English Setter

Owners are sure that a more tender, friendly, elegant dog is hard to find. The English setter is a real aristocrat, but by no means a “sissy”, the dog has excellent hunter instincts and increased efficiency. He is cheerful, cheerful, but does not impose his society, sensitively feeling the mood of the owner. The dog of this breed is recommended to start both hunters and people leading an active lifestyle. Such a four-legged friend will follow the owner to the fire and water, will be able to overcome any difficulties and will be near at any time.

Breed origin

The ancestors of the English setters are large spaniels that were brought to the UK from Spain. Initially, the breed was called the “setting spaniel”, which is associated with their ability to take a stand during work. But then still the setters were not divided into types.

Subsequently, work was carried out to improve the hunting qualities of these dogs, blood was added to them with greyhound, hound, retriever, and pointer. The name of the breed was shortened to "setter", and taking the basic colors as a basis, they were divided into several types. So there were English, Scottish and Irish setters.

For the first time, the setters, as independent separate breeds, participated in the Birmingham exhibition in 1860. The English representatives were then called “leveraks” in honor of the breeder who is engaged in the improvement of this breed.

Breed description English Setter

The dog of this breed is a proportional, beautiful animal with developed hunting skills. As early as 4 months, the puppy begins to stand up in the rack, having seen any bird, although he still does not fully understand why. It stretches into a string and falls to the ground. Everything happens on an instinctive level.

The body of the English setter is covered with a luxurious coat that protects the skin from external exposure. The dog has a pronounced sexual type, the males are much larger and more courageous, and the females are more graceful and aristocratic.

Growing males is 65-69 cm, weight - from 25 to 36 kg, females weigh from 20 to 32 kg, with growth of 61-65 cm. There are special instructions in the standard - with an average build a dog should not look delicate, when viewed should this is clearly a strong and resilient animal.

Individuals, in accordance with generally accepted standard data, are described as follows:

1. The head is proportional to the body, with an elongated, dry muzzle, the foot is well defined. The forehead is wide, oval, with a neat, bulging back of the head. The nose bridge is flat, the mouth is rectangular, the jaws are a bit narrower than the head.
2. The dog has cheekbones with relief, eye sockets and cheeks are well defined, there are no folds on the muzzle. The lips are medium, the upper is located above the bottom.
3. The teeth are strong, complete, with a scissor bite, but if the individual is older than 7 years of age, it changes to a straight line, then this is not considered a defect. If the dentition is disturbed, this is a serious drawback.
4. The nose is wide, with wide, well open nostrils, intensely pigmented with black or dark brown color.
5. Eyes set wide apart, set on deep, round shape, small in size. The color of the iris is any brown tone, but saturated shades are preferred. The dog is looking calmly, thoughtfully, with a lively shine in his eyes.
6. Ears - located at or below eye level. They are rounded, not triangular. Hang on thin, soft cartilage. If they are too long and reach to the nose, then this is a vice. Outside the auricles are covered with elongated hair, which is an ornament.
7. In dogs, flexible, beautiful, well muscled neck, thickening to the shoulders. The line of the back is straight, there is a graceful bend in the area of ​​the transition to the shoulder blades and croup.
8. The sternum is moderately broad, of decent depth, in young individuals it may have a dry structure, but by the age of 3 years it will have a pronounced, developed musculature.
9. The ribs are elongated, they are flexible, the inguinal line and abdomen are tightened. The croup is flattened, wide, with a smooth, unmowed transition into the paws.
10. Limbs are straight, with flexibility and springiness. The dog moves smoothly, gracefully. The limbs are parallel to the body with elbows and strong, slightly elongated hips. When the setter takes the rack, the hind limbs are pulled backwards.
11. The hands are rounded, assembled, have a shape of the type of "arch", with rounded fingers and strong, short claws. The area between the fingers overgrown with straight hair.
12. The tail is a harmonious continuation of the back, towards the end smoothly thinned. In the lowered state reaches to the hock.

Wool quality and possible colors

Luxurious, long coat in dogs develops only by 2-3 years. In an adult setter, it is wavy, elongated in the area of ​​the keel, tail, ears, and inguinal line. Representatives of this breed are not sheared. The only thing that is allowed is cutting out excessively overgrown hair between the fingers so that the brushes look more accurate.

The main color of wool is white, and on it are specks, strokes, specks of black, orange or brown shades. There are English setters with a three-colored color, in this case a black background, specks or smears cover the white background, but there is additionally a brown speck in the area of ​​the muzzle, eyebrows and limbs.

Black, red and brown wool can be, as a rich tone, and mild. Rare are almost white dogs.

Character

Thanks to the friendliness, the English setter is considered an excellent option for families with children. This is an absolute non-conflict dog, which gets along well with its fellows, cats, but smaller living creatures can evoke its “professional interest”.

Pet does not bother and does not fight for the territory. He is tactful, it is enough for him to lie at the feet of the owner, without imposing. Setters are rather silent dogs that rarely bark, mainly meeting family members. A dissatisfied dog will express its mood with a grunt.

Despite the goodwill and gullibility, the dog chooses one owner and loyal to him throughout his life. The dog does not show aggression to strangers and curiously meets those who came. Setter is an excellent hunter, being in work, he can forget about sleep and food. His keen sense of smell of a gun dog was appreciated by hunters all over the world.

