Page 21 - ShowSight Presents - The English Setter

almost impossible to have an incorrect tail carriage. Look at the dogs in the accompanied pictures- those tails could not be elevated.
If the dog is well-balanced, he will move with ease, effortlessly with good reach and drive, down and back, and around. Coming and going should show good flexion of the hocks with no weaving or crossing of legs or feet. From the side it is essential that the back be quiet and firm indicating balance fore and aft. Movement is a test of the construction. Remember we are not to select the best mover but the best type who moves well.
The ES is a single-coated dog with a straight to slightly wavy coat. He should exhibit a top-coat of some length which protects the body in the field and feathering in all the usual places. It is permissible to use a clipper on the face, top of the ears and under the neck down to the point of chest but never on the back. Soft, wooly coat is incorrect as is excessive length which is not in keeping with the purpose of the ES. This is basically a hunting dog and emphasis is on such. If you have a choice of two equal dogs I would not let exquisite grooming or length of coat make my decision but his suitability to get the job done. The ES is basically a white dog with ticking in various degree of orange (brown), blue( black), lemon, liver and tricolor (black, tan and white). These degrees can range from very white to very dark (roan). There is NO preference in colors when judging although dark patches are not preferred anywhere other than the head. I personally caution you to remember that color is only a part of your evaluation of the dog and one of the most wonderful things about this breed is the variety of those permitted colors. There has been discussion about body patches and my personal recommendation is that patching has always been inherent in the
breed, especially in the field variety, so please fault accordingly. I feel personally involved in the color issue as I did have a dark, tri male with some patching who had a head and wonderful body to die for. I was reluctant to use him because he was so very dark and would have preferred to use his open tri brother. Alas the open tri dog never could sire a litter. When we then used the dark tri he produced the most wonderful heads and bodies- yes- that darkness and patching did occasionally show up, but I wouldn’t trade anything for what he gave the breed. Personally I can’t think of a breeder who has deliberately bred for patching. I also hope that no one would eliminate a patched dog with wonderful attributes from their breeding program.
In case you are having trouble finding English Setters to view, though this breed has been around for a long time, we share a low number in the list of popularity, usually around 65. We don’t mind that as you can imagine but it can be a challenge for new judges. It is important to attend specialties to see good examples in numbers. We do have dedicated breeders but our litters
tend to be small and puppies are usually pretty fragile in the beginning which is odd from a large dog. The reproduction rate is not always a given and I find that A-I’s either frozen or extended do not work very well. Our health issues include deafness, hip and elbow issues and thyroid but basically our dogs live a long life to 13 or 15. We have an active health committee and work hard at addressing the above issues.
In summation, the English Setter should greet you with a soft wag of his tail and extend his head into your hand. He is a sweet, loving companion who will curl upon the sofa after a hard day of hunting. He should never be aggressive, shy or exhibit any temperament other than that of a wonderful, friendly dog. He is loving of children and makes a wonderful family dog. He is most often exhibited by his inexperienced handler/owner so please be forgiving and encouraging of those as we want their experiences to be positive.
I hope this helps you in your evaluations of our wonderful breed and that you enjoy your time in the ring with him!
266 • SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, JUNE 2014