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Breed Characteristics
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English Setter
| Other Names | Lawerack, Laverack, Llewellin (or Llewellyn) Setter |
| Country of Origin | Great Britain |
| Weight | Males: 55 - 80 lbs. (25 - 36 kg) Females: 45 - 70 lbs. (20 - 32 kg) |
| Height (at withers) | Males: 24 - 27 in. (61 - 69 cm) Females: 23 - 26 in. (58 - 66 cm) |
| Coat | The coat is flat, silky and wavy, with feathering on the tail, back of the legs, underside, abdomen, chest and the ears. |
| Colour | Coat colours include white with blue, lemon, orange, or brown of various markings. The speckling on the unique coat can be light to heavy and of any size. Some dogs are tricolour (blue, white and brown). |
| Litter Size | 4 - 8 puppies, average 6 |
| Life Span | 10 - 12 years |
| Origin & History | "Setting dogges" is an ancient term used for setters and the original purpose of the English Setter was to set or point upland game birds. From the best available information, it appears that the English Setter was a trained bird dog in England more than 400 years ago and there are works of art created in the early 15th century showing dogs that are discernible as being of a “setter type”. There is evidence that the English Setter originated in crosses of the Spanish Pointer, large Water Spaniel, and English Springer Spaniel, which combined to produce an excellent bird dog with a high degree of proficiency in finding and pointing game in open country. Writing in 1576, Dr Johannes Caius states: "There is also at this date among us a new kind of dogge brought out of Fraunce, and they bee speckled all over with white and black, which mingled colours incline to a marble blewe". Argue speculates this may be a description of the blue belton colour found in English Setters. Caius went on to describe the dog called a setter using the Latin name Index: Another sort of Dogges be there, serviceable for fowling, making no noise either with foote or with tongue, whiles they follow the game. They attend diligently upon their Master and frame their condition to such beckes, motions and gestures, as it shall please him to exhibite and make, either going forward, drawing backeward, inclinding to the right hand, or yealding toward the left. When he hath founde the byrde, he keepeth sure and fast silence, he stayeth his steppes and wil proceede no further, and weth a close, covert watching eye, layeth his belly to the grounde and so creepth forward like a worme. When he approaches neere to the place where the byrde is, he layes him downe, and with a marcke of his pawes, betrayeth the place of the byrdes last abode, whereby it is supposed that this kind of dogge is calles in Index, Setter, being in deede a name most consonant and agreeable to his quality. By the 17th century setters, or "setting dogges", had become established and were widespread on British estates, although the evolution into the more specific individual breeds of setters occurred at a later date. The interbreeding of the different colours was still taking place during this period but it gradually changed and sportsman/breeders began to segregate matings to dogs adapted to the terrain it was required to work on. Breed development; The modern English Setter owes its appearance to Edward Laverack (1800–1877), who developed his own strain of the breed by careful breeding during the 19th century in England and to another Englishman, R. Purcell Llewellin (1840–1925), who founded his strain using Laverack's best dogs and outcrossed them with the Duke, Rhoebe and later Duke's littermate Kate bloodlines with the best results. Historically, many dogs descending from the same bloodline were referred to by the name of their breeder or owner and the nomenclatures "Laverack Setter" and "LLewellin Setter" describe English Setters bred by Laverack and Llewellin. Horace Lytle, one time gundog editor of the Field & Stream, author and a well-known gundog trainer, clarified this in the book "How to train your bird dog", which he wrote in 1928: Another tremendous uncertainty exists among the widest possible class of hunters with reference to the so-called Llewellin Setters. Llewellin Setters are nothing more – and nothing less – than English Setters. Llewellin Setters are simply English Setters that trace back to two particular English Setters. They represent a certain definite English Setter ancestry. That's all there is to it. Thus an English Setter may not always be a "Llewellin"; but a "Llewellin" is always an English Setter. Furthermore, the craze for this particular strain that came to this country with the importation of the first "Llewellins" caused ninety per cent of the owners of all Setters that are not either distinctly Irish or Gordon, to refer to their dogs as "Llewellins." Yet in ninety per cent of these cases, the dogs so referred to are not of the Llewellin strain at all. Not one person in a hundred who owns an English Setter can tell even from the pedigree whether the dog is of the Llewellin strain or not. They simply don't know. Most of those who refer to their Setters as "Llewellins" do so because the name is rather euphonious and pleasing to pronounce. Many of those who really do know, insist that their Llewellins be one hundred per cent, and they refer to those that are not as "grades." If there is even as little as 3 per cent "outcross," these few are inclined to feel that the dog is nothing but a rank plebeian. All of which is really ridiculous – at least so think a good many of us who have thought the matter out. Around 1826, Reverend A Harrison of Carlisle in Cumbria sold a male dog called "Ponto" and a female named "Old Moll" to Laverack and this pair formed the foundation of his English Setters. Laverack did not know the exact pedigree of these dogs but maintained the