Representatives of the breed are sociable animals, they quickly get used to unfamiliar people and other quadrupeds. This quality allows you to use them for hunting in a team with other dogs. English setter does not allow his master to be bored, he loves to play, travel, happy to go on a hiking trip or a morning jog.

Education and training English Setter

Pet is very smart, able to quickly learn new skills, and, enjoying the learning process itself. You can practice with your pet from the first days of its appearance in the house; even a small puppy understands what the owner requires of him. And the sooner he learns the basic program, the better.

The owners say that the setters are so intelligent, intelligent look that it is not even surprising that they understand the command from a half-word. The memory of these hunters is excellent, and if the dog is encouraged, he will try his best. In adolescence, the pet is able to show stubbornness, in this case the owner needs to punish the pet - he will remember the negative experience for a long time and will not repeat it.

In no case, you can not beat or kick a dog, just raise your voice. Nataska setters spend the same way as other cops, after the puppies have mastered the mandatory commands. Initially, a pet at home is taught to a number of skills, for example, respond, aportirovat, respond to gestures, and more. An experienced hunter is able to independently train his four-legged friend.

How to care for a dog

The English Setter has a long, silky, shiny coat that requires extra care. It must be regularly brushed using a special rubber or silicone brush. After cleaning, the wool is wiped with a wet cloth, removing accumulated dirt.

To maintain a good structure of the wool, it is sometimes trimmed around the suspension, abdomen and on the feet. Full haircut can greatly spoil the pet's fur coat. Wash your pet 1-2 times a month, using a special shampoo and balm, suitable for this type of wool. The molts of dogs of this breed are weakly affected, 1 less often 2 times a year. Their wool does not get enough sleep and does not settle on carpets and furniture.

Setters have long, drooping ears, they must be constantly examined for inflammation and parasites. They are regularly cleaned by removing excess sulfur and dirt with cotton buds dipped in boric alcohol. If this is not done, there are great risks of developing otitis media and other infectious and inflammatory processes.

It is necessary to trim the claws of the pet with a claw cutter if they are not ground off naturally. Eyes are also required to be periodically inspected for infections and rinsed.

We must not forget about the timely de-worming of the pet, treatment from external parasites and timely vaccination.

Breed diseases

All setters, including English, are happy owners of good health. But the selection still led to the fact that dogs have some hereditary pathologies:

• atopy (dermatological allergic disease);
• hip dysplasia (this pathology develops more often in representatives of this breed than in other breeds);
• congenital deafness;
• pathologies caused by impaired lysosome concentration;
• ectopia;
• retinal atrophy.

Most hereditary diseases do not cure completely. They can only be avoided in one case - by purchasing a puppy from a bona fide breeder.

Setters are prone to eye diseases - it is recommended to seek advice from a veterinarian at the first warning signs.

If you take care of your pet, he can live for 14-15 years. But, unfortunately, usually this period is not more than 11-12 years.

How and what to feed the setter

It is impossible to call the "Englishmen" a glutton, the dog is able to move away from the bowl when he has a feeling of fullness. They use setters a lot, it is important that the pet has round-the-clock access to clean drinking water.

It is possible to feed a dog both natural food, and ready dry rations. Only with the second type of food it is recommended to feed the pet with healthy products - lean meat, sea fish, eggs, pieces of fresh vegetables and fruits.

With natural feeding, the dog must be given daily meat - at least 60% of the total diet, 1-2 times a week, it can be replaced with boiled offal or fish. It is recommended to boil porridge - buckwheat or rice, in broth or water, add vegetable oil, herbs, vegetables, pieces of meat.

When choosing a natural type of feeding, the dog should be given supplements containing vitamins and minerals, for example, bone meal, chopped egg shells. It is advisable to consult a veterinarian who will recommend special complexes.

You can not give your pet food from your own table, this not only adversely affects the health of the animal, but also on its behavior - the dog may begin to steal food. The following products are not suitable for him: smoked meats, pastries, potatoes, pastries.

Dog conditions

As already noted, the setter can be excellent hunter assistants and act as a family dog. Naturally, in any case it is necessary to provide it with the necessary physical activity. Walking a pet is enough 2 times a day. If on weekdays the owner does not have enough free time for long promenades, on a weekend he must compensate for this with active games and exercises on the court.

Such a dog is suitable for living in apartment conditions, a country house is also suitable. But it is not intended for street content. Spacious house territory is an excellent option for such a restless dog. In this case, the dog can walk for a long period of time.

Photo English Setter

English Setter Video

Buying an English Setter puppy

In Russia, English setters are not very common, their Irish counterparts are more common, but in large cities there are nurseries that breed this breed. In the Russian capital, there is a nursery that allows you to buy a thoroughbred puppy "Pearl of Wales" http://pw.setter.dog/%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BD%D1 %82% D0%B0%D0%BA%D1 % 82% D1% 8B.html.

But those who want to buy a puppy have a choice, you can always find sellers on the Internet - casual or private breeders. Naturally, the risks of acquiring a bloodthirsty or unhealthy baby are high. Therefore, experts recommend a more serious approach to this issue.

The average cost of English Setter puppies is 25000-30000 rubles, but these figures are very conditional. For example, this is quite a normal price for private owners, in the nursery it is much higher. An elite puppy, who comes from a well-known kennel and has all the qualities of a future champion, will cost around 75,000-8,000 rubles and even more.

The English Setter is a positive, cheerful and devoted pet who needs a friendly attitude, love and active pastime. The dog is so positive that he falls in love with himself from the first minute of dating.