Breeds / Large
English Setter puppies
Sweet tempered, sensible and devoted, the English Setter is a medium to large bird dog that takes reprimands to heart and responds best to positive training. They need more than two hours of exercise a day and settle quietly indoors once they have had it.
The facts
- Size class Large
- Country of origin Great Britain
- Adult weight 20.4 to 36.3 kg
- Adult weight in pounds 45 to 80 lb
- Adult height 58 to 69 cm
- Energy level Moderate
- Grooming Moderate
- Coat type Medium silky and double
- Shedding Moderate
- Typical lifespan 12 years
- Good with children Usually good
- Good with other dogs Usually good
About the English Setter
The English Setter is a British bird dog, developed to quarter open ground at a gallop and then freeze on point when they find game. This is a lean, long limbed dog with a flat silky coat carried in feathering on the ears, chest, legs and tail, and the flecked colour pattern known as belton. Setters are gentle and sensitive, deeply attached to their households, and they take a sharp word to heart long after the moment that caused it has passed.
Give an English Setter a hard run in a safe fenced area or a long daily hike, and they will spend the rest of the day flat out on the floor. Puppies need low impact work while the joints mature. The feathering needs a weekly brush and a comb through the tangle points, plus tidying around the face and feet. Training should be all encouragement. However lovely the looks, a Setter still needs the exercise, so do not skip it.
What to expect at eight weeks
At eight weeks a English Setter puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A large breed puppy at eight weeks looks deceptively normal sized and will roughly double every few weeks for a while. Keep exercise short and low impact, the growth plates are wide open. Expect moderate energy, in short bursts separated by long naps. Grooming needs are moderate, so build the brushing habit now while the coat is still short and easy. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their life.
Health worth knowing about
Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.
- Hip and elbow dysplasia, screened by hip and elbow evaluation of breeding stock
- Congenital deafness, detectable by BAER testing
- Autoimmune thyroiditis, screened by a thyroid evaluation
- Bloat, a sudden and life threatening stomach condition
- Ear infections in the long feathered ears, found on regular ear checks
Your English Setter puppy's first six months
- Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
- Worming and parasite schedule.
- Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Large for a English Setter.
- Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 20.4 to 36.3 kg adult range.
- Puppy names and the first week checklist.
Kit sizes: crate 42 inch (42 x 28 x 30 in, 107 x 71 x 76 cm) for an adult of up to 36.3 kg; chew toys made for large breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.
Buying guides for this
Other large breeds
More on the English Setter
Previous: English Foxhound · Next: English Shepherd
Not veterinary advice. Breed information is general. Your own dog, and your own vet, always win.
Sources
- akc.org for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming, shedding and the temperament ratings, coat type and health notes
- fci.be for country of origin
- Health notes from English Setter breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/english-setter/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.
Photo: Lilly M real name: Małgorzata Miłaszewska, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.