English Setter

English Setter: BREED BOX Country: Great Britain Size: 55-56lb(25-30kg), 24-27in(61-69cm) Temperament: Fun-loving Grooming: Groom once a week Recognition: FCI, AKC, ANKC, CKC, KC(UK), NZKC

The English Setter is one of the most beautiful and graceful of all sporting dogs. They have been at work in the field for over 400 years and some people suggest they are much older. They are likely the original Setter breed. Mild-mannered and calm — compared to the raucous Irish Setter — the English Setter is a gentle, affectionate dog who loves to be with people. They make an excellent and loving pet.

Breed History

The breeds that went into creating the English Setter are not known with certainty but it’s likely that they included the old Spanish Pointer (progenitor of so many pointing breeds) and the early land spaniels. Some sources indicate that Setters were known as early as the 14th century but they aren’t confirmed until the 16th century. The breed as we know it today was developed in Britain with infusions from similar Setter-type dogs from France. During the 16th century sources indicate that the dogs in Britain were orange and white or red and white and the dogs brought from France were black and white or blue and white. These colors became the orange belton and blue belton colors found in the breed today.

In the 16th century, before hunting with guns became common, the breed was used to hunt with falcons. The gamekeeper would stay near the dog and, as the Setter found the bird scent the dog would crouch and creep closer to the bird. He would eventually “set” into a crouching position near the bird to indicate where the bird was to be found. The gamekeeper would toss a net over the dog and the bird to capture it. This is how the breed got its name of “setter” — by “setting” to indicate the position of the bird.

Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester, is credited with breeding these dogs during the reign of Elizabeth I.

By the 18th and 19th century English Setters were very popular with sportsmen throughout the British Isles. So much so that there were more than a dozen strains of the dogs. Many nobles and well-known sportsmen bred their own line of English Setters for personal use. As a result, there were black English Setters in Wales, lemon and white English Setters in one area, parti-colored dogs in another area, very large dogs in another place. (This doesn’t include the Red and White Irish Setters in Ireland or the Black and Tan Setters of the Duke of Gordon in Scotland.) And each sportsmen claimed that their dogs were best for their needs. Edward Laverack began a breeding program to breed a superior type of English Setter at this time. He bred his dogs for 35 years in the 19th century and the result was, by and large, the American Kennel Club English Setter that we have today. These dogs are often referred to as “Laveracks” or bench dogs (for benched dog shows).

He was joined by Purcell Llewellyn who wanted to breed a superior dog for hunting. Mr. Llewellyn began with some of Mr. Laverack’s dogs and added other Setters as needed to produce dogs that came to be called “Llewellyns.” These dogs still carry his name today and are recognized as outstanding field English Setters.

In the United States, George Ryman, George “Bird” Evans and his Old Hemlock Setters, and later the Decoverly Kennel and some others have tried to maintain a “dual” dog — an English Setter that had the beautiful appearance of Mr. Laverack’s dogs and the hunting ability of the Llewellyns. It is still possible to find English Setters who are beautiful, make wonderful pets, and who have great natural hunting ability.

Appearance

English Setters are medium-large dog. Males stand 25 inches tall at the shoulder and females stand 24 inches. Male dogs typically weigh around 70 pounds while females weigh a little less. English Setters are usually recognized by their long, elegant coat which, when properly cared for, can be flowing. The coat has a white background with speckling, called “belton” markings. These specks can be of several colors such as black, red/orange, lemon, or liver. Tri-colors are also seen — white with black specks on the body and orange specks on the legs and over the muzzle and eyes.

The English Setter has dark brown eyes (except in the case of liver belton dogs when the eyes may be aqua). The darker the eyes, the better. The ears hang down long and low. The tail forms a graceful plume and is carried out away from the body, though some dogs tend to carry their tails like a flag.

