Setter: varieties of breed, colors and contents

Setters are a popular breed of hunting dogs from the UK. These dogs differ from their neighbors in a muscular and slender body, long hair, and also well-developed hunting qualities. This article will discuss the varieties and colors of Setter dogs, as well as the features of their content.

The story tells that the very first setters appeared in England in the XV-XVI centuries. The first official mention of the setters was found in the work "Dogs of Britain" from 1576. It was written by the English physician John Cayus, who already in his mature years was actively engaged in the study of the issue of dog populations in Britain.

Seth's ancestors are considered to be Spanish Longhaired Pointing Dogs.that became the initiators of many other hunting dogs. With the spread and development of hunting in England, there was an urgent need to create dogs with exclusively hunting skills and excellent physical data.

The process of creating the breed has undergone multiple breeding experiments. If the genetic material of spaniels was taken as the basis, then over the years, to improve certain qualities, the blood of greyhounds, hounds, collies, even poodles and retrievers was surged. Experiments on the breeding of larger cops led to an almost complete change in the size of the dog.New individuals were completely different from standard spaniels, so it was decided to give them their name - setters.

The first individuals of the setters were used exclusively for hunting game birds. The peculiarity of such dogs was their way to lie down on the ground when detecting prey nearby, this technique was actively used for hunting at that time with the help of nets. At the same time, these dogs began to be actively used in classical gun hunting and shooting at flying and waterfowl. It is believed that the first individuals of this breed were created as a substitute for greyhounds and birds of prey.

Over time, the breeders managed to achieve the perfect result - the setters became incredibly fast, prey and sensitive dogs. They were able to track the game at a distance of several kilometers and indicate the direction of the hunter with the help of a special hunting rack, which finally formed only by the beginning of the XIX century.

Since the beginning of the 16th century, the number of attempts to breed setters has increased to create varieties of setters that are more adapted to certain hunting conditions. This, as well as the active spread of setters throughout Europe, led to the creation of several varieties of this breed of dogs. Species evolved not so much on the basis of differences in external characters, but because of the advent of ever new ways of hunting and competition between breeders.

The development of setters can be observed in pedigree shows in the 60s of the XIX century (the first was held in Birmingham). If at the first exhibitions setters exclusively of the English breed were presented, then after a year and a half (approximately by 1861-1862) already 3 varieties of setters took part in the exhibitions: English (or Laverac), Irish, Scottish (or Gordon).

The setter dog breed is represented by several varieties that have some differences in standard, temperament and hunting skills. Below will be a description of the main characteristics of the varieties of setters in the form of a comparative table.

For all varieties of setters, approximately the same character traits are characteristic.

In relation to their family and the owner, setters always remain cheerful, companionable and good-natured. They will not follow you on the heels, but with interest will observe your work, agree to any games and fun, implicitly obey commands and instructions with proper education.

When they see strangers or guests, they will be interested and will show signs of sympathy rather than alertness. It is very easy to gain the trust of these dogs - they adore affection, goodies and attention.

Experienced breeders do not recommend leaving these pets alone with young children. Setters are playful and love all kinds of games, but they are very negative towards constant harassment and teasing. Setters get along well with children over 8 years old.

If the owner does not determine in time who is in charge of their relationship, it is likely that in the future he will face the problem of establishing his authority. Incorrectly brought up setters grow up surprisingly moody, vicious and unbalanced.

Setters do not like to share the owner and members of their family with other pets. They want all attention always to be directed precisely at them. Large sizes, speed, as well as remarkable strength give them a sense of impunity in belittling other pets.

Setter Life Span varies slightly depending on their variety.

• English Lewellin setters or setters live an average of 11 to 15 years;
• irish red setters live from 12 to 15 years, red-white - from 10 to 13 years;
• scottish Setters on average do not live longer than 12 years.

Do not forget that these are only general statistics - proper care, care and proper nutrition can increase the life span of your pet by several years.

As mentioned above, today there are several official varieties of setters. To more accurately reflect their differences from each other, you should refer to the history of their occurrence.

Modern English setters are descended from the crosses of many hunting breeds of European dogs. The first individuals of this breed were created back in the 16th century in France by crossing the pointers of the Spanish and French breeds. From the XVII to the XVIII century there was a real technological boom that affected the functionality of hunting rifles.

The unofficial initiator of the English breed of setter is considered to be Eduard Laverac, who back in 1825 began active work in breeding a certain type of hunting dogs. It was thanks to the activities of Laverac that the English setter was given its unofficial second name. The breeding research of the breeder lasted about 35 years, during which the first crude standard of modern English setters was created using strict selection.

These dogs were extremely fast, sensible and hardy, they were also very well oriented, were obedient and not aggressive towards other dogs. In addition to the activities of Laverac himself, his assistant P. Llewellyn, who in the future became his competitor, took an active part in the creation of these setters. Later, individuals bred by his assistant, acquired their name - Lewellin's setters.

