Stabyhoun Dog Breed

The Stabyhoun is basically used as a hunting dog, but they are almost always family companions first and foremost. They are not for first-time families, and they need a fairly active lifestyle as well as a large homestead. These are not dogs meant for a sedentary, apartment or urban life. Even experienced hunting dog owners may find these dogs a bit difficult even though the breed is rather copacetic at home.

Here are some things you should know about Stabyhouns if you are thinking about adopting one of these increasingly popular dogs:

PROS

• Loves water
• Good gun dog
• Great with kids
• Great watchdog
• High endurance
• Extremely calm
• Average shedder
• Highly affectionate
• Excellent agility dog
• Very few health concerns
• Wonderful family companion

CONS

• Very rare
• Moderate barker
• Curious to a fault
• Not hypoallergenic
• Expensive to acquire
• Above-moderate exercise needs
• Very long waiting lists for adoption
• Not good with small, non-canine pets

Like its list of names, this medium-sized gun dog has many abilities. Some of the better-known traits of the Friese Stabij include pointing, retrieval, companionship, and watchdog. (The Dutch word "Stabij" translates to English as "stand by me," and "Frisian" means dog.) Despite the breed's rarity, they are becoming popular and you can find a lot of Friese Stabij info online and in books.

There is no denying this breed's intelligence, even if it comes with a side of stubbornness. They are always looking for new adventure, and they are curious to a fault. They may be calm dogs, but they can be difficult as they know what they want and what they don't want. With the right person, however, they can learn amazing agility tricks.

Perhaps one of the most admired traits is the Stabyhoun's "soft mouth." Hunters will love this feature, as it means that the dog retrieves downed game without further injury to it. They are able to track small game and fowl at remarkable distances. They have excellent vision and hearing and make for superb tracking dogs.

Stabyhouns are calm creatures at home, but they want and need a fair amount of activity. They have amazing endurance and can take on many types of terrain for long periods of time. Long daily walks and frequent, energetic visits to the dog park are essential even if you take her out on hunts during the weekends.

When in a domestic setting, this is a mild-mannered dog; once in the field or woods for play or sport, they are very energetic. The Stabyhoun temperament is best described as a family companion that can hunt — meaning they may not be the best of hunting dogs but are competent when they aren't being stubborn. This breed loves hunting, retrieving and playing in the water.

They love to play with kids, they prefer to have a job, and they are devoted to their master. Their strong point is agility, so be sure to indulge them with frisbee-throwing, agility toys, and other such fun. They get along fine with other dogs. They do have a strong prey drive, however, and they may not do well with cats and other small, non-canine pets and animals.

Training can be a challenge. Experienced hunting dog owners may understand how to bring out the best in these dogs. As they are very curious, aloof to strangers and highly intelligent, they must be trained carefully. They are accustomed to being outdoors, which means they are independent, and if they don't want to do something, they will make it known.

The Stabyhoun is a very healthy breed owing to the careful management of the dogs and their admittance to the Dutch Association for Stabyhouns and Wetterhouns. The strict rules regarding hip tests has helped keep this strong breed intact and are what contribute to the dog's amazing endurance. The rarity of the dog has also helped maintain the high health profile. Because there are more and more Stabyhouns outside of the Netherlands, however, there may be health concerns beyond the hips to watch out for.

The list of known problems that can occur with these dogs is very short:
Epilepsy
Heart defects
Joint dysplasia
Hunting injuries
Foreleg deformity

The Stabyhoun has an average lifespan of 13-14 years, but it is not uncommon to hear of those that reach 16 to 17 years.