• breed info
• English Setter breeders
• clubs
• rescues
• Books & More

BREED DESCRIPTION & INFORMATION

Lady Chelsea of Harmony Creek (Chelsea) - Orange Belton Laverack and Katie True Blue of Pheasant Run (Katie) - Blue Belton Llewellin Photo courtesy of Dan Hill

Breed Registries: Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) - Sporting Dogs American Kennel Club (AKC) - Sporting Group United Kennel Club (UKC) - Gun Dog Breeds The Kennel Club [U.K.] (KC) - Gundogs Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI)* - Standard No. 2

---

---

Origin:

Great Britain

Height:

Males: Approx. 25 inches (63 cm) — Females: Approx. 24 inches (62 cm)

Weight:

Males: 65 to 80 lbs — Females: 45 to 55 lbs

Breed Profile:

The English Setter is an elegant gun dog with well developed hunting instincts. He is a true gentleman by nature, with a kind and gentle expression. Because of his lovable disposition, beauty, and abilities in the field, the English Setter breed has maintained his popularity as a family companion. He makes a wonderful house dog as well as an excellent personal hunting dog. His good-nature and eagerness to please make him excellent with children and a good candidate for Therapy work. His competitive attitude makes him good at field trials, obedience, conformation, and agility.

The English Setter is one of three modern Setter breeds — The Gordon Setter was developed in Scotland, the Irish Setter in Ireland, and the English in England and Wales. Setters today are all distinctive in their appearance with feathered coats and tails, slender bodies, and finely sculpted heads. The English Setter is the smallest of the three and known as the "moderate" Setter, both physically and in temperament.

The English Setter's coat is flat and without curl or wooliness. He has feathering on the ears, chest, belly, underside of the thighs, the back of all legs and tail. His colouring is either black and white, orange and white, liver and white, lemon and white, white, black-white and tan, orange belton, liver belton, lemon belton, tri-colour belton, or blue belton. The belton markings can vary in degree from clear, distinctive flecking to roan shading.

Health Issues

Although the English Setter is known to be a healthy breed, like all breeds, they can be susceptible to certain health issues, including:

• Hip and Elbow Dysplasia — According to the English Setter Association of America, the current average for Hip Dysplasia in English Setters is about 24% affected with the percentage decreasing.
• Hypothyroidism
• Allergies — English Setters have been known to have allergies to pollen, flea bites and molds.
• Deafness — Approximately 10% of the English Setter breed may suffer from bilateral or unilateral deafness.

If you are considering the adoption of a English Setter puppy, or any breed, it is very important to be selective in choosing a responsible and reputable breeder. Ensure that the prospective puppy's parents have all health clearances. Breeding of any dog should not be done until after they have been proven to be free of evidence of significant hereditary diseases. (For more information on selecting a breeder, see the articles on the main Breed Listing and Breeders page.)

Additional Health Resources:

• English Setter Association - Health
• Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) - English Setter Breed Requirements — Providing a source of health information for owners, breeders, and scientists that will assist in breeding healthy dogs. CHIC is a centralized canine health database jointly sponsored by the AKC/Canine Health Foundation (AKC/CHF) and the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA).
• Information on BAER Testing & the English Setter Association of America (ESAA) BAER database
• Health and Nutrition — Growing section of the Canada's Guide to Dogs website which includes information on several health and nutrition related issues.
• Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) — Providing a source of health information for owners, breeders, and scientists that will assist in breeding healthy dogs. CHIC is a centralized canine health database jointly sponsored by the AKC/Canine Health Foundation (AKC/CHF) and the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA).
• AKC Canine Health Foundation — Working towards developing scientific advances in canine health.
• Canine Eye Registration Foundation (CERF)
• Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA)
• Ontario Veterinary College (OVC)
• University of Pennsylvania Hip Improvement Program (PennHip)
• HealthGene — HealthGene Corporation is the leading provider of veterinary DNA diagnostic services in Canada.

Breed Standards

• CKC Breed Standard
• AKC Breed Standard
• UKC Breed Standard
• The Kennel Club (U.K.) Breed Standard
• FCI Breed Standard No. 2
• AKC ENGLISH SETTER DVD
  20 Min. DVD Edition, Published by the AKC
  Discussion of the breed standard: good structure and movement, acceptable colors, correct head, size. Developed for breeders, exhibitors and judges.
  — Available from Dogwise.com

Grooming Information

• Grooming & Trimming — From the English Setter Association (U.K.)
• Grooming — This section of the Canada's Guide to Dogs website includes tips, articles and information covering all aspects of dog grooming along with a listing of Groomers from across Canada.

Training Resources

• Training — For training information, see this growing section of the Canada's Guide to Dogs website for tips, articles, as well as listings of training centres across Canada.

Additional Information

• Clubs, Sports & Activities — For information on the many sports and activities you can get involved in with your dog.
• Working Dogs — The Working Dogs section of the Canada's Guide to Dogs website provides information and listings of organizations that are involved in various dog jobs, such as Guide Dogs, Therapy Dogs, Police Dogs, Protection Dogs, and much more.