English Setter

The Royal Kennel Club's breed standard describes the English Setter as "very active with a keen game sense," and for temperament its words are "intensely friendly and good natured." The AKC also describes it as a sporting dog of sweet temper and show-stopping good looks.

The game sense the standard highlights shows up in everyday life too: when it catches the scent of a bird, its whole attention can lock onto it.

Because it's a gentle-natured dog, it responds much better to patient, reward-based training than to harsh or punitive methods. A young setter that can't run enough may show its energy as restlessness at home.

The English Setter suits active families who can spend hours outdoors every day, have time for coat care and want a friendly, affectionate dog. The Royal Kennel Club recommends a large home and a large yard.

The Royal Kennel Club's description of the gundog group says these breeds can make good family dogs thanks to their temperament. If you have kids, our article on children and dogs at home can help.

According to the Royal Kennel Club, Edward Laverack laid the foundation of the modern English Setter. In 1825 he bought two blue belton setters from an estate where they had been carefully bred for about 35 years, and through selective breeding he established the breed's type. Around the same time, Richard Purcell Llewellin used Gordon Setters, red and white setters and the now-extinct Welsh (Llanidloes) Setter to widen the gene pool, and crossed them with Laverack's dogs. According to the club, today's breed descends from the stock of these two breeders.

The AKC notes that the English Setter is one of four British setter breeds created to work on the very different terrains of England, Ireland and Scotland.

An interesting note: the Royal Kennel Club lists the English Setter among its "vulnerable native breeds" at home. This list is made up of breeds of British and Irish origin with fewer than 300 registrations a year, so this elegant dog is becoming scarce in its own homeland.

Setters in Türkiye

In Türkiye, on the other hand, the setter is very common among hunters. In a 2021 online survey of 1,325 hunters, the setter was the most preferred dog for woodcock (40.8%). For quail, 29.3% of respondents chose the setter, and for partridge, 24.8%; in both, it came second after the pointer. If you're thinking of hunting with a setter in Türkiye, check the current hunting rules with the General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks; rules vary by country.

The English Setter is an elegant, balanced and athletic dog. Under the Royal Kennel Club standard, its eyes range from hazel to dark brown; its ears are set low and hang in neat folds close to the cheek, covered in silky hair. Its tail is carried level with the back and adorned with long, silky feathering.

• Height: Under the Royal Kennel Club standard, 25.5–27 in (65–69 cm) at the shoulder for males and 24–25.5 in (61–65 cm) for females.
• Weight: According to the AKC, 65–80 lb (29–36 kg) for males and 45–55 lb (20–25 kg) for females.
• Coat: Long, silky and slightly wavy, with plenty of feathering on the backs of the legs and the forelegs.
• Color: The breed's best-known trait is the "belton" pattern: small flecks of color scattered over a white background. The standard accepts black and white (blue belton), orange and white (orange belton), lemon and white (lemon belton), liver and white (liver belton) and tricolor belton; flecks spread all over, without large patches of color on the body, are preferred.

The English Setter's long, silky coat looks beautiful but takes work. The Royal Kennel Club suggests grooming more than once a week.

• Combing: Several times a week, comb behind the ears, the chest, the leg feathering and the tail before knots form.
• After walks: A setter running through fields and brush picks up burrs, grass and seeds in its feathering; comb it after every walk and check between the toes.
• Ears: Check its floppy, hairy ears weekly; if you see redness, a smell or discharge, see your vet.
• Bathing: As needed, with a dog shampoo; dry thoroughly afterward.
• Nails and teeth: Check the nails regularly, and get your puppy used to tooth brushing early.

Our dog grooming guide walks you through how often to brush and bathe.

The Royal Kennel Club recommends more than two hours of exercise a day for the English Setter. Long walks, off-leash running in safe areas and games that use its nose are this breed's daily needs.

