Quick Links: Table of Contents
- English Setter Breed Overview
- History of the English Setter Breed. Where English Setters came from
- What the English Setter Looks Like
- How Much is the English Setter Puppy?
- Best English Setter Breeders
- Adopting or Rescuing the English Setter
- English Setter Growth
- What Colors do English Setters Have?
- The Temperament of the English Setter
- How Long English Setters Live
- English Setter Litter Size
- How Fast English Setters Can Run
- Good Names for English Setters
- How Intelligent are English Setters?
- How Popular are English Setters with New Dog Owners?
- Health Problems in English Setters and How to Prevent Them
- How to Take Care of English Setter
- Dog Breeds That Are Similar to English Setters
- Other Things to Know About English Setters
English Setter Breed Overview
The English Setter is a medium-sized dog.
The adult English Setter stands 1 foot, 11 inches to 2 feet, 3 inches tall at the .
The English Setter belongs to the Sporting Dogs group.
Dogs in the Sporting Dogs group, like the English Setter, were bred to help hunters catch and retrieve feathered game. Some sporting dog breeds such as Retrievers, which were built for swimming, were bred to hunt waterfowl in water.
Whereas sporting dog breeds like setters, spaniels, and pointing breeds were bred to hunt quail, pheasant, and other game birds nest on grasslands.
Many Sporting Group breeds have thick, water-repellent coats that protect them from harsh hunting conditions.
The fact that the English Setter belongs to the Sporting Dogs group is one of the reasons why English Setters have the personality and temperament that they have.
The temperament of the English Setter is generally described as:
- Energetic
- Intelligent
- Mischievous
- Strong Willed
History of the English Setter Breed. Where English Setters came from
The English Setter is one of the most common gun and hunting dogs in the mid-1800s.
It is clear that the English Setter comes from a long line of Setter-like dogs that dated back to the 1500s.
In 1878 the American Kennel Club was created and the English Setter became one of eight breeds to be accepted first by the AKC that year.
English Setters come from long lines and breeding programs of breeding and cross-breeding many various Setters, Hounds, Sight Hounds, Pointers, and other sporting dogs to become what it is today.
Although the English Setter is considered a pure-blooded dog, they share may traits with several different breeds of dogs closely related to it.
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What the English Setter Looks Like
The English Setter is a medium-sized breed of dog with a medium to long length double coat.
The interesting thing about the English Setter is that it can come in an astounding amount of colors that are speckled.
Some of these colors include chestnut, liver, lemon, orange, blue, and tricolor.
English Setters were bred to run and hunt and love to have a human companion with them during this journey.
The English Setter has an incredible prey and running drive, so they will need obedience training to reel in their instincts.
English Setters need to be brushed regularly to keep their coats in decent shape.
The long and flowy coats on an English Setter will shed often and are not considered a hypoallergenic dog.
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How Much is the English Setter Puppy?
The average price of a English Setter puppy is $1090. The price of a English Setter puppy ranges from $850 to $1200.
A lot of factors determine the price of the English Setter. These factors include what health records the English Setter puppy has, the lineage of the English Setter puppy, the US state the breeder is located in, etc.
To estimate how much you can expect to pay for a puppy English Setter based on the many factors that determine the price of the English Setter puppy, check out our calculator that lets you estimate how much you should expect to pay for the English Setter puppy based on what you want in the puppy.
When looking to buy a puppy, look at buying a puppy only from well-established breeders that breed puppies primarily for the love of the English Setter breed, and secondarily for profit. Do not buy a puppy from a puppy mill. Puppy mills mass-produce puppies in bad living conditions for maximum profit.
You may also consider adopting instead of buying a puppy. Adoption costs are very low compared to the price of a puppy.
Best English Setter Breeders
We have researched reputable English Setter breeders that you can buy a puppy.
Go to this page for our complete list of reputable English Setter breeders in various states in the United States.
On this page, you will see how much these breeders sell their puppies for, and how many puppies they have available.
A few of these breeders are listed below.
Indian Creek Kennels
Puppy Price: $700
Carousel Kooikerhondjes and Edwardian Intarsia English Setters
Puppy Price: Check with breeder
Crown English Setters
Puppy Price: Check with breeder
Stonybrook Kennel
Puppy Price: Check with breeder
Quantum – Tracy Wiles
Puppy Price: Check with breeder
Adopting or Rescuing the English Setter
You may consider adopting a dog instead of buying a puppy. Many dogs, English Setters included, are currently available for adoption in your local dog shelters.
These helpless but adorable dogs are waiting in dog shelters hoping that someday someone will rescue them. Dog adoption costs are lesser than the cost of a new puppy. Dog adoption costs are usually around $300 or even less.
In addition to your local dog shelter, another good place to find dogs that are available for adoption is petfinder.com.
