The English Setter is a purported offshoot of the Springer Spaniel, Spanish Pointer, French Pointer, and Water Spaniel. The English Setter was seen almost 500 years ago in Spain and England, and it was used as a bird dog. The English Setter is so named because of its English predominance and origin and its sitting posture when it finds the game. The English Setter coat is amenable to hot and cold temperatures. The dog is versatile. The English Setter can point, hunt, track, retrieve, and be a dutiful watchdog. There are notable distinctions between the Field and Show versions in coat, size, feathering, activity threshold, and spotting. They enjoy free-rein running and need daily, fast-paced walks. Obesity can quickly become an issue with an overly affectionate owner that feeds too much. The English Setters are part of the same family that includes the Irish Setter and Gordon Setter.
The English Setter has peculiar markings on its coat that can be orange, lemon, blue, black, etc. These flecks are referred to as belton. Thus, the English Setter dog can have an otherwise white coat with black belton. Outside, the dog needs a lot of exercise, and owners are advised to have a large fenced yard. The English Setter dog is prone to obesity if it lives indoors exclusively. It will quickly devolve into a plain old lap dog and is the perfect couch companion. However, some English Setters become anxious and irritable without daily exercise. Veterinarians advise a long, brisk walk every day. Since English Setters are sporting gun dogs, exercise is suited to their history. This English Setter dog is sensitive, and the only kind of training that gets the job done and doesn't hurt the dog's feelings is positive reinforcement. They live about 10 to 12 years.
The English Setter 45 to 70 pounds for females, and the males are 10 pounds over that on each end. The English Setter males are 24 to 27 inches at the withers, and the females are 23 to 26 inches. Consistently comb and brush the coat and check for tangles and matted hair. That's the sole thing required for grooming the English Setter. The dog itself is even-tempered, sensitive, dignified, and emotionally delicate. It enjoys playtime with children, but it doesn't like rough play. You'll probably see your English Setter dog roaming, digging, jumping, and chasing. It also likes the company of other dogs. They're difficult to housebreak, but reward them instead of punishing them for best results. They do bark quite a lot. Early training should mitigate it.
The English Setter was trained for setting and pointing upland game birds. It's very active and easily distracted outdoors so it can be difficult to train. It not good at herding, but it's so smart that it can learn almost any new activity. English Setters are feathery, speckled dogs that have been bred in their current form since 1825.
