Stabyhoun is one of the oldest Dutch dog breeds. It is originated to Friesland where evidence has been found of its existence dating back to the beginning of the 19th century. How the Stabyihouns were exactly born is not known for sure but it is probably a mixture of ancient Dutch dog breeds. It was officially approved as a pure breed dog in its homeland 1942 and the first Stabyhouns were brought to Finland in 1991.

In the Netherlands Stabyhouns are considered as a versatile dog, used both as bird dog and as a guard dog, even as a sled dog. It is precise, fast working and a brilliant retriever with natural gifts of a pointing dog. It is widely used in addition to be a pointing dog to hunt small animals like moles and polecats etc. Stabihouns are classified to FCI group 7 (continental pointing dog).

Stabyhouns nature is loyal, intelligent, happy and deeply affectionate to its owner. It is also friendly, obedient and easily trained dog and it also fits to be with children and family. Its appearance is generally strong built, longhaired and its ideal height is 50 cm (females) and 53 cm (males). Prohibited colour combinations are black, brown or orange with white markings.

Breed standard

General appearance: Balanced, sturdily built, long-haired pointing dog; rectangular in shape, neither too coarse not too refined in build. Skin without folds not dewlap. Lips not pendulous.

Behaviour/temperament: Devoted, soft and gentle as a pet, intelligent, obedient, easy to train, relaxed, good guard dog, not vicious or snappy.

Head: Dry, in balance with the body, showing more length than width. Skull and muzzle equally long.

Cranial region

Skull: the skull should be slightly rounded, not narrow, but without giving the impression of begin broad. It merges with a slight rounding into the cheeks.
Stop: only slightly indicated.

Facial region

Nose: black for dogs with a black ground colour, brown for dogs with a brown or orange ground colour. Nouse well deweloped, not split; nostrils well open.
Muzzle: powerful, tapering gradually to the nose, without getting pointed. Bridge of nose straight, wide, wiewed from the side neither concave not convex.
Lips: tight and not pendulous.
Laws/Teeth: teeth strong, with scissor bite.
Cheeks: barely developed.
Eyes: set horizontally, medium in size, round, with tight lids, without showing haw; neither protruding not deep set. Colour dark brown for dogs with black ground colour, brown for dogs with a brown or orange colour. Bird-of-prey eyes are objectionable.
Leathers: set fairly low. Auricle so little developed that erar flaps hang closlely, without a fold at the base, along the head. Not admitted are ears eith a strongly developed auricle which do not fold directly at the base of the ear, but further down, so that they do not hang flat against the head. The ears are moderately long and have the form of a mason's trowel. The feathering of the ear is a typical decreasing in length gradually, the lowest 1/3 part of the ear covered with short hair. The long coat must be straight; slightly wavy is permitted, but curled is objectionable.

Neck: Short and round; head carried mostly low so that a blunt angle is formed between neck and topline. The neck is slightly arched, without throatiness or dewlap.

Body: Powerful

Back: straight, rather long.
Loins: powerful.
Croup: only slightly sloping.
Chest: viewed from the front rather broad, showing more width than depth, so that the forelegs are set rather wide apart. Forechest not like a keel, not reaching lower then to the elbows. Ribs well rounded; back ribs well developed.
Belly: only moderately tucked up.

Tail: Long, reaching to the hock, not set high. At ease carried downwards, its last third part may 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 all around, without curls or waves, not feathered, but bushy.

Limbs:

Forequarters
Shoulders: shoulder blade close to the chest, well laid back; shoulder join well angulated.
Forearm: powerful and straight.
Pasterns: straight not sloping.
Forefeet: toes well developed and arched, neither cat-feet not hare-feet; pads tough.

Hindquarters: powerful, well angulated.
Lower Thigh: not too long.
Hock Joint: set low.
Rear Pastern: short.
Hind Feet: round with well developed pads.

Coat

Hair: Long and smooth 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, more bushy than feathered. A somewhat curly coat indicates crossbreeding, therefore dogs with that sort of coat should not be recognised as Stabyhoun.
Colour: black, brown or orange, with white markings. Ticking or roan in the white is permitted.

Size: Ideal size for dogs 53 cm, ideal size for bitches 50 cm

Faults: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

Note: Male animals should have to apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.