As of 2013, the Stabyhoun, or Stabij, was by some accounts one of the five most uncommon dog breeds in the world. Its gentle and friendly temperament is a Dutch national treasure, but some estimates put Stabyhoun breed numbers at less than 1,500 world wide.  A litter of ten healthy Stabyhoun puppies born in the UK in 2013 more than doubled the country’s existing population of seven, and that the breed is so low in numbers is mystifying to us.

This is a versatile dog, both a soft-mouthed retriever and a pointer particularly useful for hunting ducks and upland birds. Deeply fond of their family, these dogs just want to please their people. Indeed, their name, Stabyhoun, translates from the Dutch as “Stand-by-me-dog.”

Inquisitive, loving and responsive, the worst attributes we’ve heard attributed to the breed are digging, and occasional streak of willfulness, but we see this as evidence of an active dog with an intelligent mind. Dutch farmers wanted a dog that could work independently, and deliberately bred this into their breed. While some may call the trait obstinacy, others value a dog that thinks for itself.

The breed is currently recognized by the FCI, the United Kennel Club, and is on the AKC’s FSS list.

Image of a pair of Stabyhoun by MJ Klaver Bijkes in het bos via photopin (license)