Stabyhoun

The Stabyhoun is a sporting dog breed from the Netherlands and among the top 5 rarest breeds in the world. It hails from the province of Friesland and was first mentioned in Dutch literature in the early 1800s. With its name meaning “stand-by-me dog” or “stand-by-me hound” from the Frisian words stabij and houn, it was originally the dog of small landowners, day laborer farmers, and dairy farmers and used for hunting foxes, birds, rats, moles, European polecats, and small game.

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Although it is excellent as a tracker, pointer, retriever, cart-dog, and watchdog, these days it is popular as a companion animal or family pet. Its other names in Dutch are Stabij, Stabijhoun, Fryske Stabij, and Beike, while in English it’s also called the Dutch Stabyhoun, Stabij, or Frisian Pointer.

The different types of Stabyhoun and Stabyhoun mixes

There is one standard for the breed, although there are a few different colors. The coat can have a slight wave but should never be curly, which would indicate crossbreeding, nor should it be tricolor. Spotting and roan are acceptable. The most common coat color is black and white, while less common colors are brown and white and orange and white.

The breeding of purebred Frisian Pointers is tightly regulated. Some examples of Frisian Pointer mixes are crossbreeds of the breed with a Kooikerhondje, Wetterhoun, Flat-Coated Retriever, Golden Retriever, Border Collie, Kai Ken, Sealyham Terrier, or Braque du Bourbonnais.

3 pros and cons of owning Stabyhouns

Stabyhoun Size and Weight

The Frisian Pointer is a medium size semi long hair dog with an average withers height of 21″ for males and 23″ for females, or about 19-20″ at the shoulder. Males weigh about 50-55lbs fully grown, while females weigh about 45lbs fully grown. Frisian Pointer puppies weigh 7-8lbs on average at 8 weeks of age and are typically fully grown between 12-15 months.

Health and Entertainment for your Stabyhoun

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Stabyhoun Common Health Issues

Like other dog breeds, the Frisian Pointer has unique health issues for prospective owners to consider. The breed does not have common health problems and lives 12 to 15 years, which is more than average. It is a generally very healthy breed, with many owners adhering to the careful breeding rules according to breed associations.

Some congenital conditions may occur, such as joint dysplasia, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), epilepsy, and Type 1 von Willebrands Disease (vWB). Epilepsy was an issue in the past, but not anymore. Some documented conditions with are hereditary cataracts, radius curvus, cancer, and steroid-responsive meningitis-arteritis (SRMA), with most having uncertain heritability. In short, the most common possible health issues with the breed are:

• Joint dysplasia
• Patent ductus arteriosus
• Epilepsy
• Type 1 von Willebrands disease (VWB)
• Cataracts

Stabyhoun Temperament

The Frisian Pointer is a sporting breed used for hunting, as a cart-dog, a watchdog, and a family pet. As such, it has traits of protectiveness, loyalty, obedience, willingness to please, and intelligence. It has a sensitive and calm temperament with a patient, peaceful, tolerant, gentle, and friendly personality that makes it great around people, strangers, children, other dogs, and other animals.

Among its working traits is the ability to be a soft mouth retriever, meaning it gently carries the game in its mouth. It’s also great at tracking, pointing, guarding, and pulling carts, although its versatility means it doesn’t have a specialized skill.

How To Take Care of Stabyhouns

All dogs have unique needs for their care, especially puppies, and the Frisian Pointer is no exception. Diet, care, environment, and exercise are very important for prolonging its health and lifespan. Prospective owners should be prepared with knowledge about the breed.

The Best Dog Food for Stabyhouns

Frisian Pointers, especially puppies, have certain health considerations and nutritional needs other dog breeds might not. Hence, new owners should consider these factors when choosing the food they will feed their pets.

Frisian Pointer puppy food: Puppyhood is a crucial time for the dog’s development, and the Sttabyhoun is a medium-sized breed. Although it is active, the wrong food or overfeeding can cause it to gain weight. Therefore, the food should be specifically formulated for puppies as well as AAFCO-compliant. It should also focus on animal protein as its first and predominant ingredient, plus whole grains and vegetables. This will provide the fiber and the variety of vitamins and minerals it needs.

You can supplement their diet with fish oil for skin, coat, eye, and brain health. Look out for calcium and phosphorus levels, too, because too much can cause rapid growth and lead to joint dysplasia later in life. A raw diet with the aforementioned nutrients is a possible option.

Frisian Pointer adult dog food: Frisian Pointer adult dogs need food that is formulated not only for their medium size but is for active dogs. This will keep them healthy and fit through the years as they age. Adult dogs one year of age or older usually need one large meal or two smaller meals a day.