The genetic material of precisely the individuals of the English setters served as the basis for the creation of other varieties of this breed of dogs. Numerous experiments on the exterior and color of these dogs led to the appearance of mestizos. - individuals with non-standard color, disproportionate physique, short limbs and muzzle.

Especially deplorably, these experiments affected the individuals of the setters, who first came to the territory of Russia. Due to insufficient experience in breeding hunting dogs, Russian breeders actively crossed setters with local breeds.The initial idea was to create a stronger, more enduring and unpretentious setter to the Russian climate, however, these attempts ended in failure due to an insufficient amount of genetic material and thoroughbred individuals. All dogs obtained in this way are today called the “Russian” variety of setters.

By the beginning of the XVIII century, setters existed only as a generalized breed with many colors, variations in size and exterior, but this did not stop them from being fond of breeders on all British islands. Many of them decided to standardize these breeds - to fit into one whole to preserve breed qualities.

Since childhood, the Duke has been passionately engaged in hunting, and also owned a whole nursery of Scottish Dirhounds. Very soon, he set a goal to create a separate breed of setter of the black and tan type, but with the preservation of all hunting qualities. There is reason to believe that to create individuals with this color, the duke crossed setters with individuals of dirhounds. The result of these experiments was the complete exclusion of white setters from the color, as well as the creation of a separate nursery specifically for individuals of the Scottish setters.

Thanks to the activities of this breeder, the new breed of setters was able to gain wide distribution throughout Britain. Soon, the breed was named after the Duke - Gordon Castle Setter, but the prefix "Castle" in the name disappeared over time, so this breed of dogs was simply called the Gordon Setters.

The first Gordon Setter was found in America only in 1842 and she was brought directly from the nursery of the Duke of Gordon. It is noteworthy that it was the Scottish setters that became one of the first breeds that the American Kennel Club recognized in 1884. That is why these dogs are sometimes called "American Setters."

Irish setters appeared much later than the rest of the varieties of this breed. It is believed that these dogs were descended from black and white English setters, to which was later added blood and other European hunting dogs: Gordon setter, bloodhounds, Irish water spaniels. The result of this selection was the creation of Irish setters with a red color, but experiments on the appearance of dogs did not end there.

It should be noted that at that time there was an unspoken rivalry between Irish breeders and hunters. Each of them strove to create a more original color for his Irish setter, which led to the appearance of several pedigree lines at once. The most common colors were red (with a dark muzzle) and red-white.

Regardless of the color, the Irish setters were presented with a certain list of requirements for inclusion in the standard: hard work, lack of fear of water and noise, harmonious small size, sturdy and muscular body, developed sensory organs (especially hearing and scent), dense coat and undercoat.

This led to the fact that at one of the pedigree shows in 1859 as many as 60 individuals of this breed were presented. Such excitement led to numerous disputes - the breeders could not decide which of the dogs would represent the standard. The result of these disputes was only tribal records about the existence and breeding of individuals of this breed, which also was of great importance.

A little later (in 1877), the Irish red setters came to America, where they made a splash. However, with the popularity of this breed, there was a danger of the disappearance of its working qualities - many American breeders preferred the features of the exterior, but not the hunting skills.In fact, this led to the emergence of two separate varieties of dogs: workers and a show class.

Before buying a setter puppy of any variety, you should familiarize yourself with the standard of a particular breed in detail. By about three months of age, the exterior of setter puppies is fully formed, which will allow you to evaluate its external data and not stumble on pitfalls in the future.

If you get a setter puppy for hunting, then be sure to read all the diplomas and awards of his parents for their working qualities. It will be useful to find out the exterior assessments of parents in the ring. In addition, you should inspect the veterinary passports of the parents to find out the possible diseases and predispositions of your pet.

Be sure to pay attention to the condition of the room in which the pregnant bitch was, as well as places where the puppies themselves were kept. Find out what food was given to the bitch and puppies after they were born. So you are convinced of the nutrition of puppies, in addition, it will be easier for you to adjust the diet to the needs of the pet. Make sure there are vitamin supplements in the diet of the young setter.

The selected puppy should be active, cheerful and confident. Do not give preference to individuals who sit far in the corner and do not touch the food. Carefully follow the puppy's movements, they should be free and active.

Inspect the condition of the pet's coat, it should be dry at the genitals and anus, without bald spots and pressure sores. Take a look at the skin condition - the puppy should not have wounds, redness, itching. The presence of fleas and lice is another point in the breeder’s oversight in keeping a pet. Excess weight or, conversely, protruding bones is another alarming signal to think about whether to buy a puppy.

Before buying, find out the number of puppies in the litter, and also specify how many of them were rejected. It will also be useful to ask for photos of puppies from the last litter.

