Description
The English Setter is a medium sized dog, elegant in appearance and intensely friendly by nature. Well mannered with other dogs, and loyal and affectionate by disposition, this breed is ideal as a companion for adults and children. English Setters truly are reliable in temperament, so thoroughly deserve the honour of being called "the gentlemen and gentlewomen of the dog world". Don Burke's programme placed them in its Top Ten listing of recommended breeds.
The English Setter is a Gundog. The breed was known in England in Elizabethan times, although the modern English Setter was developed only during the last century. Used by hunters to locate upland game, the breed is enthusiastic when at work, having a keen game sense. In the field it ranges out from the hunter, and on locating game, drops before it in a crouch. This instinct is still strong in lines bred for the show ring and the pet market, so remember, this breed looks forward to and enjoys its exercise. However once the daily walk or run is over, an English Setter is quite content to curl up at its owner's feet, or better still, on its owner's bed!
Size
English Setter males range in height from 25.5 inches to 27 inches or 65 to 68 centimetres. Bitches are slightly smaller, measuring from 24 to 25.5 inches at shoulder or 61 to 65 centimetres.
Colour
The breed comes in a variety of colours. These are :
· black and white also called blue belton
· orange and white (orange belton)
· lemon and white (lemon belton)
· black white and tan (tricolour)
· liver white and tan (tricolour)
The term belton refers to the all over flecking of colour on the white ground coat.
Grooming
The English Setter possesses a silky textured coat that in spite of its length, is easy to maintain. Brushing or combing for ten minutes twice a week is sufficient to groom the coat. However it is always a good idea to check for grass seeds or burrs immediately after a romp in the open. This way coat tangles will be prevented, and foreign bodies from entering the skin, eyes and ears.
Show dogs are kept in show trim, with breeders always being prepared to help new owners master the technique. It is not necessary to keep a pet English Setter this way, but making sure the coat is clean, free of tangles, and trimming away knots beneath the ears and excess hair from between the toes, will all make for a happy and healthy dog. Between baths, a sprinkle of talcum powder brushed through the coat will help keep your English sweet.
Feeding
Growing puppies and adult dogs need a balanced diet. Meat alone will not provide the necessary vitamins and minerals for good health. Breeders should supply new owners with a diet chart, and it is best to follow this. Too sudden a change to the diet can upset a puppy's stomach. Puppies require feeding a little and often. At twelve weeks of age they are usually having three or four small meals each day. Adult English Setters should have their food presented in two meals, one in the morning and one in the evening. It is not advisable to feed a dog one big meal, and never ever exercise your dog immediately after feeding. Wait for at least two hours.
|