Also, realize that Stabyhouns are vulnerable to the heart condition patent ductus arteriosis. So you should know about the link between legumes in dog food and heart failure in dogs, and think about going for legume-free dog food.

With this in mind, A-Z Animals chooses Wellness CORE RawRev Wholesome Grains Ocean Recipe as the best dog food for Stabyhouns.

The real fish ingredients here include whitefish, herring, and menhaden for natural glucosamine and chondroitin. These nutrients lend themselves to the maintenance of stable joints. The taurine promotes a healthy heart and eyes, while carrots add another level of eye support.

Check out Wellness CORE RawRev Wholesome Grains Ocean Recipe dog food on Chewy or Amazon.

Best Raw High Protein

Wellness CORE RawRev Wholesome Grains High Protein Dry Dog Food

• Does not contain any fillers, wheat, corn or soy.
• Fortified with omega fatty acids, antioxidants, glucosamine, probiotics and taurine.
• Features 100% freeze-dried turkey bites for a boost of savory flavor that dogs love.
• Thoughtfully balanced with high-protein kibble, wholesome grains and nutrient-rich superfoods.
• Crafted using advanced natural nutrition to support lean body mass, muscle tone and a healthy coat and skin.

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Stabyhoun Maintenance And Grooming

A semi-long, silky coat is characteristic of the Frisian Pointer. However, its fur is self-cleaning, although it does shed. It needs bathing on the rare occasion it is very dirty or smelly thanks to its skin oils and needs regular grooming to remove tangles, control shedding, and fur trimming according to the breed standards.

Stabyhoun Training

The Frisian Pointer is intelligent and emotionally intuitive. It takes well to early training and enjoys having jobs to do. Although it can be stubborn, gentle, and consistent, steady training reflects well on the dog. Harsh training or yelling will stress it out and make it shut down, and not addressing its tendency to be a “velcro” dog will lead to separation anxiety.

Training it for good recall is important so it doesn’t stray too far. Also, it can have a high prey drive. This breed is a natural watchdog and so will be on alert to bark and let you know about noises and anything strange. On the other hand, it has a low tendency to chew, nip, and herd.

Stabyhoun Exercise

A small dwelling such as an apartment is not a suitable environment for the Frisian Pointer, which needs a lot of room to move around and play. Some amount of physical activity every day is necessary. At a minimum, it needs long walks a few times a week in addition to daily stimulation and movement. Swimming is ideal, and its favorite activity. It likes to dig trenches in yards and will become destructive without proper enrichment. If you have an uncovered pool, it could be difficult to avoid it swimming at every opportunity.

Stabyhoun Puppies

People usually get Frisian Pointer puppies at 8 weeks of age. The breed’s socialization window starts to close at 12 weeks, so socialization should begin right away. This means allowing the puppy to see, hear, and experience as many different things as possible in order to associate them with pleasure.

As for purchasing, a Stabyhoun puppy is hard to find and can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $3,200 depending on the breeder, less common coat colors, and whether you are importing it from overseas. The average set price by the American Stabyhoun Association is $2,000 to $3,200.

Stabyhoun And Children

The Frisian Pointer is excellent with children, being very friendly, tolerant, and loving to play. Like many other breeds, it is initially reserved with strangers, including child strangers.

Dogs similar to Stabyhouns

Some dogs that are similar to Frisian Pointers are Border Collies, Golden Retrievers, and Bourbonnaise Pointers.

• Schapendoes: Also called the Dutch Sheepdog, the Schapendoes is likewise from the Netherlands, but specifically from the province of Drenthe. The herding and farm dog also shares its medium size and black and white coat.
• Wetterhoun: Wetterhoun is from the Friesland province of the Netherlands and is also called the Frisian Water Dog. It also has in common with the Frisian Pointer a similar color, build, and appearance, medium size, and use as a hunting dog. Differences include larger size, curly fur, and skill in hunting otters.
• Kooikerhondje: The Kooikerhondje, also called the Dutch Spaniel or Dutch Decay Spaniel, is another Dutch breed and a working dog. It is small, used for luring ducks, has an orange and white coat, and is common in paintings by old Dutch masters Rembrandt and Jan Steen.

Famous Stabyhouns

Being such a rare breed of dog, you wouldn’t expect to hear about a famous Frisian Pointer, let alone one outside the Netherlands. Suffie is a dog owned by Judy Wiltsek of Mill Spring, North Carolina. Wiltsek became an advocate for the breed, stating that it’s one of the most emotionally intelligent breeds she’s ever experienced, thanks to Suffie. She joined the ASA and hopes to breed Suffie.

Popular Names for Stabyhouns

• Guus
• Ferdi
• Hein
• Ambroos
• Casper
• Femke
• Aliska
• Aleid
• Isa
• Coba