Does anyone here have an English Setter?

Chippers1

Chippers1

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 February 2017
Messages
1,851
Visit site
And could tell me a bit about the breed?

My boyfriend and I are looking to get a dog next year or the year after and we were undecided on a breed (I love cocker spaniels, he loves big dogs!) So we went over to Crufts yesterday to have a nosey at Discover dogs and see if there were any that we liked and would suit our lifestyle.

We both fell in love with some English setters!

We are both quite active (I have my horse and we also like to walk a lot) and although I work from home 3 days a week he works as a handyman at his parents pub (country pub with huge field) so would be able to take the dog with him, plus they have 3 dogs there already so there would also be doggy company. My boyfriend has grown up with dogs and although it would be my first I work closely with dog trainers so have picked up a few tips!

We'd love to know more about the breed and whether they would be suitable so are planning to visit some breeder shows soon but I wondered if anyone on here might be willing to share anything they know too :)

Thanks!
 
I absolutely love English setters. Gorgeous dogs, a bit bouncy and childlike forever but just so amiable.
Very active, bred to range, need a lot of training but a delight.
I haven’t had one for years (mum worked a show bred bitch and bred a litter or two when I was young, and had a couple of rescues). I hear they have a lot of health issues now, skin and digestive.
 
Another who loves English Setters, lovely temperaments but take quite a bit of training. I only have experience of one or two from gun dog classes I attended.
Someone local took on a rescue that was slightly neurotic from a bad start in life, but he was a delight to know and did eventually settle well.
 
Ah that's great to hear, thank you! I did think they would need a lot of training but we're not wanting to have children and I only occasionally do low level competing on Buzz (so not like i have to do lots of hard prep!) so we do have time to devote to training plus I'm interested in learning/teaching scentwork.
We'd be looking at getting a puppy rather than a rescue purely because we have a cat and we'd need to make sure the dog is OK with him. We do technically have two cats but one is 20 and we wouldn't be getting the dog until she has "gone to university" as we like to say, poor thing, as it wouldn't be fair on her. She's very active though so that's why we're starting the planning stages now with thinking about getting on breeders lists for the next few years :)

I know it's not about colour but I'd love a tri-colour as well!

Edit to add: it's a shame to hear about the health problems, I guess it's likely in some breeds. Skin and digestive problems do seem to be better problems to have if any!
 
Chiffy said:
MyBoyChe, that’s what I meant about training! 😁
Click to expand...
We had a lovely rescue dog called Piper. He had spent 6 years on a chain and had running sores where he’d slept in urine and faeces. Once he recovered he was a gem. But he couldn’t resist a bitch in heat and would go and sing the lament of lost love all over the village. Luckily when his hormones were behaving he was nicest dog ever.
 
MyBoyChe said:
A good friend in our village has them and used to breed. All hers have been lovely dogs, gorgeous temperaments. I know the biggest issue she ever had was their tendency to run off and lose their hearing temporarily :)
Click to expand...

Haha I've read that this could be a problem! Luckily I have a few lunge lines lying around...
You've all confirmed that I do still want one, sounds like they have a good reputation for being lovely dogs!

Clodagh said:
We had a lovely rescue dog called Piper. He had spent 6 years on a chain and had running sores where he’d slept in urine and faeces. Once he recovered he was a gem. But he couldn’t resist a bitch in heat and would go and sing the lament of lost love all over the village. Luckily when his hormones were behaving he was nicest dog ever.
Click to expand...

Oh poor Piper :( never understood how people can do that to dogs. One of the 3 dogs mentioned in my first post was a rescue, he's a yorkie and was kept in a cage for most of his life. He now lives the life of Riley at the pub! He's also the boss of the Labarador and Golden 😅
Sounds like Piper really landed on his feet too.

I can't wait to get out to some shows and see some more :)
 
Are you looking at working types or show types, as they're very different. Both have delightful temperaments but very different energy levels and trainability.

The working types are higher energy, trainable, tend to be smaller framed than the show.
The show are larger, slower but have lost some trainability with selective breeding for show bench requirements.

