been translated. However, the association is presented on a homepage: www.nvsw.nl. Nederlandse Vereniging voor staby-en wetterhounen (Dutch association for staby-and wetterhounen). This is the official contact for the association on the stabyhoun.