Breeds / Medium
Stabyhoun puppies
Gentle, biddable and quietly enthusiastic, the Stabyhoun is a rare Frisian farm gundog that points, retrieves and guards, and does best living close to its family.
The facts
- Size class Medium
- Country of origin Netherlands
- Adult weight 18.1 to 27.2 kg
- Adult weight in pounds 40 to 60 lb
- Adult height 48 to 53 cm
- Energy level High
- Grooming Low
- Coat type Short double and smooth
- Typical lifespan 13 to 15 years
- Good with children Reliably good
- Good with other dogs Usually good
Where these come from:
- akc.org for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming and the temperament ratings, coat type, country of origin and health notes
About the Stabyhoun
The Stabyhoun comes from Friesland in the northern Netherlands, where smallholders needed one dog that would point birds, retrieve, kill moles and rats, and watch the farm. It remains rare, with a small population carefully managed by its breed clubs. It stands 48 to 53 cm and weighs 18.1 to 27.2 kg, with a black, brown or orange and white coat of medium length. Stabys are gentle and even tempered at home, keen and quick outdoors, and strongly attached to their people.
Around an hour of daily exercise suits an adult, but the mental side matters more. Scent work, tracking, agility and training games keep a Staby settled, and boredom shows up as restlessness and noise. The coat is close to self cleaning and needs little beyond an occasional brush. They learn very fast and are sensitive, so harsh handling backfires badly. The AKC rates them five out of five with children, with supervision still expected. Buyers most often struggle with the wait, since litters are scarce.
What to expect at eight weeks
At eight weeks a Stabyhoun puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A medium breed puppy at eight weeks is a manageable armful that will not stay that way. Most of the growth happens between now and six months, so buy for the adult dog where you can. This is a high energy breed. At eight weeks that shows up as intensity rather than stamina, and it will need a job to do long before it needs long walks. Grooming is straightforward, but start handling the coat, feet and ears in week one anyway so it is never a fight later. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything it meets calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of its life.
Health worth knowing about
Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.
- Hip and elbow dysplasia, which breeding stock should be x-rayed and scored for
- Epilepsy, diagnosed by ruling out other causes of seizures
- Patent ductus arteriosus, a heart defect picked up by auscultation and echocardiogram in puppies
- Cerebral dysfunction, a rare inherited neurological condition tracked through breed club records
From Stabyhoun breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/stabyhoun/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.
Your Stabyhoun puppy's first six months
- Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
- Worming and parasite schedule.
- Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Medium for a Stabyhoun.
- Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 18.1 to 27.2 kg adult range.
- Puppy names and the first week checklist.
Other medium breeds
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Not veterinary advice. Breed information is general. Your own dog, and your own vet, always win.