Track the integrity of the package of documents when buying a puppy. There must be a veterinary passport, metric and pedigree.

Be sure to pay attention to how the seller of puppies or the representative of the kennel behaves with puppies and a bitch. You should not take puppies from a person who behaves aggressively and consumerly towards dogs - this has probably already done irreparable harm to the character of the kids.

Fortunately, setters are not particularly fastidious dogs when it comes to content features. They have a very warm coat, which makes it possible to keep them on the territory of the site or a private house without special difficulties. If these dogs can feel constrained in the walls of a small apartment, then the street fully reveals their activity potential. An ideal option for these dogs would be a fenced area with ample space for games and entertainment.

These dogs are not recommended to be kept in small apartments. The body of the setters constantly needs training and stress, without which these pets become passive and uninitiated. On the streets, the setter is able to deliver a lot of trouble to his master - at the slightest smell of street birds and animals, these dogs literally lose their heads and do not obey any commands. Experienced breeders believe that these dogs need not so much saturated as long walk for 1 hour or more.

Setters are incredibly social dogs. Despite their external independence, they adore being with the owner and are very bored in his absence.Try to devote more time to ordinary conversations with your dog - setters really appreciate it when they communicate with him on equal terms.

Proper feeding is the guarantor of not only good health and immunity, but also a cheerful mood in the dog. Setters are not picky about food, they can easily digest both ready-made feeds (not necessarily the highest class) and natural products. The main condition for feeding setters is a balanced and vitamin-rich diet.

The nutrition of setters should always be based on meat, namely beef, chicken and turkey. The main condition here is a low fat content in it. As a substitute, it perfectly suits offal, raw sea fish and some types of sausages. Natural food can be served in raw or boiled form, but in no case in the form of mashed potatoes. Meat and fish should be cut into small pieces to form the correct bite.

An important element in the nutrition of setters is the availability of dairy and dairy products in the menu. This includes cheeses, cottage cheese, kefir, yogurt. In this case, it is worth considering the most non-fat foods with a small amount of sugar.

In addition to the main course, vegetables must be present in the diet of the setters. They give the body the necessary vitamins, do not burden the stomach and give the pet energy for the whole day ahead. Of vegetables, carrots, bell peppers, pumpkin, cucumbers and beets will look good here. Fresh greens will also be a good addition to any dish, such as parsley, dill or salad.

In the diet of any dog ​​should always be present natural porridge on the water: buckwheat, rice, oatmeal. Setters should always have at their disposal a full bowl of clean and fresh water.

It is forbidden to give setters products that are harmful to any dog. This is any human food (smoked, salted, spicy), any sweets and bakery products.

Setters have strong and powerful immunity, as well as thick coat with dense undercoat, which allows them to easily transport drafts, low temperatures and even moisture.

At least 1 time per week they should carry out cleaning their ears (which these dogs get dirty very quickly), rinsing their eyes and brushing their teeth. It’s not worth washing these dogs with shampoos, their hair hardly retains moisture, which means that an ordinary light shower after an intensive walk will be enough. Do not forget to follow the claws of your pet, in the absence of physical exertion and walking, they can cause significant harm to his paws, so you need to cut them periodically.

Show breeds of setters need only a slight adjustment of the coat to give a well-groomed appearance. If we are talking about keeping dogs at home, then a haircut is acceptable at the genitals, as well as on the chest.

Wool is the only factor due to which many breeders do not want to see these dogs in their homes. Despite the fact that these dogs molt just a couple of times a year, after them there is always just a huge amount of hair all over the apartment. There is only one way to deal with this - through regular combing with the help of soft combs with frequent cloves or by trimming.

Do not forget about regular vaccinations and preventive visits to the veterinarian. This will protect the dog from viruses and probable diseases.

A keen and penetrating mind, as well as hunting skills make these dogs ideal for professional training and training. The main task of the owner in the education of setters is to achieve respect and obedience not only during training, but also in everyday life.These dogs need a firm hand that can control them, even if the dog is in an agitated state. To establish such authority, it is advised to resort to the following actions:

• the pet should start eating only after you;
• teach the setter not to move away from you for a long distance while walking;
• It is you who always enter the room first, and then the pet.

If once you allowed the setter to do something forbidden, in the future he will not pay any attention to your inhibitions regarding this action.

Do not resort to any form of violence, express dissatisfaction only through intonation or gestures. When performing tricks, do not forget to encourage the pet - so he will have an incentive to improve his skills.

All classes with the setter should be carried out by one person. In the company of several trainers, setters can be confused and will follow orders of the most loyal and affectionate in relation to them. Such “good trainers” are often played by children who are not able to properly express their superiority over a pet. Dogs in families where children participate in training often grow up capricious, restless and naughty.

For more information on the Setter dog breed, see the next video.