English Setter

AKC Group: Sporting

Club: English Setter Association of America, Inc.

Corresponding Secretary : Dawn Ronyak
Address: 17842 Club Vista Dr., Surprise, AZ , 85374
Website: www.esaa.com
Club Type: Specialty

General Apperance:

An elegant, substantial and symmetrical gun dog suggesting the ideal blend of strength, stamina, grace, and style. Flat-coated with feathering of good length. Gaiting freely and smoothly with long forward reach, strong rear drive and firm topline. Males decidedly masculine without coarseness. Females decidedly feminine without over-refinement. Overall appearance, balance, gait, and purpose to be given more emphasis than any component part.

Size:

Dogs about 25 inches; bitches about 24 inches.

Coat:

Flat without curl or wooliness. Feathering on ears, chest, abdomen, underside of thighs, back of all legs and on the tail of good length but not so excessive as to hide true lines and movementor to affect the dog's appearance or function as a sporting dog.

Temperament:

Gentle, affectionate, friendly, without shyness, fear or viciousness.

History:

From the best authorities on the subject, it appears that the English Setter was a trained bird dog in England more than 400 years ago. Evidence points to the English Setters origins in crosses of Spanish Pointer, large Water Spaniel, and Springer Spaniel, which combined to produce a superb bird dog with a high degree of proficiency in finding and pointing game in open country. Major credit for the development of the modern setter should go to Edward Laverack, who about 1825 obtained from the Rev. A. Harrison, "Ponto" and "Old Moll," two specimens of the breed the Reverend had kept pure for over 35 years.

Over time, Laverack inbred successfully to produce beautiful representatives of the breed, and the first show for English Setter was held at Newcastle-on-Tyne in 1859. As shows flourished throughout England, so did the breed's popularity. A few years later, the first English Setters were imported to North America, including those that began the now-famous Llewellin strain recorded in the writing of Dr. William A Burette. From this strain emerged the foundation of the field-trial setter in America, "Count Noble," who is currently mounted in the Carnegie Museum at Pittsburgh. To this day, the English is one of the most popular and elegant sporting breeds, often grouped with its cousins, the Irish and Gordon Setters.

Fun Facts:

• English Setters were trained bird dogs in England more than 400 years ago.
  
  
• The first show for English Setters was held at Newcastle-On-Tyne on January 28, 1859.
  
  
• The English Setter has retained its popularity since its introduction into the US due to its usefulness and beauty.
  
  
• The English Setter is believed to be a result of crosses of the Spanish Pointer, large Water Spaniel, and Spring Spaniel.
  
  
• Major credit for the development of the modern setter should go to Edward Laverack, who about 1825 obtained "Ponto" and "Old Moll", products of a 35-year-old English setter line.
  
  
• Contrary to popular belief, the three setters - English, Gordon, and Irish - are not merely representatives of different colors or varieties within one "setter" heading but are in fact three separate breeds.