Stabyhoun vs Smooth Haired Weimaraner - Breed Comparison

The Smooth Haired Weimaraner is a beautiful silvery-grey dog that was once bred for hunting way back in the 19th century.

He has always been described as an all-purpose gun dog bred from crossing different German and French hunting dogs with the Bloodhound.

History of this dog dates back to 1897. This is when a club was formed in Germany for the breed.

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 lean, well muscled Smooth Haired Weimaraner is athletic to look at, brimming with energy and vitality. The coat is smooth and short and is a magnificent steel grey to silver coat which even tends to be a blue-grey color.

The short coat makes the dog low maintenance. He is also a low shedding dog. He is a medium to large sized dog standing at between 57 and 70cm in height and weighing in the region of 25 to 40kg.

The tail has always been docked, giving him that distinctive, dignified appearance. The tail then measures about 6 inches in length.

These dogs are also excellent water dogs with their webbed paws. The ears of the dog are medium length and floppy and the eyes are light amber or a blue-grey color.

Temperament:

You just have to look at the Smooth Haired Weimaraner and you can see how he just loves being with his human owner all the time, so much so that he is known for separation anxiety. Sometimes he can become so distraught separated from his owner that he can even injure himself trying to reach his owner. Being separated for too long can cause him anxiety issues.

Certainly this dog is going to need the right kind of training and socialization to calm him. They’re also full of energy too and are going to require a good amount of exercise.

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.

Your distinctive silvery-grey Weimaraner with his velvety ears and striking eyes is such a loving dog, desiring to be with his human family as much as possible.

They are also good with children. Their loving nature and eagerness to please will ensure that you have a fully integrated 4 legged family member in your home who wants to be involved with everything you're busy with.

1Children friendliness They love children and are very good with them.

2.Special talents they love to swim, and their endurance is amazing.

3.Adaptability – very adaptable to weather but wont do well in apartment.

4.Learning ability - they are self-motivated and quick learners

There are some common dog illnesses that most dog owners fear, and hip dysplasia is one. Fortunately the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals tells us that Weimaraners aren’t prone to this dysplasia the way some dogs are.

One cause for concern however is bloat, and as a deep chested dog breed, the Short Haired Weimaraner can be prone to this life threatening illness.

Known also as gastric torsion, the stomach swells up and the dog becomes lethargic and restless. Immediate veterinary intervention is required. One way to diminish your dog’s chances of getting bloat is to rather feed him two smaller meals a day as opposed to one large meal.

Also, skin allergies are fairly common with these dogs. If redness appears on the skin or the skin is dry and itchy with a rash and he is losing his hair, you may well need to get your pet to the vet. It is why we always recommend giving your pet some raw meat added to the diet and this can help to prevent skin allergies.

Though an isolated, rare breed for so long, the Stabyhoun does have several known health issues including:

• Dysplasia of the elbow and/or hip – can cause lameness and arthritis.

• PDA or Patient Ductus Arteriosis – heart issue from 6 weeks on. Major vessel does not close. With surgery it can be corrected.

• Epilepsy treated with medication.

• 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.

Training:

Every dog, especially the Smooth Haired Weimaraner with his anxiety issues, should be trained and socialized, and these dogs are easy to train because they’re intelligent and they want to please.

Grooming:

The short silvery coat simply requires a good brush-down twice a week to remove the few loose hairs there are. Even if you don’t need to brush him, just do it because of the type of dog the Weimaraner is.

He loves the closeness of owner and dog. It’s a good time to check him over for ticks and fleas, to feel for unusual lumps, to look inside his ears for signs of infection, to check his eyes too, that they’re bright and clear.

Diet:

If you feed your Smooth Haired Weimaraner commercially manufactured dog food, it needs to be one of the best ones with fairly high protein content. If feeding kibble, you can enhance the food by adding in some tasty home-made food. The Weimaraner’s stomach is easily upset so you want to add in easily digestible home-made food free of exotic spices and richness.

Boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and spinach, sweet potatoes and carrots is super tasty and nutritious. Your Weimaraner will love such simple, good food and you can add a little to his dry kibble twice a week.

Also important is to add in some raw meat as this ensures a healthy skin. Make sure he has a constant supply of cool, fresh water.

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.

3.Points for Good Health -Good swimming skills.

4. Games and Exercises

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.