Sporting Dogs

Gundogs

The group of Gundogs comprises the following breeds: Setters, Pointers, Retrievers, and Spaniels. Forebears of modern gundogs came to England and other countries from Spain thus the word "Spaniel".

There are few more beautiful dogs than English Setter. No doubt he belongs to the great Spaniel family. From the finely chiselled head to the tip of the feathered tail, every line reflects grace and intelligence. For four hundred years or more such dogs have been valuable hunting companions. The ancestors of our English Setter, known as "Setting Spaniels", were spotting game birds for hunters with nets. The dogs were taught to approach quitly and "set" - sit - while the net was dropped over the birds. Later these "Setting Spaniels" were trained to point as gundogs do today.

Some Pointer blood may have been introduced at that time to create a rangier dog and to increase the pointing instinct. In any event, the Setters became distinguishable from the Spaniels by their taller, leaner proportions, longer heads, and plumed tails.

A born hunter, the English Setter is dependable shooting dog under all conditions of terrain and climate, though in hot climates a shorter-coated dog should be preferred.

Two men helped to bring the English Setter to the height of his beauty and hunting ability. One was Edward Laverack, an Englishman who began his work on the breed in 1825. The other was his Welsh friend R.L. Purcell-Llewelling. The Laverack type is generally preferred for the exhibition ring, the lighter-built and racier Llewelling for hunting.

The setter is one-man dog, admiration for his master showing in his expressive and intelligent eyes. His body is of moderate length, strong shoulders and loins indicative of his power to gallop easily and last through a hard day's work. The neck is rather long, muscular, lean, and slightly arched. The head is long and lean, with a well-defined stop. The scull is oval between the ears, with well-defined occiput. The muzzle is moderately deep and fairly square. The ears, set on low, are of moderate length, and hang in folds close to the cheek. The tail should be carried almost on a line with the back. The coat is slightly wavy, long, and silky, with plenty of feathering on legs and tail. The body ground colour of the English Setter is white with black, lemon or tan marking distributed in spots.