• Recall: It's a dog bred for bird hunting; once caught up in a scent, it can range far across open ground. Before letting it off leash, make recall reliable using a long training line; our article on dogs that won't come when called explains it step by step.
• Scent games: Treat hunts and search games tire out its brain; our sniffing games article has ideas.
• Gentle methods: It's a friendly, good-natured dog; short, rewarding, patient sessions work best.
• Leash: Teach it to walk without pulling while it's young; our loose-leash training article can help.

In hot weather, move long runs to cooler hours; our article on dogs in hot weather covers the signs of heatstroke.

An English Setter doesn't need special food; a complete and balanced dog food suited to its age and activity is enough. A setter working in the field needs different amounts of energy than a family dog living at home; adjust the amount to how active your dog really is.

• Measure its food, and take treats out of the daily amount.
• A long coat can hide weight; check by feeling its ribs with your hands. You should be able to feel them under a thin layer of fat.
• Unexplained weight gain, lethargy and coat problems can be signs of disease; see the hypothyroidism section below.
• Don't feed from the table; check our list of foods that are harmful to dogs.

The English Setter sits in the lowest category of the Royal Kennel Club's Breed Watch list, meaning no breed-specific points of concern have been flagged for show judges. Still, there are issues worth knowing about. The information below is for awareness; for diagnosis and treatment, talk to your veterinarian.

Congenital deafness

The English Setter is one of the breeds prone to congenital deafness originating in the inner ear. A 2020 study looked at 447 setter puppies in the UK that had a hearing test (BAER) at 5–10 weeks of age between 2000 and 2018:

• 95.5% of the puppies had normal hearing in both ears.
• 3.6% were deaf in one ear and 0.9% in both, for a total of 4.5%.
• Female puppies were 3.3 times more likely to be deaf than males.
• Puppies whose parents' hearing status was unknown were 4.6 times more likely to be deaf than those with at least one parent tested and found normal.

That last finding is very important: having parents that passed a BAER test clearly lowers the risk. The Royal Kennel Club also recommends BAER screening for breeders, including testing whole litters. Deafness, especially in one ear, can be hard to spot from behavior alone; always ask for the test results when getting a puppy.

Hip and elbow dysplasia

The Royal Kennel Club lists hip screening among the tests breeders should do at a minimum before breeding, because evidence shows it's a significant concern in this breed, and it also recommends elbow screening. Dysplasia means the joint didn't develop properly during growth, which can lead to painful arthritis over time. If you notice limping, trouble getting up or avoiding movement, see your vet.

Hypothyroidism

According to UFAW, an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) shows up as lethargy, reluctance to exercise, weight gain and skin problems, and because it develops slowly it can be mistaken for aging. In a 2015 Norwegian study, English Setters diagnosed with hypothyroidism had an average age at diagnosis of 7.7 years; researchers are studying the disease's links with immune-system genes. If you notice these signs, talk to your vet.

A 2024 UK study using data on about 585,000 dogs from 18 different sources found a median lifespan of 13.1 years for the English Setter; the median for mixed-breed dogs was 12.0 years. The AKC gives an expected lifespan of 12 years, and the Royal Kennel Club says "over 10 years."

Enough exercise every day, a healthy weight and regular vet checkups are the most practical ways to help a setter live a long, healthy life.

• Consider a shelter: Gundogs end up in shelters and rescues too. Our article on adopting a dog from a shelter covers the first steps.
• If you buy from a breeder: Ask to meet the parents. Ask for BAER hearing test results for the puppies and parents, and for hip and elbow screening.
• Red flags: Avoid sellers who won't show you the mother, always have puppies available, can't provide paperwork or have never heard of hearing tests.
• Time: Do you have time for more than two hours of activity every day and coat care several times a week?
• Registration: In Türkiye, owned dogs must be microchipped and registered in the PETVET system. Details are in our article on PETVET registration and microchipping; rules vary by country.
• The first days: Our article a new puppy at home: the first week covers the first week step by step.