The English setter is a very old English breed that has existed since the Middle Ages and was used for hunting birds. They are energetic and sociable dogs, who love human company at all ages, as well as the company of other animals, as long as they are not potential prey, with which they cannot contain their hunting instinct.
They are large dogs, robust and with balanced shapes, which have a long, soft and wavy very characteristic mottled coat. Their education must be firm and constant, since, although they are very intelligent, they lose attention very quickly and are easily distracted. They are strong and he althy, but seem to be predisposed to a number of diseases. Continue reading this breed file on our site to learn about the characteristics of the English setter, the origin of the breed, character, education, care, he alth and where to adopt an English setter.
Origin of the English setter
The beautiful English setter is a dog originally from England, where the breed was defined. Its origin dates back to the Middle Ages, it is thought that these dogs are descended from the pointer, the French pointer and the Spanish pointer, but they also have part of the spaniel breed in their DNA. This dog was formerly known as the “spaniel setter”.
In the 19th century, the Englishman Edward Laverack started the breeding and selection program for this breed from a couple he obtained in 1825. In this way, the characteristics of the English setter breed were defined here for more than half a century. After his death, his friend Richard Purcell Llewellyn mixed Laverack dogs with setters from other breeders and developed a variant of the smaller breed called the Llewelyn English Setter, especially intended for hunting and field work, unlike the Laverack English Setter., a larger and more striking breed for canine beauty contests.
These dogs were bred to hunt birds with a net for more than five centuries. Thanks to their incredible sense of smell, these dogs stayed still at ground level when they detected their prey, at which point the hunters knew that they had to extend the net to hunt said birds, later being modified by an almost sitting posture with the arrival of firearms so hunters could see them from a distance.
In 1890 the English Setter Club was founded and its standard was accepted internationally. Over the years, these dogs have become increasingly popular, being today a breed known worldwide.
Characteristics of the English Setter
The English Setter is stocky and medium to large, with a height at the withers of between 55 and 68 cm and a weight between 25 and 30 kg. The essence of this breed is found in its head and its tender and friendly expression, with its square muzzle and oval skull with well-defined occipital bone. Ears should be low set with moderate length and thicker upper ear hair. The eyes are dark brown, large and expressive, always alert.
Continuing with the characteristics of the English setter, the jaw of this dog must have a complete and regular scissor closure, with the upper incisors ahead of the lower ones. The neck is slender and quite long. The loin falls slightly at the end and the chest is deep. The tail is strong and has fringes of hair on its implantation and a medium length that should not reach beyond the hock. The legs are strong and sturdy to withstand a lot of activity.
English Setter Colors
The hair of the English setter is most abundant on the ears, chest and legs This hair islong, wavy, silky and mottled The color pattern is due to the combination of the white tone of the hair with the color of the mottled or spotted, so the following types are distinguished:
- Blue Belton English Setter: black and white
- English setter orange belton: white and orange
- English liver-belted setter: white and reddish-brown
- Tricolor English Setter: white, black and orange
English setter character
The English setter is a very nice and friendly dog with all kinds of people and animals, getting along very well with children and also being sociable with adults and older. It is a dependent dog that needs human company to be happy, so it is not a suitable breed for people who tend to spend many hours away from home. Also, he will rarely show aggressive behavior
It should be noted that, due to its great hunting instinct, it tends to chase any potential prey, so if you have another type of pet at home, such as birds or small rodents, it may be in danger.
On the other hand, this is a very active and energetic canine breed. However, despite being very active dogs that need to be in daily movement, when they get home they usually relax and calm down in armchairs or beds, as long as they have been able to spend the accumulated energy. Lastly, it is important to highlight that this breed of dog cannot stand being left alone at home, so it is advisable to educate these dogs so that they know how to manage loneliness in a positive way.
English setter education
The English setter is a very intelligent dog, a fact that would indicate that it is an easy dog to train and educate, but it is not the all like that, since it is a race as intelligent as clueless, so it gets distracted very easily. For this reason, constant and balanced training should be carried out, based on positive reinforcement rewarding the desired behaviors, without punishment or withdrawal of food or games, since this will only make the educational process more stressful.
