English Setter Dog Breed Information
The English Setter has a flat coat with lots of feathering, the coat should be long and flowing. They have an oval shaped head, with a long and almost square shaped muzzle. The coat can come in several colors including blue belton, which is white with black markings, orange belton, which is white with orange flecks, lemon belton, white with orange flecks and a light nose, liver belton, which is white with liver markings. You can also get a tricolored English Setter which is blue or liver belton with tan markings. With any of these colorings the speckling can be of any size and can be spread out or close together.
History. The English Setter was first developed in Spain in the 1500’s, they were a cross between the Spanish Pointer, large Water Spaniel and the Springer Spaniel. Their appearance today can be traced back mainly to two men, Mr. Edward Laverack and Mr. R Purcell Llewellin. Mr. Edward Laverack was the man who developed the English setter to look the way we know it today by carefully breeding them during the 19th century. Mr. R Purcell Llewellin, a name now famous amongst today’s English Setters, used Mr. Laverack’s best dogs and bred them with other superior bloodlines. Today’s dogs, who can trace their family back to the dogs that Llewellin first used can be called Llewellin Setters. They are a working breed whose talents include tracking, retrieving, pointing, watchdog and agility, but they were mainly bred for bird hunting.
Temperament. English Setters are an energetic dog that can be very people pleasing, and love to receive attention. However they can be strong willed and mischievous, when allowed to get away with it, so gentle reminders, of what is and what is not allowed, are important. It’s important not to be too dominant with them as they are very sensitive dogs, for example, although they are highly trainable they will often not try, out of a fear of failure, they also do not take criticism well and can become upset by it. When training them it’s important to stay positive and give them lots of praise. Although they were bred for endurance and athleticism, when inside they can be relaxed and often love a good cuddle and curling up on the sofa. They are very intelligent dogs but due to the fact they were bred for bird hunting, they can often become distracted, when they are outside, by all the wildlife and goings on around them.
