Leon is a Stabyhoun. The Stabyhoun, or Stabijhoun or Stabij (in Frisian),
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.
Learn more about a Stabyhoun