The English Setter takes its name from the position during hunting. The dogs appeared to be almost sitting down when they located game. The first strains of setters appeared in France around 1500. They were a cross between the Spanish pointer and French pointer. They were called Setting Spaniels. Around 1800, they were brought to the UL, where a breeder - Sir Edward Laverack - used early French hunting dogs to develop them into the English setters we know and love today.
For more than 400 years, they have been trained as bird dogs, with an incredible ability to find and point game in open fields. They are mainly hunting and watchdogs with qualities such as tracking, pointing, retrieving and running tirelessly.
Despite being a hunting dog, the setter is very gentle and affectionate, great with children, not shy around strangers; it loves to play with other dogs and to be with its family. Even though it is very energetic outdoors, inside it is quite inactive. Being a hunting dog, it needs a lot of outdoor exercise. This breed is willful and may be difficult to keep indoors, so the training should be done at an early age. Owners have to be calm, yet firm and confident, and should never treat their dog in a harsh way. If the dog senses that its owner is not confident or strong minded, it will stop listening. On the other hand, it will not respond to harsh treatment. Some are very vocal, so you should discourage barking from the start, by providing enough physical and mental stimulation.
The English Setter is an athletic hunting dog with elegant posture. Has a natural hunting, ready for action position, with its straight parallel forelegs and arched back legs with muscular thighs. It has a long and lean head, that features a long, rectangular muzzle with black or brown nose and wide nostrils. The eyes are relatively large, offering a mild expression. Ears are long, rounded at the end and carried close to the head. Has a straight and strong body covered in flat, silky and wavy coat. Straight, thick tail featured with feathering that goes down on the back of the legs, underside, abdomen, chest and ears.
There are 2 types of dogs that make this breed: the hunter and the entertainer. The hunters are meant for field trial work, and they are lighter and smaller. The other ones are bred for shows only. Both have high energy and need daily outdoor exercise, but the hunter has an even more high level of energy, so it needs more workouts. The dog's temperament depends a lot on how the owner has treated and trained it from an early age.
Maintenance consists of regular brushing of the long coat two or three times a week, with occasional clipping and trimming, and washing only when necessary. Keep the nails trimmed and clean. Do not overfeed the dog, because they setters a tendency to gain weight pretty easy.
The English Setter is definitely not an apartment dog - if you want your dog to be healthy and happy, make sure your house came with a big playground.
