Dog breed

Stabijhoun

Origin: not documented in our sources

Also known as: Staby, Beike, Cão de aponte frisão, Frisian Pointer, Frisian Pointing Dog

The Stabyhoun, or Stabijhoun or Stabij, is one of the rarest dog breeds in the world. It hails from the Dutch province of Friesland; its origins lie in the forested region of eastern and southeastern Friesland. The breed has been mentioned in Dutch literature dating back to the early 1800s, but it was not until the 1960s that the breed became known outside its native province; the first Stabyhouns left the Netherlands some decades later, in the 2000s. The name Stabijhoun translates roughly to "stand by [me] dog". The dog is considered a Dutch national treasure. Today, there are only a few thousand Stabyhouns worldwide.