Both types love running (look at what the breed was originally used for) but the working type is more likely to come back to you more quickly. The show one will still run, albeit slowly, and will return more slowly too!

My OH trained working English setters for years and loves them. He says they're delightful - not very bright, but very enthusiastic and fabulous to watch galloping across the heather!
 
I'm not really sure to be honest, hence going to look at some shows and chat with some breeders. I would probably prefer a smaller frame and more trainability so might look into the working type.
I love that they're not very bright, my cat is a ragdoll and I feel the same about him 😅
 
Chippers1 said:
I'm not really sure to be honest, hence going to look at some shows and chat with some breeders. I would probably prefer a smaller frame and more trainability so might look into the working type.
I love that they're not very bright, my cat is a ragdoll and I feel the same about him 😅
Click to expand...
From a purely personal opinion, I’ve never wanted a dog more intelligent than I am. 😄
 
Clodagh, that’s so right! My latest rescue that shows some collie traits, is too intelligent for her own good! So very quick to learn anything and also remembers things both good and bad. She can be so quick to respond but sometimes you see a hesitation as she thinks about whether she wants to do as asked or not! So different from a flatcoat who is also intelligent and quick to learn but in a much more happy go lucky sort of way. She obeys because it’s fun, if she doesn’t obey it may be because of distraction but never because she has just decided for herself that she doesn’t want to do it at that moment.
 
We used to have them - absolutely gorgeous dogs. Ours adored children, cats, everything. They're definitely quite an ethereal dog - kind of in a world of their own, but so loving. They do wander though and need a lot of exercise. Oh, and the slobber is quite awful. We had tea towels strategically placed around the kitchen table so guests could protect their trousers. I'd love another.
 
My friend and her hubby have a couple of working ES for counting on grouse moors. They’re beautiful dogs but, as has been said, tend to be selectively deaf and can be quite sensitive so need lots of training and are very active so need plenty of exercise. Your situation sounds great for an amiable, active breed.
Please make sure you come back with puppy pics!
 
Last edited:
I have known four quite well, belonging to friends. They were all lovely dogs, friendly and energetic, but as others have said, can have selective hearing! Unfortunately 3/4 had skin problems and 2/4 also had digestive problems so I think care needs to be taken when selecting a puppy (although this obviously applies to any type of puppy, for a variety of reasons!).

In my limited experience I found the ones I've known to be less 'sharp' than cockers, which is something I'd miss if I changed breeds but I realise others find that aspect of cockers less appealing.

We definitely need photos when you get a dog :)
 
Thank you everyone :) really helpful advice! I've joined a facebook group full of breeders as well so getting my name out there for 2024/5 so it will be a while until there's possible puppy pics but I will definitely share any! We're in no rush so happy to wait as I know they're rare, hence starting out now with the research :)
I will talk to my trainer friends about selective hearing as well :D
 
We had a working type for nearly 17 years. She was a hunting machine; taking pigeons regularly all her life. I won't say what we had to do to teach her that chickens were off-limits.
She could get over a 10ft fence with ease, and her idea of walking with you would involve hunting a 2mile radius around you and meeting you back at the car. Quite the most sensitive, stubborn, athletic, infuriating dog I have ever known. She was however extremely gentle, elegant, and a joy to watch covering the ground.

On the selective hearing. She did actually go deaf, but she was so disobedient that it took us 2 years to notice.
 
I love them, I think they're gorgeous, but I think I would find the wide-ranging thing out walking too nerve-wracking, a friend has Gordons and she nearly lost one down a ravine - twice!

I'm sure I'd manage the selective hearing fine though ... I do have a GSP
 
I have a rescue working one, they’re called LllewelLin type. The show ones are bigger. she’s 😛 loves everyone, has taken a lot of training, quiet in the house, but very busy outside. Can easily clear a six foot wall if she wants to investigate visitors/postmen/delivery people etc. Someone once told me setters were partial to chewing antique furniture they forgot to mention they can also open and read the post. Super safe dogs around children but maybe not for the faint hearted or those with high blood pressure! They’re on the rare breeds list. English are possibly quieter than their Red/ Irish cousins. Gordon’s are lovely as well and possibly a bit bigger.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top