Friese Stabij
©
Karen's Animal Webart Graphics
Dog Breed Information.
For centuries native dogs have been used for hunting
in Friesland. One of them , the Stabijhoun, was mainly used in the
South-East of Friesland, in the Frisian woods and on the sandy areas
for the hunt on miscellaneous game. It is assumed that the ancestors
of this Frisian must be found among the spaniels that were taken
up to the north during the Spanish occupation. This Spanish spaniel
would also have crossed with other species that take a lot after
the Stabijhoun, such as the Drent Spaniel, the Great Munsterlander
and the German Pointer Longhair. However, this is not quite sure,
because the various German Pointers were already spread over a great
part of Europe long before the name of Spaniel became well known.
But, whether it went through the Spaniel or not, a certain relationship
of the Stabijhoun with the Drent Spaniel and the "Heidewachtel"
is not to be denied.
The Stabijhoun , also called Frisian Stabij was the
hound of the ordinary man who couldn't afford the luxury to keep
different dogs for various tasks. "Bijke" as the Stabijhoun
was called popularly, was not only serving his owner during the
hunt,
but also stood him aside as watchdog, farm dog, a fervent catcher
of polecats and moles, and even as draught-dog.
Moles catcher was a lucrative job in that time. The skins of the moles
were used as lining for coats and as muffs and brought in money that
way. In addition to the catching of these animals, the grazing lands
were kept smooth and undamaged. When catching moles, a good dog was
indispensable, because under the ground these diggers are hardly traceable
by man. The Stabijhoun indicated the mole by standing exactly on the
right spot. Then the mole catcher dug out the mole with a shovel,
after which the Stabij
caught the animal. These mole catching dogs were often transported
in baskets on the back of the bicycle, so there was a selective breeding
for somewhat smaller animals, as these were easier to transport. At
this moment Stabijhoun are still used for the catching of moles. |
