The Setters
As you may know, there are four varieties of Setters within the FCI Breed Group 7 "Pointing Dogs". These four Setter breeds, together with the English Pointer, complete the subgroup of British pointing dogs. In addition to the Irish Setter and the English Setter that we have, we have the Gordon Setter and the Irish Setter Red White.
Although they all have fairly similar tendencies and were originally created for more or less the same reason, namely hunting and bird hunting in particular. Are there clear differences between the breeds? First of all, evident in their outward appearance. But certainly not least in terms of character and behavior. |
We once fell for the beautiful appearance of the Irish Setter and its friendly but also mischievous character. Not much later we were also attracted by the English Setter with his gentle character. Where the Irishman is in the foreground and demands attention by wanting to share his love for you. An English Setter seems a bit more reserved in this regard, almost selective. People say that it seems as if they have a somewhat melancholy approach to life. The best way to describe the difference between the two is when you call an Irishman, he looks at you and thinks "Hey boss, what do you want?" In contrast, an English person seems to think more: "Eh, yes, boss, what are you doing?" In our opinion, this difference between these two makes them very complementary to each other. The Irishman encourages the Englishman to stand up, but the Englishman tempers the Irishman with what they will do next. |
Among Setters, a distinction is also made between Show lines and Hunting lines. Put very briefly, the Show lines are bred according to the breed standard, or in other words to the originally described image of what the ideal appearance of a Setter should be. The selection is made on appearance and character to approximate this image as closely as possible. It is then assumed that the show line has less aptitude for hunting. making this the line that people see most because it would generally be more suitable as a "house dog".
The emphasis of the selection for the Hunting Lines is mainly on the usability of the dog. In other words, it can perform the task for which it has traditionally been bred. For work in the field, they are smaller and more athletically built and have a shorter coat. It is assumed that the work ethic of the Hunting Line would be much higher. These Setters therefore need to be stimulated more and owners will have to learn to work with the naturally more present instinct and work ethic of these dogs.
As a future owner, you must therefore determine why you want a dog and how you want to interact with your dog. Nevertheless, both lines require an active or sporty attitude from the owner. Setters are dogs that need exercise. In the least, it does not mean that one cannot hunt with a Showline bred Setter. The instinct is there and can be stimulated. We experience that the English Setter naturally has this more than an Irish Setter. Having said this, the male of our first litter was a Showline bred Irishman who has more than earned his stripes in the field. If the dog has a well-motivated owner, show dogs can also achieve great heights. A good example is Mari. She is the first English Setter in Estonia to ever become a Dual Champion there.
Click on the photos to read our take on the English and Irish Setter. You can also read the Breed Standard of these fantastic breeds here. Do you want to know more? We'd love to hear from you, please contact us!
The emphasis of the selection for the Hunting Lines is mainly on the usability of the dog. In other words, it can perform the task for which it has traditionally been bred. For work in the field, they are smaller and more athletically built and have a shorter coat. It is assumed that the work ethic of the Hunting Line would be much higher. These Setters therefore need to be stimulated more and owners will have to learn to work with the naturally more present instinct and work ethic of these dogs.
As a future owner, you must therefore determine why you want a dog and how you want to interact with your dog. Nevertheless, both lines require an active or sporty attitude from the owner. Setters are dogs that need exercise. In the least, it does not mean that one cannot hunt with a Showline bred Setter. The instinct is there and can be stimulated. We experience that the English Setter naturally has this more than an Irish Setter. Having said this, the male of our first litter was a Showline bred Irishman who has more than earned his stripes in the field. If the dog has a well-motivated owner, show dogs can also achieve great heights. A good example is Mari. She is the first English Setter in Estonia to ever become a Dual Champion there.
Click on the photos to read our take on the English and Irish Setter. You can also read the Breed Standard of these fantastic breeds here. Do you want to know more? We'd love to hear from you, please contact us!