MyDogBreeds
Stabyhoun is originated from Denmark but Hovawart is originated from Germany. Stabyhoun may grow 17 cm / 6 inches shorter than Hovawart. Both Stabyhoun and Hovawart are having almost same weight. Both Stabyhoun and Hovawart has almost same life span. Both Stabyhoun and Hovawart has almost same litter size. Both Stabyhoun and Hovawart requires Low maintenance.
The Stabyhoun is a near extinct breed and one of the rarest ever. He was never recognized by the major kennel clubs but was entered into Foundation Stock Services.. The breed comes from the Netherlands in the Frisian Forest and has been known since the early nineteenth century.
It was not known outside of the Friesland Forest area until the 1960’s and outside the Netherlands only since the twenty first century. The Stabyhoun is a Dutch national treasure whose name means “stand by me dog”. Today throughout the world only a few thousand remain.
The Stabyhoun is hunter and retriever with a soft-mouth and ability to point. He was used for duck hunting and finding upland birds. He is great in the water, sharp-eyes and efficient, he works quickly. The breed has also been known to hunt fox, other birds and small game. They are great at catching moles.
Even though British breeds are more popular for hunting now, the Stabij remains an excellent all round hunter. He can track, point, and retrieve. He is also a good watchdog though his disposition is peaceful and gentle. They needed to be general all around farm dogs as farmers could only afford one dog.
They have not changed much since the 1800’s either in function or appearance. In order to get such a gentle working dog, they early Stabyhoun has been mixed with the much older and rarer breed from the same area, the Wetterhoun. This crossbreeding was stopped in 1942 in order to gain breed recognition and hope to keep either of these two rare breeds from extinction.
Today the number of Stabyhoun in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, North America and Scandinavia are slowly but surely increasing. He is highly prized as an independent thinker and hunter, inquisitive and gentle. They are related to the Heidewachtel and the Drentsche Patrijshound.
The first Staby born in the U.S. was around 1994 and in 2017 there were thought to be over 7000 Stabyhouns in the world. They are much more popular now in Europe and North America.
The Hovawart, is a German Black Forest breed developed as a guard dog for large estates in the medieval era. They first appeared in history in the early 13th century as heroes who saved the German son of a castle lord, despite being injured themselves. The boy they saved grew up to be a German legend. He wrote the oldest German code of law that remained from medieval times. In it he names the Hovawarts as a dog that if you are responsible for hurting, stealing or killing it, you must pay for it or replace it. No other dog had this protection.
In the late fifteenth century Hovawarts were featured in Heinrich Mynsinger’s “The Five Noble Breeds”. This guard dog breed was esteemed on a level with the hunting dogs – their health a question of life or death for their owner. In the 1500’s the popularity of the breed began to fade. The GSD or German Shepard Dog began to replace the Hovawarts as the preferred guard dog.
By the early 20th century the breed had almost disappeared but were saved by breed enthusiasts in the early 1900’s. Zoologist Kurt Konig was prominent in this effort and went looking in the Black Forest area for dogs working on farms. Using the dogs, he found on these farms, Konig began a breeding program crossing the them with Newfoundland’s, Kuvazoks, Leonbergers, GSD, an African hunting dogs and Bernese Mountain Dogs.
By 1922 the first litter of these pups was entered officially into the German Breeding Registry. In 1937 the Hovawart was recognized by the German Kennel Club. However, many members of the breed died in World War II as they were used widely by the military and not many were left by 1945. Once again breed enthusiasts came to the rescue forming a Coburg Hovawart club. This club still exists and in 1964, for the second time, the breed was recognized by the German Kennel Club. Other countries also began to take notice of this working breed.
The Hovawart has many skills in addition hunting and guarding. The Hovawart does not work for people, he works with them as he is a very independent thinker. He is also good at search and rescue and tracking. An owner of this breed must be stronger, smarter, more alert, intentional and consistent than his Hovawart. These are not dogs for the faint of heart or first-timers.
The Staby are powerful soft-mouthed pointers who are not too fine or too robust with tightly fitting skin. Their chest, legs, collar and tail are feathered and make the dog look like a longhaired canine, but she really is not. The dog is longer than it is tall, and his head is longer than it is wide. Most of the breed are black and white but there are many brown and white, while the orange and white are very close to extinction.
They have a slightly domed skull and a slightly arched but strong neck. Their muzzle is broad and the bridge straight while the nose is well developed. With medium sized ears, set low on the head and having the bottom third of the ears covered with hair. The eyes are round, medium sized and level in the head
They have a long sleek coat with a slightly wavy croup. They are never curly. Its back is straight, tail long and loin powerful.
The Hovawart is a proud and majestic dog and his looks match his character. He looks a bit like the Golden Retriever with a powerful and broad forehead. His skull and muzzle are the same length and his nose is black. His oval eyes are a medium to dark brown and his ears are high set and triangular.
Their chests are strong, broad and deep. The breed has strong legs straight in front with round, strong and compact feet. They are heavy boned with dense, long coats that lie flat and have a slight wave to them. The coat can be black and gold, blond or black.
They have a great sense of smell and a well-balanced personality.
They are not indoor dogs and should have a yard to run in. They do not tolerate hot weather well. They do great out in the country.
They are intelligent independent thinkers. They lengths well with positive reinforcement.
Though an isolated, rare breed for so long, the Stabyhoun does have several known health issues including:
• PDA or Patient Ductus Arteriosis – heart issue from 6 weeks on. Major vessel does not close. With surgery it can be corrected.
• Type 1 von Willebrand’s Disease (vWB) – a bleeding disorder in its mildest form. DNA testing is available not required.
• Cerebral dysfunction – rare compulsive behavior at 6 weeks. It is fatal at this point. DNA testing will be required.
Though their isolation protected them from genetic health issues for centuries, once they were being rejuvenated and mixed with other breeds some common issues began to show up. These include:
1Feeding the puppy -They are prone to obesity. Do not overfeed. Watch calories. Feed a high quality dog food meant for active medium sized dogs in 3-4 meals per day.
2.Feeding the adult – Feed a high quality dog for medium sized dogs in 2-3 meals per day.
An active dog that needs exercise. They need mental stimulation as much or more than they need physical. Don’t skimp on either. They love agility, field trials, lure coursing, and scent training. They also love the triathlon, frisbee and endurance.
Feed breed specific high quality dry food for puppies. Feed 1-2 cups in 3-4 meals per day
Again Feed breed specific high quality dry food for adults. Feed 2-3 cups per day in 1-2 meals per day.
Points for Good Health – Stamina
The Hovawart needs plenty of exercise. Remember this is a mountain farm dog used to working all the time. Walk or jog with them daily. They can excel at field trials, obedience, search and rescue, agility, flyball, therapy dog, and service dog.