strain had been pure-bred for the previous thirty-five years. Laverack closely inbred to these two dogs for generations and his bloodline was successful in dog shows and as a working dog in field trials. In 1874, C. H. Raymond from Morris Plains, New Jersey imported the first English Setter from the Laverack bloodline to America. The working setter Count Noble descended from these early imports and is commemorated in the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh. Llewellin's strain was based on Laverack's best dogs, which were then outcrossed with the bloodlines of his dogs Duke, Rhoebe and later Duke's littermate, Kate. It was Kate bred with Laverack's best hunting males that produced Llewellin's ideals Fd.Ch.Ch. Armstrong's Dash II and later Fd.Ch.Ch Dashing Bondhu. They were the foundation of Llewellin's personal strain known as "Dashing Bondhu". William Humphrey (1882–1963) inherited them from Llewellin in 1925 and continued them pure until his death in 1963. Jim the Wonder Dog, described as a Llewellin setter, was said to have "possessed an occult power" and there is a bronze statue of him in a memorial garden on the square in Marshall, Missouri, built to commemorate him. |
| Personality | The English Setter is a quick, quiet worker with an excellent nose and a coat that keeps the dog comfortable in both hot and cold weather. A very gentle, calm dog. Friendly and excellent with children, they are easy going, loving all the affection they can get. Exuberant and vivacious outdoors, but relatively inactive indoors. With meek owners they will become willful. Can be difficult to housebreak. Rules, structure and training should start early to prevent development of bad habits. They need authoritative, calm, but firm, confident and consistent owners, but should never be harshly treated. They are sensitive to the tone of one's voice and will not listen if they sense that they are stronger minded than their owner, however they will also not respond well to harsh discipline. Owners need to be calm, yet possess an air of natural authority. Need a lot of structure and enjoy playing with other dogs. English Setters are adequate watchdogs. They like to roam, dig and are good jumpers. There are two types, field lines and show lines (bench). Field types are bred for hunting and field trial work and are generally somewhat smaller and lighter. The bench type is bred for conformation shows. Both types are energetic and need daily exercise, but field lines have a higher energy level and need even more exercise. The dominancy level in this breed varies even within the same litter. If you are not the type of person who can display a natural air of calm, but firm authority, then be sure to choose a pup that is more submissive. The temperament of both show and field lines vary widely, depending upon how the owners treat the dog and how much and what type of exercise they provide. The English Setter can become a nuisance barker if left out in the backyard for long periods of time and if owners do not provide enough mental and physical stimulation and/or leadership. Dogs that bark a lot need to be told this is not acceptable and need their bodies and minds challenged. Some English Setters may be light droolers, although not obsessively like some of the Mastiff type dogs. |
Care Requirements
| Health | Dogs, both pedigree and cross breeds, can be affected with genetic problems. Those known to sometimes occur in English Setters can include congenital deafness, which was reported as affecting 12.4 percent of the 701 English Setters tested by the Louisiana State University in 2010. As at 2013, there has not been any detailed research on this condition undertaken in the UK; autoimmune thyroiditis, which was shown to affect 26.2 percent of 747 English Setters examined between January 1974 until December 2012 in an Orthopedic Foundation for Animals listing; canine hypothyroidism; elbow dysplasia; and allergies, which can include some sensitivity to certain food ingredients and also skin conditions, are known to occur. In 2004, the UK Kennel Club established the Accredited Breeders Scheme, which was later called the Assured Breeders Scheme (ABS). The scheme received UKAS accreditation in April 2013. ABS members are required to adhere to additional criteria than those necessary for basic KC registration. Among the extra requirements is "Ensuring that the parents of each litter are readily identifiable by either Microchip, Tattoo or DNA profile." As at March 2013, breeders of English Setters who are members of the ABS must screen for hip dysplasia. Some members of the breed may be affected by cancer and this was identified as the most common cause of death of English Setters in a survey undertaken by the Kennel Club; the age of death from this disease was mainly after reaching ten years of age. However, the survey had only received a small response rate. |
| Grooming | Regular combing and brushing of the soft, flat, medium-length coat is all that is required to keep it in excellent condition. It is important to check for burrs and tangles, and to give extra care when the dog is shedding. Bathe or dry shampoo only when necessary. Trim the hair on the bottom of the feet and clip the nails. This breed is an average shedder. |
| Exercise | All setters need a daily long, brisk walk or jog, where the dog is made to heel beside the human holding the lead, or they will become restless and difficult to manage. Whether we humans realize it or not, a dog that is allowed to walk ahead of the human holding the lead will instinctually believe he is pack leader to humans, as in a dog’s mind, the leader leads the way. In addition, they will also enjoy running free in the safety of a fenced yard. |
| Other Considerations | Not recommended for apartment living and does best with at least an average-sized yard. |
