The Stabij as a pet is affectionate, gentle and sweet. The dog is intelligent, informative and obedient. In the house or in the yard, the Stabij is a quiet but watchful dog, not fearful or biting.

Notes on nature:

As a pet, the Stabij is affectionate, gentle and loving, but outside he is at times pretty quirky and sharp. His character makes him ideally suited as a family dog, but his constitution has been calculated on the outdoors. The Stabij is open (as it wears ‘the heart on the tongue ‘). With a Stabij, the effect of the conversion from a farm dog’s to companionship dog’s temperament is more evident than in the Wetterhoun. The Stabij is certainly intelligent and learns easily, but is less obedient than the breed qualities suggest. A clear and consistent education of Stabij is needed, with a little ‘short fuse’ of the boss definitely coming in handy in the formation of the Stabij. The Stabij is friendly to everyone, but not immediately everyone’s friend. He is kind to children.

The head is ‘dry’ and the size in proportion to the body, showing more length than width. Skull and muzzle are of equal length. The skull is slightly rounded, not narrow, but without giving the impression of width and comes with a slight rounding of the cheeks (cheek muscles poorly developed). The transition from the skull to the muzzle, i.e. the stop, is gradual and only moderately marked. Muzzle powerful, tapering gradually to the nose. The nose is straight, so from the side does not have a convex or concave line showing. The nose is broad and the nostril is wide open. The lips tightly closed, not pendulous. Teeth strong with a scissor bite.

Explanation:

Under ‘dry’ means a tight-fitting skin without wrinkles. A scissors bite is a bite where the upper incisors slide over the lower incisors with a closed mouth.

The eyes are level, are moderately large and round with tight lids, without showing haw, neither protruding nor deep set. The color is dark brown for dogs with black ground color, brown for dogs with brown or orange ground color, but never yellow like a bird of prey.

Explanation:

Both eyes are aligned..

The neck is short and round, in a very obtuse angle joining the backline, so usually the head is carried low. The neck is slightly arched, no throat or dewlap.

Seen from the front, the chest is fairly broad, showing more width than depth and therefore the legs stand quite far apart. The undercarriage is not pointed, not reaching lower than the elbows.

Explanation:

The broad chest gives stability when digging and trotting, but also gives stamina during the hunt.

The body is powerfully built. The ribs are well sprung with well developed back ribs. The back is straight, rather long with a little sloping croup. The loins are strong and the abdomen is moderately tucked up.

Explanation:

The powerful body is calculated on labor and endurance. The Stabij is longer than high, the back muscles, but especially the lumbar muscles must be powerful. If the dorsal and lumbar muscles are not strong enough, the dog will not be able to trot long, which is necessary for their original purpose. The basin is relatively flat, making the topline straight. This carries the thrust from the hindquarters, which gives the long and effortless trot which is typically seen in Stabij.

Shoulder close fitting to the body. Shoulder blade sloping, well angulated. Forearm is powerful, straight, forefeet straight and not sagging. Feet are round, toes well developed and arched with strong soles.

Explanation:

A well-built forefront with strong muscles is important for a working dog that has to trot often. The hindquarters drive the dog forward, the weight is then captured by the front. Strong front legs and shoulders are very important in this.

The hindquarters are powerful with good angulation of hip and thigh and thigh and shin bone. Hock bone should not be too long. Heel is close to the ground, rear pasterns are short. Hind feet: round with well developed pads.

Explanation:

The hindquarters drive the dog forward when in a trot. As such, strong legs and muscles are required. The short base provides stability at the trot, where the Stabij benefits from his agility at full speed.

The coat is long and straight across the trunk. On the croup, a slight wave is allowed. The head has short hair. The hair on the back of the front legs and the pants are well developed, more bushy than feathered. Pants are long haired. Hair is slightly curled sometimes, but tight curls point to a past cross breeding and therefore dogs with such hair are not recognized as Stabij.

Explanation:

As previously noted, the coat is medium length. The Stabij has dense, full long hair on the back of the front and hind legs. On the tail, the hair lies all around long, thick and full. Although the preference is for a totally sleek coat, often a slightly wavy hair on the back is seen.

The colors black with white markings, and brown with white and orange with white markings occur. The white parts may show roan or ticking. Ideal height for males is 53 cm and for females the ideal size is 49 cm.

Explanation:

Most of the Stabijs have black fur. Below are all the markings that are permitted, as long as the legs and abdomen (mostly) white. Also a white tail tip is desirable. Although the all-black head is most common, a blaze is also allowed. The body can be predominantly black or predominantly white and all shades in between. In brown variegated Stabijs, we see the same color distribution. Orange Fur is also a recognized color, which almost never occurs. A tricolor (black fur with brown markings on head and legs) is a non-recognized color. Although these dogs usually get a pedigree (with the words “non-recognized color”), they should not be bred.