KENAI
Stabyhoun

The breeds · gun dog · versatile

AKC Foundation Stock Service · UKC Gun Dog · FCI standard 222

Stabyhoun.

Pointing dog of spaniel type (FCI Group 7, Section 1.2, with working trial): 'a very versatile dog. He is an all-round hunting dog and has a good reputation as a mole and polecat catcher'; the Frisian farm dog that guarded the yard, caught moles for their skins and pulled milk carts. A NAVHDA recognized versatile breed.

Breed sets the odds. The parents set the dog. Every number here shows its source, its spread and how sure we are. Nothing on this page is a prediction about one dog.

20 / 19INHeightdogs 20.3, bitches 19.3. An ideal from the standard, not a range.
40–60LBWeight, all linesbreed dogs 54 lb (48.5 to 59.5); breed bitches 45.2 lb (39.7 to 50.7).

The body

What the breed is built like. Registry standards give an ideal, not a range.

Height at the shoulder

dogs 20.3 in (18.9 to 21.7) · bitches 19.3 in (18.1 to 20.5)

Breed clubFédération Cynologique Internationale, 2015

Center is the midpoint of the ideal range (49 cm); low/high are the allowed limits. The UKC standard prints an ideal of 19.5 inches for females.

Weight

dogs 54 lb (48.5 to 59.5) · bitches 45.2 lb (39.7 to 50.7)

Breed clubFédération Cynologique Internationale, 2015

Center is the midpoint (20.5 kg).

Coat

Medium length and straight on the body 'with a weather-resistant undercoat'; at most slightly wavy on the croup; bushy hair on chest, collar, trousers and tail gives the impression of a long coat; short on the head, front of the forelegs and hocks; the tail is bushy rather than feathered; a curly coat is not allowed. Pied black or brown with white, roans accepted; tan markings or tricolour disqualify

Breed clubFédération Cynologique Internationale, 2015

The AKC page lists coat type double / smooth and length short; the standard's 'medium length' is used.

Shedding

Shedding 3 of 5 (AKC breed page trait score)

Breed clubAKC

AKC breed page trait score, 1 to 5: a breed-club tendency, never a measurement.

Heat tolerance

3 of 5 · Medium-length straight coat with a weather-resistant undercoat and bushy furnishings

DerivedFédération Cynologique Internationale, 2015

Derived from the standard's coat description: a medium double coat = 3 (the medium band).

The dog at home

What the breed asks of a day. The first thing most homes get wrong.

Exercise need

'Daily exercise is necessary ... They do not require more than a good daily hour of exercise. Afterward, they are then content to sleep and rest quietly.' The mental challenge matters more: 'Stabys need to have a function in daily life'; agility, hunting, scent work and lure coursing named

Breed clubAKC

Club-supplied text on the AKC page; 'a good daily hour' is the club's phrase, not a registry band, so exercise_need_min is not recorded from it.

Energy

AKC Energy Level 4 of 5 (between 'Moderate' and 'High Energy'); Mental Stimulation Needs 4 of 5; Trainability 5 of 5; the standard: 'very independent and likes to go his own way', 'affectionate but can also be very headstrong', 'a quiet but vigilant dog' at home

Breed clubAKC

No RKC exercise band exists; exercise_need_min not recorded.

Grooming load

1 of 5 · AKC Coat Grooming Frequency 1 of 5 ('Monthly'); Shedding Level 3 of 5; club text: 'grooming needs are almost nonexistent', the coat is self-cleaning when dry, rarely bathed; a neutered dog's 'castrated coat' with exploding undercoat may need more

Breed clubAKC

No Royal Kennel Club page exists (the Stabyhoun is not on the KC gundog register; the RKC breeds A to Z was checked and the stabyhoun slugs return 404). AKC band used as the fallback. Fewer than three sources.

Grooming

Monthly (AKC band 1 of 5): one brush-through removes sand once the coat dries; rare baths with a neutral shampoo; a neutered dog's undercoat needs more work

Breed clubAKC

The work

What it was built to do in the field, and what a test or trial asks of it.

Role

Pointing dog of spaniel type (FCI Group 7, Section 1.2, with working trial): 'a very versatile dog. He is an all-round hunting dog and has a good reputation as a mole and polecat catcher'; the Frisian farm dog that guarded the yard, caught moles for their skins and pulled milk carts. A NAVHDA recognized versatile breed

Breed clubFédération Cynologique Internationale, 2015

The UKC standard: 'a versatile breed, used on farms as both a hunter and a watchdog'. The AKC page: 'both a soft-mouthed retriever and a pointer'.

Primary game

'Particularly useful for hunting ducks and upland birds'; pointed upland birds and retrieved waterfowl in NAVHDA tests

Breed clubAKC

Club-supplied text on the AKC page; the standard names no bird. Fewer than three sources name game directly.

Also used on

Moles and polecats (the standard's named reputation), mice and rats in the yard; rabbits and hares (the ASA: bred for 'independent hunting of moles or rabbits', trained 'as a hunting dog for wild hare and upland birds')

Breed clubFédération Cynologique Internationale, 2015

The ASA quotes are from the club's About the Breed page; the standard supplies moles and polecats.

Search pattern

'Very sharp-eyed, owns a good sense of smell and aptitude, and works fast and efficiently'; bred to hunt independently ('you cannot be upset if he looks for prey independently'); the standard: gait 'powerful, harmonious, with good drive and covering a lot of ground', head carried low in motion

Breed clubAKC

No source describes a field pattern or distance from the gun; range is therefore not recorded. Club text on the AKC page plus the standard's gait section.

