| English Setter
 Elegance,
grace, beauty in motion...the true calendar dog. All terms that can
be used to describe the English Setter. Nothing has come to
epitomize fall in the uplands in our minds like the image so often
captured in sporting prints of the English Setter on a statuesque
point, whether it be along a run-down stone wall in New England or
over quail on a Southern plantation. They are often called the
fireside dog as well for their ability to turn off the engine and
become a quiet, affectionate member of the household, recovering in
front of the fire after a day in the field while the weary hunter
sips a single malt and catches up on the day's news.
 O.K...so maybe I'm romanticizing just a
bit. But anyone who has spent time with this breed knows that much
of the lore is, in fact, true. This is a dog that comes in many
shapes and sizes, ranging from little fleet of foot bitches weighing
in under 30 pounds up to the lumbering grouse dogs topping the
scales at over 70 pounds. There is also a split in the registry of
these dogs with a majority of the hunting dogs being registered
through the Field Dog Stud Book and the show dogs and fewer hunting
dogs registered through the AKC.
No matter which style of English you choose, the basics are the
same. This is an elegantly put together dog from tip of nose to
plume of tail. With a soft flowing coat with just enough feathering
to add to the "floating through cover" appearance. The English is an
athletic looking dog, muscular and gracefully built, allowing for
stamina and strength to endure days afield...truly an upland
specialist. Personality is also a
definite plus in this breed. An almost overly affectionate dog that
needs interaction on a daily basis, the breed does come with a
price: they are not an overly healthy breed nor are they long-lived.
They are predisposed to cancers (especially mammary tumors),
allergies, hip dysplasia and more.
The English Setter is another breed that
is near and dear to my heart. They may not have the versatility of a
German dog, nor the dominance of the field trial world of the
Pointer, but what they lack on these fronts, they more than make up
for in beauty, grace and efficiency in the field. (Photos courtesy
of Paul Bowen.)
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