English Setter breed: a gentleman of the dog world, who is not only an excellent hunter but also beautiful

Kind, friendly nature, beautiful coat and excellent hunting talent. All of this is found in the English Setter, who is so polite, elegant and patient that he is often referred to as the gentleman of the dog world.

Relaxing on the sofa? Going on a trip? Hunting? Playing with children? The English Setter would say yes to all of these if he could speak. A calm, friendly and patient dog between four walls, he is also great with children. But when he gets out in nature, he becomes an energetic hunting dog. He can be stubborn at times, as a hunting dog his ancestors had to make many decisions on his own, but he is very intelligent, so if he is made to thrive on training, he learns easily.

History

The ancestor of the English Setter was called the Setting Spaniel, from which the Setters later evolved. In a contract signed by John Harris in 1485, it was written: ‘He shall take into his care for six months a (certain) spaniel to lay prisoners, pheasants and other game, for a fee of ten shillings of lawful English money.’ It was a characteristic of setters in those days to mark birds lurking in the bush by lying quietly, so that the hunter could cast his net on them. This was called setting, from which the word setter evolved. With the advent of guns, dogs were able to stand like Pointers, but the lying-down method remained for some time.

By the 19th century, setters had begun to divide according to their geographical occurrence, giving rise to different types of setter. The development of the modern English Setter was due to Edward Laverack, who bought a cant and a bitch, Ponto and Old Moll, in 1825 and bred them with great care and attention. Richard Purcell Llewelly, a Welshman, bought dogs from Laverack and also started breeding. He bred other dogs of good bloodlines, which also became very popular dogs. The two breeders became so famous for their dogs that even today, a distinction is often made between Llewelly and Laverack. While the former are somewhat smaller, have slightly less fur and a broader head, and are more of a sporting dog used for hunting, the Laverack is the show type, as these dogs are slightly taller, longer, narrower-headed and silkier-coated. They also have the hunting instinct, but they are more of a family pet these days.

Breed standard

The English Setter is a medium sized hunting dog with defined outlines and elegant movement. The head is long with a well defined stop. The skull is oval, well developed between the ears. The nostrils are wide and the colour of the nose is black or liver depending on the colour of the coat. The eyes are bright, intelligent and friendly. Eyes dark hazel, oval. Ears of medium length, set on low. The tip is velvety and the upper part is covered with soft, silky fur. The neck is long, muscular and slightly curved. The chest is deep and the torso of medium length. The muzzle is short, straight and the ribs are well arched. Hips broad, slightly curved, strong, muscular. The paws are closed and compact, with a large amount of guard hair between the fingers. Tail set almost in line with the back, of medium length and slightly curved. The hairs on the tail become increasingly flagged to the middle of the tail and then begin to shorten again. The flag is long, shiny, silky, soft, wavy but not curly. From the back of the head, the coat is long, slightly wavy, silky and flagging on the limbs.

Colours can be black and white (blue on the belt), lemon yellow and white (lemon on the belt), liver (liver on the belt) and white or tri-colour black and white and tan. Large patches are less favoured, but a full body mottling (belton) is desirable. (The word belton refers to the characteristic mottled coat of the English setter. Laverack first used this term in a book on the English Setter. Belton is a village where he liked to go hunting with his dogs.) The males are 65-78 cm tall at the withers, while the bitches are 61-65 cm. The latter weigh 25-28 kg, while the males weigh 27-30 kg. The English Setter has a life expectancy of 12 years

Character

Not only is he a very talented hunter and has a beautiful appearance, the English Setter’s character is also captivating. He loves people, of course he loves his owner most of all, but even with strangers he is extremely friendly and kind. There is hardly anyone this dog does not love. He is ideal as a signal dog, but if someone were to approach his gate he would quickly make friends, so he is not suitable for house sitting. He is easy to get along with his cousins and other pets and is very patient with children. But he should not be allowed to be picked on or pulled on by little ones, because although he tolerates it, it is stressful for him. (And accidents can happen at any time, regardless of breed!) So it is important to teach children that their English Setter is a very good playmate, but his personal space must be respected.

He is an intelligent dog who learns quickly if he enjoys the training, otherwise he will get bored quickly. He reacts very badly to scolding, only positive reinforcement techniques work for him. Although he is smart, he instinctively likes to make decisions on his own, as he has had to do over time as a hunting dog. So he can sometimes be stubborn. He is not aggressive, but he is not a coward. He likes to relax on the couch, but he has a lot of energy, which he likes to release in nature.

Ideal environment

As an active and agile dog, it is important to release pent-up energy. He likes to run and jump around, but always do so in a safely enclosed area. Several walks a day are essential, but it is best if he can run. He likes to go on excursions and participate in dog sports, so is recommended for active families. A well-fenced yard is important as birds can easily encourage him to escape. He gets on well with other pets, even cats, but will never be good friends with birds. Being a very affectionate breed and loving to be near his family, he can easily develop separation anxiety if left alone for long periods.

Care

To keep the silky coat from tangling, it is a good idea to comb through the coat twice a week, especially on the flagged areas. As their ears hang down, they are more difficult to ventilate, so they should always be kept clean. Claws should be trimmed if they become too long.

Common health problems

Overall a healthy breed, but some problems can occur with the English Setter. These include elbow or hip dysplasia and various allergies. About 4.5% of English Setters are deaf. Sometimes the breed may also develop thyroid problems.

(Bibliography: Szinák János – Veress István: Kutyakalauz, Szinák János – Veress István: A világ kutyái I., David Alderton: Kutyák, Joan Palmer: Tanácsadó kézikönyv nagy testű kutya választásához, Dr. Sárkány Pál: Nemzetközi Kutya-enciklopédia, Dr. Király Klára: Versek, legendák és bölcsességek Kutyabarátoknak, Paul McGreevy: Kutyák)