Below is an adorable Male English Setter named Gus that is currently available for adoption on Petfinder.com. You can find other lovely English Setters like Gus on pefinder.com.
Available – Rudy is the name of another English Setter (Male) on petfinder.com that is looking for a new forever home.
You can find more English Setters that are available for adoption on petfinder.
English Setter Growth
New English Setter owners need to know about the growth of their English Setters. This will help them plan their living spaces accordingly.
Also, knowing the typical growth pattern of the English Setter will help new owners catch the abnormal growth of their English Setter early.
See our calculator for predicting how big your English Setter puppy will get. You will also learn about the typical weight of the English Setter at different ages and how to catch abnormal growth in your English Setter
What Colors do English Setters Have?
English Setters come in the following beautiful primary colors:
- White / Cream
- Red / Chestnut / Orange
- Brown / Chocolate
- Tricolor (Brown, Black, & White)
- Black
- Bicolor
- Merle (Blue)
- Apricot / Beige
The Temperament of the English Setter
The temperament of the English Setter based can be summarized as in the table below.
The table shows the scores of the English Setter for 13 important dog behavioral factors.
We obtained these scores by analyzing raw data from the C-BARQ dog personality survey tool. The higher the score of a dog for a factor, the worse the temperament of the dog regarding that factor.
The C-BARQ tool was developed by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, and it is a scientific tool that is used worldwide for reliably measuring the temperament of dog breeds.
See our complete analysis of the temperament of the English Setter here.
| Factor | Score |
|---|---|
| Owner Directed Aggression | 9.5 percent |
| Prey Drive | 62.8 percent |
| Nonsocial Fear | 6.0 percent |
| Stubbornness | 38.7 percent |
| Energy Level | 37.0 percent |
| Dog Directed Fear | 36.0 percent |
| Dog Rivalry | 34.1 percent |
| Dog Directed Aggression | 20.8 percent |
| Excitability | 20.3 percent |
| Separation Related Behavior | 16.6 percent |
| Stranger Directed Aggression | 15.1 percent |
| Touch Sensitivity | 15.1 percent |
| Attachment Attention Seeking | 11.1 percent |
| Stranger Directed Fear | 10.5 percent |
How Long English Setters Live
The lifespan of the English Setter is typically from 11 to 15 years.
Moreover, a few years back, veterinarian researchers performed a scientific study to determine the lifespan of the English Setter. In this study, the scientists collected data on how long 384 pet English Setters lived.
From the study, it was found that English Setters have an average lifespan of 11.5 years. Furthermore, the study found that it is not uncommon for English Setters to live as long as 20 years.
Note that you need to put in some effort if you want your English Setter to live long.
English Setters live long if they eat well, drink well, exercise well, and visit the veterinarian regularly.
There are also dog supplements that you can give your English Setter to improve your English Setter`s quality of their life.
Click here to learn more about how to make your English Setter live long.
English Setter Litter Size
Researchers from the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science did a study where they counted the numbers of puppies in 266 different English Setter birth litters.
From this study, the researchers found that the average number of puppies that English Setters can have is 6 puppies. Also, the English Setter can have as few as 1 puppies per litter and as many as 13 puppies per litter.
The number of puppies that the English Setter will have depends on factors such as the age of the English Setter, the method of pregnancy, etc.
Click here to see our calculator for predicting how many puppies your English Setter will have and how the litter size of the English Setter compares to the litter size of other dog breeds.
How Fast English Setters Can Run
How fast a dog breed can run is a good measure of how athletic the dog breed is.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) regularly conducts dog running competitions. The AKC records the running speed of competing dogs in these competitions. These competitions are open to all dog breeds.
Based on our analysis of the speeds of 44 different English Setters, the average speed of the English Setter is 23.6 mph (37.9 kmph).
The fastest speed on AKC record that the English Setter ran in a race is 27.66 mph (44.5 kmph) and the minimum speed on record in a race for a English Setter is 16.4 mph (26.4 kmph).
Click here to see how the speed of the English Setter compares to the speed of other dogs and other mammals such as cats, horses, humans, etc.
Good Names for English Setters
Here are some really good names that are typical for the English Setter ranked by popularity:
- Tj
- Bodie
- Charley
- Jack
- Oliver
- Boone
- Koa
- Chester
- Pepper
- Available
How Intelligent are English Setters?
| English Setter | |
|---|---|
| Intelligence Rank | 37 out of 130 dog breeds |
| Trainability | Tend To Learn New Commands After 15 To 25 Repetitions |
According to Prof. Stanley Coren, a Canadian psychology professor/dog trainer, the total intelligence that a dog demonstrates is the addition of three types of intelligence. These intelligence types are:
- Instinctive Intelligence: This is the natural intelligence that comes from instinct. For example, dog breeds that have been historically bred to be guard dogs will have a high `guarding` intelligence compared to dogs that were not bred for guarding.