Special care must be taken in training him with his tendency to barkand his great hunting instinct. For this last reason, it is essential to carry out a correct socialization from the beginning, whether we adopt a puppy or an adult English setter. This process is essential, especially if there are other animals in the home, such as rabbits or guinea pigs. To do this, we recommend consulting these articles:
- How to socialize a puppy?
- How to socialize an adult dog?
English setter care
Because of their high energy and vitality, these dogs need a lot of exercise every day, especially when they are growing. It is a perfect dog for those caregivers who have a lot of free time and who enjoy long walks, excursions or jogging. Likewise, it is important to offer them a good environmental enrichment with a variety of toys.
Another important aspect to take into account regarding the care of the English setter dog is the hygiene of the coat. His long, silky coat should be brushed at least once or twice a week to prevent knots and tangles. Ear hygiene is also important, their long ears can predispose them to the accumulation of wax and secretions that encourage infections. Teeth should also be sanitized daily to maintain good dental he alth and prevent gum and tooth damage and disease.
These dogs have a tendency to gain weight, especially those dogs that do not get all the daily exercise they need. For this reason, its diet must be rationalized correctly so as not to overdo it or fall short, using a complete and balanced food intended for the canine species and giving two to three daily feedings. They should also always have water at their disposal.
Given that we are dealing with dependent dogs that do not tolerate loneliness well, in their care we must bear this fact in mind, since they cannot be left alone for many hours or they could become destructive dogs.
To prevent infectious diseases, a correct and complete vaccination schedule must be carried out, and to avoid parasites and the diseases they can transmit, English setters must be routinely dewormed.
English Setter He alth
The life expectancy of English Setters is between 10 and 14 years. In general, they are quite he althy dogs, but it is worth mentioning some problems that they can suffer from with a certain tendency. These problems are:
- Hip and elbow dysplasia: appear to have an inherited predisposition to incongruity between the bones that form the hip and elbow joints. elbow. This produces instability in the joint that will progressively damage and weaken it, developing osteoarthritis, pain, lameness and muscle weakness or atrophy.
- Tail Break: Due to the great enthusiasm of the English Setter, these dogs can slap their tails on hard surfaces and break some of their tails. caudal or coccygeal bones.
- Otitis: as we have mentioned, the long ears of these dogs predispose to the accumulation of secretions that promote infections and inflammation of the pinna and the ear canal, which causes them to develop infectious or parasitic otitis that gives off a bad smell and causes a lot of pain and itching in affected dogs.
- Deafness: possibly associated with the color white, some specimens may be born deaf or partially deaf in one or more ears.
- Gastric dilatation: being so voracious and having such an appetite and vitality, they can eat food voraciously, especially after intense exercise, and cause the stomach to dilate and fill with air. This predisposes to its rotation and blockage of the blood supply, which can cause clinical signs such as drooling, depression, non-productive vomiting, anorexia, pale mucous membranes, pain, faintness and shock.
- Skin allergies: These dogs have sensitive skin, which predisposes them to skin allergies or be secondary to genetics, nutritional status and the environment. English Setters are especially sensitive to dust mites and human dander and, to a lesser degree, fungus, pollen and flea bites.
Where to adopt an English setter?
Adopting an English setter should not be too difficult, since, unfortunately, due to the fact that they are dogs with a tendency to bark and that they do not tolerate being alone for a long time very well, many people decide abandon them or take them to the protectors. In this way, asking in protectors of animals and shelters you could happen to find a specimen or they tell us where to adopt one. Another option is to look for setter dog rescue associations on the internet, where there will be several dogs of the breed up for adoption.
It should be noted that all dogs deserve adoption, they are just as wonderful even if they are not an English setter or have another type of pedigree or breed. For this reason, we encourage you to adopt a puppy as long as you can meet all of his needs, regardless of whether he is a purebred or a mestizo.
