Stabyhoun Breed of Dog:

Originating from the Netherlands, the Stabyhoun dog is considered to be a breed of dog that was originally developed from spaniels that were brought to Holland by Spanish conquistadors.



History shows the breed to have existed as far back as the 1800’s and was most commonly used to hunt small game and bird. It has excellent gun dog skills and it used as an all rounder due to its effectiveness in being a pointer, tracker and watchdog, which was helpful considering the farmers of Frisia were rather poor and could not own more than one dog.



While they are still a very common breed in the Netherlands, they are very rare in other countries, although this has changed over the last couple of years where their popularity seems to be growing. The name originates from the Dutch phrase – ‘sta me bij’ which means ‘stand by me’ and encapsulates the tremendous loyalty of the dog where it will not leave its owners side until it has accomplished its task.





Stabyhoun dog’s are very devoted and affectionate animals that are extremely obedient and intelligent. They are also very good with children and do not have the tendency to be vicious or snap. They also love playing with children and make tremendous companions along with a keen fondness of cuddling up to the human. Because of its heightened retrieving skills, the animal is very fond of playing catch with its owners where it will cover any kind of terrain to retrieve the hurled object. Due to its huge appetite for exercise, the Stabyhoun dog is not a dog for a lazy owner and needs to be able to get a significant amount of exercise over the course of the day. Stabyhoun puppies should be encouraged to socialize and avoid feeling shy in order to better gear them towards growing into loving companions. Despite its rather frail frame, the Stabyhoun dog is a very powerful animal that has the capacity to pull weighted down sleds during the winter. A small dingy apartment life will not suit the dog as it will require at least some space to get adequate exercise. While they are best kept in moderate temperature, they will have no trouble adapting to colder climates so long as they have some sort of shelter. Recent studies have sown that the overall population of the Stabyhoun dog today stands at about 3500 animals and the dogs will usually live for a period of about 13 to 14 years of age.