The head of the English Setter has a classic squared Setter shape. It has been described as “brick on brick” because of the squared muzzle and the squared forehead. There is a noticeable “stop” at the level of the eyes. The dogs also have a definite occipital bone at the back of their skulls. English Setters usually have moderate flews (lips).

The dog’s movement should be graceful and happy. The standard for the breed emphasizes moderation and symmetry. Everything about the breed suggests grace.

Llewellyns, or field English Setters, will not carry the coat that dogs from the show lines carry. They may have just a fringe of coat. They are generally smaller than their show-bred cousins and built for more speed. They often have more of a barrel chest. Some dogs have a classic Setter head while others have a rounder head and muzzle. They don’t usually have the deep flews that the show dogs have. They usually carry their tails upright. Llewellyns usually look like the athletes they are.

In The Home

Whether you are interested in an English Setter from show lines or from field lines, both kinds of Setters have similar temperaments. English Setters are typically very affectionate dogs. They want to be with someone no matter what’s going on. Even if they are just in the same room, they like to be close to people. Although they are a sporting dog and they do need regular exercise, once they have some exercise each day they will usually be happy to spend the rest of the day napping. They don’t have to investigate every noise or every thing that happens. In fact, English Setters make fairly bad guard dogs. They are very friendly and they tend to welcome anyone who pets them.

English Setters do make decent watch dogs. If your English Setter is awake he will bark when someone comes to the door. He might defend you if necessary. But these simply aren’t scary dogs.

English Setters love children and they usually get along well with other pets, especially other dogs.

If you are thinking of doing some activities with your English Setter they can do very well at agility, obedience, rally, hunting and other events. Some English Setters can be a little lazy so you may need to work hard with them and find ways to keep them interested. They can get bored easily unless they are motivated. They are usually very food-motivated.

Care

The English Setter needs regular grooming, especially if you have a dog with a long coat. Plan to brush your dog thoroughly a couple of times a week. Otherwise your dog will get mats and he will shed throughout your house. You will also need to clean his ears regularly to avoid ear infections and trim his nails regularly.

Some English Setters are very easy keepers and can gain weight fast. Other dogs need some encouragement to eat more. Watch your dog’s weight to keep him in good condition. If your dog does start to put on pounds consider giving him more exercise.

English Setters are a reasonably healthy breed. They can have hip or elbow dysplasia, as with most dogs. The breed is subject to deafness so good breeders only breed BAER normal dogs and test their puppies’ hearing. The breed is also subject to thyroid problems. There is some debate among breeders and researchers about whether the normal thyroid baseline readings for the breed may be lower than for some other breeds but at the moment thyroid is considered a problem in the breed. Not all breeders test for it at this time. You should ask a breeder about these health issues is you are considering getting a dog from them.

Where To Find An English Setter

If you would like to find an AKC English Setter you should contact the English Setter Association of America. This is the parent breed club for English Setters in the United States. They keep a listing of breeders in the country, by state, who may have puppies or dogs available.

The Canadian equivalent of the ESAA is the English Setter Club of Canada. Many of the best English Setters in North America have come from Canada and there are some excellent breeders north of the border.

If you are interested in an English Setter as a hunting dog, such as a Llewellyn or a dual dog who is not an AKC dog, then you should look for registration with the Field Dog Stud Book. American Field’s Field Dog Stud Book is the oldest dog registry in the United States, dating back to 1874. They pre-date the American Kennel Club by 10 years.

English Setter rescue nearly always has field Setters available. You may want to consider adding one of these dogs to your home. As with some other hunting breeds, the dogs in rescue are often there because they didn’t hunt well and not because they have behavior problems. However, some field dogs may have been raised in a kennel so they may lack house manners and may need to be housetrained.

You can occasionally find field Setters in shelters although English Setter rescue makes every effort to remove dogs from shelters so they won’t be put to sleep. It’s extremely rare to find a show type English Setter in a shelter. Most people with these dogs will contact their breeder to return the dog or contact rescue if they can’t keep the dog.

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