Home Forums Birds & Dogs Hunting Dogs Thinking about an English Setter.

I've always owned Labs, but considering getting an English Setter if, and only if, I can find one from some breeding that has laid-back, easy-handling tendencies.
Does anyone have any insight on the breed in general or recommendations for breeders?

Fwiw I am also looking for a setter, having owned 3 labs. My hunting partner had 2 English Setters, 3 year old male, 12 year old female. Good handling dogs, a little high-strung but not neurotic. I am looking for a female.

I have a 13 yr. old English Setter, a neutered male. He came from a back-yard breeder who is a falconer. I know nothing about pedigrees but I knew both parents and had helped train a littermate of the sire. Bud is so stove up now he can't hunt much anymore. But in his day he was about as good a pheasant dog as I have ever hunted over. He isn't much of a retriever but he would mark and find down birds. He is a very loving and gentle dog around the house, except for the time I brought home a black lab pup four years ago, took him a while to take up with the pup.

In your search for a Setter, just remember it's easier to take out the run then to put it in.

We have bought several from the first site below. We own the first dog, YARRAH, out of CH.Pennstar to become a Champion.

http://coverdogsetters.com/

http://www.midnightkennels.com/ Robert put the CH. on our dog when she was in his string.

http://www.grouseridgesetters.com/about.php

Should give you a start.

Cover Dog
www.stonecreekkennels.com

Thanks for the info. so far, gentlemen. Please keep it coming.

A hunting buddy has a litter that is 3 weeks old if any interest. Father is a Grouse ridge dog and mother is from alderwood kennels. Should be good pups. Contact me if any interest, pups are in Chicago.

Up till a few years ago I had a pair of Euro-Gordons. Apples and oranges comparing them to the ones found here. They were half brothers a year apart and besides the usual setter exercising and grooming, they use to tangle it up once in a while trying to be dominant as they were not de-nutted. Other than that they were fantastic dogs to be with.
Unfortunately, They were taken from me in a brutal divorce. Still miss those guys today.

I enjoy the Ryman-type english setters. Larger and closer working than trial setters they suit my personality and way of hunting. Look on my blog Allegheny Mountain Wanderings
for a listing of Ryman-type kennels.


Before you make a choice try to see the parents of the pup in the field to see what style of setter suits your hunting style.

Rick

Fantastic blog.

Guys open it up, sit back and enjoy some great work and pics.

Well done Greyphase.

I did!
Outstanding blog and great Setters. Started opening up the breeder links and got all worked up.

Me, too!

Thanks to all for the info. so far.

Glad you enjoy my feeble attempt at sharing my wanderings. As you can see me and the dogs don't do much "killing" in my bird sparse coverts but we do enjoy the time spent afield.

Rick

Try a Llewellin setter. They are English setters all tuned up.

All kidding aside, I love both the Llewellins and English setters. Some say they are the same, but they are a bit different.

Nothing better than a setter. Pure Class...

The only difference between a Llewellin and an English Setter is that only Setter's than DNA back to origional llewellin blood can be registered as a llewellin and only in Amer fld. Other than that, no difference.

Never had a Rhyman strain English setter but the ones I've seen were pretty good sized. The Llewellin bitch I had only weighed 45 lbs in her prime,she hunted 14 seasons before dying at 16 yrs and a month.I've larger dogs but I'll never have one again that was as big as her. A tricolor and just all hunting dog that would do it all,I don't remember her ever losing a crip. Allways interested in setters they make even a poor guy feel rich. Magnum Man

BTW, how much grooming is necessary for a setter....and do they smell like a hound?

I strongly suggest that you try an English Setter. I had English Pointers all my life, but now have Sadie a setter that is going on 4. Thanks to my wife, she now shares our bed. She has as much desire to hunt as any dog that I have ever owned and has really got her game on this season. If anything, they might not develop into their full potentail as early as a pointer. Here in NC the quail are so scare it has become hard to break a dog on wild birds. She did point 4 wild covies last weekend. All of my English Pointers were strong-willed and independent but she has turned out to be a family member. I purposely searched for a dog not out of field trial stock and do not ever intend on owning another. They have the stamina and hunt in them but I appreciate a slower pace now that I have turned 50. As far as maintenance, I have her trimmed before the season, but still have to pick the burrs out of her coat after a day in the field. That just adds to our dependence upon each other. That might not be a problem in other parts of the country, but here in NC I've yet to find briar pants that live up to their name. Good luck.

I've had many a Lab.

Hunted with friends for several years who had three English Setters.

English Setters are great hunting and family dogs.

BUT I bought a GSP!!

Why? I don't like the long haired dogs. Too many burrs and foxtails...................... Some have hairy feet that collect mud and or ice balls which can cripple a dog if not cleaned in a timely manner.

Once again they are great dogs.

There is a difference between the two strains. The Llewellins were bred to be a bit stouter and to have a greater affinity with their humans...at least the original dogs were. Over the years that may have been overlooked, but having many of both, I can say without reservation that the Llewellins still have a good measure of both traits, and the English have somewhat less.

The difference is slight, all-in-all, and the English are wonderful and Classy dogs. My Jenny was a small English from Birdwell in Coos Bay OR and was a bird machine.

Except for my Ms. Scarlet who died this week, Jenny was the best setter I had ever encountered. Ms. Scarlet was a Llewellin, and part of my very heart. Her Llewellin granddaughter is named Jenny; I think she'll be worthy and do both old girls proud.