Field trial standard

A NAVHDA recognized breed in North America. Neither parent club requires a hunt test to breed: the Dutch NVSW asks two show qualifications (Very Good or Excellent) under breed-qualified Dutch judges, one after 15 months, and accepts a KNJV hunting diploma in place of one of them; the ASA mirrors this with two evaluations by FCI judges or its breeding committee plus a temperament evaluation. The AKC page: approved for AKC Companion Events since July 1 2008

Breed clubNederlandse Vereniging voor Stabij- en Wetterhounen (NVSW

The KNJV diploma is the Dutch hunters' association's working test; it reduces, but does not replace, the show requirement.

Water work

'He is a fine retriever, and water work is one of his fortes' (club text on the AKC page); the standard specifies a weather-resistant undercoat; NAVHDA judges retrieving from water and tracking wounded game on water

Breed clubAKC

Cold water

4 of 5 · Weather-resistant undercoat under a medium straight coat; the AKC page (club text): 'particularly useful for hunting ducks and upland birds. He is a fine retriever, and water work is one of his fortes'; the club text also notes the coat is self-cleaning and 'a rinse or a swim in a clean pool is usually sufficient'

DerivedFédération Cynologique Internationale, 2015

Derived from coat (fci_std) and water work (akc_page, navhda_breeds). A medium coat with undercoat and a stated aptitude for duck work: 4, not the 5 reserved for late-season specialist retrievers.

How common the problems are

Evaluated dogs skew toward breeding stock; the numbers are still the best there are.

Hip dysplasia

13.4% · 292 OFA hip evaluations to date: 86.3% normal (11.3% excellent, 61.0% good, 14.0% fair), 13.4% dysplastic (8.9% mild, 4.1% moderate, 0.3% severe); rank 95

MeasuredOrthopedic Foundation for Animals

OFA breed statistics are voluntary submissions and skew toward breeding stock; the ASA requires a passing OFA hip rating before breeding. Cumulative all-years figure; the service prints no period. The ASA's own tally for the USA and Canada: 92% HD A or B, 6% HD C, 2% HD D (asa_health); worldwide, about 2% of all dogs reported HD D or E and 3.3% HD C.

Elbow dysplasia

12.6% · 269 OFA elbow evaluations to date: 87.4% normal, 12.6% abnormal (8.9% grade I, 3.7% grade II, 0% grade III); rank 41

MeasuredOrthopedic Foundation for Animals

Voluntary submissions, breeding-stock skew; the ASA requires elbow radiographs and attributes the breed's elbow risk to its broad chest. The ASA's USA/Canada tally: 91% normal, 6% grade 1, 3% grade 2; worldwide radiographed dogs in the past 10 years, 9.7% grade 1 and 3.3% grade 2 or 3. Elbow radiographs became mandatory in the Netherlands on 1 January 2026 (nvsw_rules).

Most common disorders

The ASA's named list with its own frequencies: hip dysplasia (about 2% HD D/E worldwide; 13.4% dysplastic in OFA's 292 evaluations), elbow dysplasia (under 1% reported overall; 12.6% abnormal in OFA's 269), epilepsy (about 6 reports a year, about 1% of dogs, onset usually three to five years; the NVSW counts about 4 reports a year), steroid-responsive meningitis-arteritis (35 cases in ten years, 0.5% of Stabys born), patent ductus arteriosus (50 puppies in ten years, about 0.7%; Utrecht research under way), cerebral dysfunction (recessive, fatal in puppies, DNA test since 2015, 'no longer occurs' per the NVSW), von Willebrand disease type I (roughly a quarter of the population affected and half carriers, clinical signs rarely reported, not screened to protect genetic diversity)

Breed clubAmeri-Can Stabyhoun Association (ASA)

Two parent clubs (ASA and NVSW) publish the same list with frequencies from the breed's ZooEasy register; these are club tallies, not peer-reviewed prevalence. No VetCompass, UK survey or insurer figure exists.

More

akc bands

AKC breed page trait scores (1-5): Energy Level 4; Mental Stimulation Needs 4; Trainability Level 5; Barking Level 3; Watchdog/Protective Nature 3; Good With Young Children 5; Openness To Strangers 3; Good With Other Dogs 4; Shedding Level 3; Coat Grooming Frequency 1; Drooling Level 2; Affectionate With Family 5; Playfulness Level 3; Adaptability Level 3.

Breed clubAKC

Fourteen AKC bands in one row; the selector reads each by name. Breed-club ratings: a tendency, never a measurement.

What to ask a breeder for

The health clearances the breed’s own club and registry name. Reference only: what to ask for, never a statement about any dog’s health.

No KENAI kennel lists the Stabyhoun yet. If you breed them, list your kennel free: it shows on this page and in the hunting dog breed finder, under every handler whose answers land on the breed.

How to read this page

Every value carries a label. Measured means peer-reviewed data on many dogs. Studied means peer-reviewed, smaller or indirect. Breed club means a club or registry states it. Editorial means expert opinion with no measurement behind it. Where two good sources disagree, both are shown and neither is averaged.

Published when the entry rests on the best information available from no fewer than three independent sources, checked by a second pass that did not write it. 7 sources on this page. Found something wrong? Tell us and the correction is logged with its date.

Also called
Stabijhoun, Staby, Stabij, Frisian Pointer, Friese Stabij, SB

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