English Setters

Brief History of the English Setter

English Setters were used as Trained bird Dogs more than 400 years ago.
The Dogs were most likely developed from crosses between the following breeds:
The Spanish Pointer, The Large Water Spaniels & the Springer Spaniel.
The Result was a Handsome dog highly skilled at finding & of course pointing out game especially Birds in the open Country.
The early English setters varied somewhat in appearance. Some had short head like the Spaniels... others had longer heads with a more classic Profile. They also had curly coats unlike today's English Setters which have long feathered coats which are flat. Throughout the years, 3 types of English Setters have been developed; The Laverack, the Llewellyn & the The Ryman. Each have their specific talents & characteristics but all are known for there good Looks & there excellent hunting ability.

The English Setter Breed Standard
The AKC's Official standard for the ENglish Setter describes the temperment and physical charcteristics of the ideal English Setter. The breed is judged according to this Standards in AKC-recognized dog shows.

General Appearance
the English Setter is Elegant, Substantial, and  a well balanced dog that combines it's strength, stamina & grace with style. The coat should be flat & well feathered. The English setter should move freely and smoothly, with a good front leg reach and a powerful Drive from the rear quarters. Males should be Masculine without being coarse; females should be feminine without being overly refined.
The overall picture is more important than any one feature. Any extreme feature that distorts the breed type must be faulted.

Head

The English Setters head should be in proporation to the body. It should be long and lean with a well defined stop. The top of the muzzle, top of the skull and bottom of the lower jaw should be parallel when viwed from the side.