English Setter

Ranking: #37 Full Ranking ListThey rank 37th in Stanley Coren's The Intelligence of Dogs, being of above average working/obedience intelligence. English Setters are very intelligent and can be trained to perform about any task another breed can do, with the exception of herding. However, they are not always easy to train, as their natural bird instinct tends to distract them in outdoor environments. Their temperament is considered to be gentle and as English Setters can be very sensitive to criticism, positive reinforcement training methods using treats and praise work best when undertaking basic training.

Moderately Easy Training: The English Setter must be trained with a consistent and loving approach. English Setters are intelligent and capable of learning a wide variety of tricks, games, and duties, but they have a high prey instinct for birds which makes them easily distracted. English Setters are quite sensitive; positive reinforcement is the recommended training approach.

The English Setter is an elegant and athletic hunting dog with the ability to run tirelessly at a good pace. Its trot is ground-covering and effortless, with the head held proudly and a lively tail. The coat is flat, with feathering on the ears, underside, backs of legs, underside of thighs, and tail. Its markings are distinctive, consisting of flecks of color, sometimes with patches, on a white background. The combination of good looks and hunting ability make the English setter a perfect gentleman's hunting companion. The Laveracks tend to be larger, carry more feathering, often have deeper muzzles and usually hold their tails nearly level when on point. The Llewellins tend to be smaller and faster, with less coat and often larger patches of color. They tend to hold their tails straight up when on point.

Bred to cover a lot of area when hunting, the English Setter is a lively dog that loves to hunt and run. This is especially true of dogs from field lines. If not given sufficient exercise, they can be overly lively inside. With daily exertion, however, they are calm and tractable house dogs. Those from conformation lines are particularly laid-back and gentle and excel with children and less active adults. This is an amiable, easygoing breed that gets along well with children, strangers and other dogs.

As the name implies, the breed originated in England and may have been a trained bird dog for 400 years. The spaniel is considered the root stock of the breed. The development of the modern English Setter is largely attributed to Edward Laverack (1800-1877) who acquired a pair of setters, “Ponto” and “Old Moll”, from the kennels of a Rev. A. Harrisson in 1825. For the next 50 years, Laverack bred a line of setters famous for their hunting qualities and beauty. During the latter half of the 19th Century, R.L Purcell Llewellin acquired dogs from Laverack and made selective crosses with a focus on hunting that resulted in a unique strain of dogs. Dogs from both strains were exported world-wide, but the labels remain; today’s field setters are still commonly referred to as Llewellin setters while show dogs are more commonly referred to as Laverack setters.