- Adaptive Intelligence (learning and problem-solving ability): This indicates what a dog can learn to do for himself or herself. Adaptive intelligence is specific to each dog, and not breed specific. You can improve your dog`s adaptive intelligence by investing time to train your dog.
- Working/Obedience Intelligence: This type of intelligence is breed-specific. Certain dog breeds tend to have higher working/obedience intelligence than some other breeds. This intelligence is the closest to what we might call school-learning ability and it is based upon what the dog can learn to do when instructed by humans. This type of intelligence can be measured for each dog breed and compared to that of other dog breeds.
Professor Stanley Coren measured and ranked the working intelligence of about 130 different dog breeds.
Prof. Coren found that the English Setter has an obedience intelligence rank of 37 out of 130 dog breeds. Thus, Prof. Coren put English Setters in the `Above Average Working Dogs` category.
This means that English Setters tend to learn new commands after 15 to 25 repetitions.
However, we should mention that a dog should not be judged based on its intelligence alone. There are other important factors you need to consider when deciding on which dog breed to get. These other factors include sociability, adorability, and compatibility of the dog breed with your lifestyle.
See the intelligence ranking of some other dog breeds below:
| Breed | Intelligence Rank |
|---|---|
| Miniature Schnauzer | 12 |
| Belgian Tervuren | 14 |
| Collie | 16 |
| Brittany | 19 |
| Pomeranian | 23 |
| Vizsla | 25 |
| Cardigan Welsh Corgi | 26 |
| Curly-Coated Retriever | 41 |
| Bichon Frise | 45 |
| American Foxhound | 46 |
| Scottish Deerhound | 47 |
| Chinese Shar-Pei | 51 |
| Rhodesian Ridgeback | 52 |
| Chinese Crested | 61 |
| Dandie Dinmont Terrier | 62 |
| Old English Sheepdog | 63 |
| Great Pyrenees | 64 |
| Chihuahua | 67 |
| Bullmastiff | 69 |
| Shih Tzu | 70 |
How Popular are English Setters with New Dog Owners?
Every year, the American Kennel Club (AKC) publishes information on how popular a dog breed is in that particular year. The AKC gets the popularity information of a breed from how many dogs of that breed the owners register with the AKC every year. The AKC collects this data for about 200 dog breeds.
The graph below shows the popularity trend of the English Setter.
The popularity of the English Setter averaged over the years is Number 96 out of about 200 dog breeds.
Do not get a dog breed just because it is a popular dog breed. And do not reject a dog breed just because it is an unpopular breed.
Health Problems in English Setters and How to Prevent Them
Every dog breed has its own set of health problems that it tends to develop. There is nothing like a perfect dog breed.
The English Setter is prone to certain genetic health conditions. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) is an organization that keeps track of genetic health problems in dog breeds.
From the extensive records that the OFA keeps, the OFA knows what health problems each dog breed is naturally prone to develop.
Hence, the OFA recommends which health screening breeders should perform on a dog breed to make sure that the breeders won`t breed `defective` dog parents that can pass down defective genes to their puppy offspring.
If you want a English Setter puppy that will grow up to be healthy, make sure that your English Setter breeder screens your puppy or your puppy`s parents for the health problems that the OFA recommends for your puppy`s breed. This will increase the chances that your puppy is free from genetic defects.
The following are the health tests that Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) recommends that breeders should screen English Setters for:
You can find out more about OFA`s recommended tests for English Setters here.
How to Take Care of English Setter
To take good care of your English Setter, you need to make sure that you groom your English Setter regularly.
Secondly, you need to find a veterinarian in your area that will routinely check the health status of your English Setter regularly, and give you appropriate recommendations on your English Setter`s preventative care.
Thirdly, you need to commit some time to exercise your English Setter daily. Regular exercise helps improve the health and quality of life of your English Setter.
Also, you need to feed your English Setter high-quality dog food, and the food should be of the right amount to prevent your English Setter from getting overweight or underweight.
See our recommendations on what to feed the English Setter and how much food to feed the English Setter at different life stages.
Finally, you need to make sure that your English Setter has access to clean water all the time. See our recommendations on how much water your English Setter needs to drink at different ages.
Dog Breeds That Are Similar to English Setters
If you have not made up your mind on which dog breed to get, you may also want to consider some other dogs similar to the English Setter.
We crunched the numbers and found that the following dog breeds that have similar behavior and temperament as the English Setter:
- English Springer Spaniel (79 percent match with English Setter). Learn more about the English Springer Spaniel here.
- Flat-Coated Retriever (79 percent match with English Setter). Learn more about the Flat-Coated Retriever here.
- Irish Setter (83 percent match with English Setter). Learn more about the Irish Setter here.
Other Things to Know About English Setters
Here are some of the very important characteristics of the English Setter that you need to know about the English Setter breed: