This medium-sized dog is athletic and tough. Its allure exudes strength and grace. Her dress is silky and is distinguished by the long fringes on the legs and tail. Its ears are mid-long and drooping and its square muzzle ends in a black or brown nose.

Poil : long, silky and slightly wavy, two-tone or three-tone (white, lemon, brown, black…), sometimes speckled.

Size (height at the withers): 60-70 cm.

Weight : 25-35 kg.

Classification FCI : N°2.

The breed was fixed across the Channel in the mid-25th century after 1600 years of selection work carried out by a certain Edward Laverack. The Central Canine Society does not take a position on the origin of the breed. For the American Canine Association, it came from the crossing of the Spanish and French lines of the Pointer at the beginning of the 1880s. The first representatives of the breed arrived in France in the XNUMXs, where he is still the dog today. most common stop.

The English Setter presents two particularly attractive facets. He is calm, affectionate and very attached to his loved ones at home, whom he protects like a good guard dog. It is sometimes said of his temperament that he is feline. Outdoors, he is on the contrary fiery, athletic and vigorous. He sort of rediscovers his hunting instincts. He excels in field-trial, these competitions where the best hunting dogs are spotted and selected.

The British Kennel Club gives individuals of this breed a life expectancy of over 10 years, and its health study of over 600 dogs determined an average age at death of 11 years and 7 months. A third of deaths were caused by cancer (32,8%), representing the main cause of death in front of old age (18,8%). (1)

Among the English Setters tested by theOrthopedic Foundation of America, 16% were affected by elbow dysplasia (18th most affected breeds) and 16% by hip dysplasia (61st rank). (2) (3)

Congenital deafness: the English Setter is one of the many breeds predisposed to congenital deafness (Bull Terrier, Jack Russell, Cocker, etc.). It would affect more than 10% of English Setters, unilaterally or bilaterally. (4) Medical studies suggest that the genetic basis of this deafness is associated with white color (or merle) of the coat of the animal. In other words, pigmentation genes would be involved. But as far as the English Setter is concerned, this has not been demonstrated. (5) There is no treatment. It should be noted that, when it concerns only one ear, this deafness is not very disabling.

The English Setter is intelligent enough to adapt to city life, where it will have to remain on a leash, however, in case it suddenly sets out on the hunt. But wouldn’t owning such a dog in the city be a negation of the nature of this animal? It is obviously in the countryside that he feels best, the ideal for him being life in the fields. He loves to swim, but his coat needs to be groomed after a swim in nature. It is advisable to pay particular attention to the cleanliness of his ears to limit the risk of infections. Adequate living conditions are more important than its education or training, which can be achieved even by a master with little experience in dog matters.