The breeds · gun dog · pointing

AKC Sporting · UKC Gun Dog · FCI standard 2

English Setter.

Pointing (setting) gun dog: 'an elegant, substantial and symmetrical gun dog suggesting the ideal blend of strength, stamina, grace, and style' - finds upland birds and holds point.

Breed sets the odds. The parents set the dog. Every number here shows its source, its spread and how sure we are. Nothing on this page is a prediction about one dog.

13.1YRMedian lifespan12.7 to 13.6, measured on real dogs.

25 / 24INHeight · show standarddogs 25, bitches 24. An ideal from the standard, not a range.

45–80LBWeight, all linesshow dogs 72.5 lb (65 to 80); field 'Field-bred Setters are a little smaller and carry less coat than Setters from show stock.' No published numbers.; show bitches 50 lb (45 to 55).

2.5+ HRSExercise, every dayMore than 2 hours per day. The constraint most homes get wrong.

The lines

Within one breed the line can matter more than the breed. Where the lines differ, the page says which one a value belongs to.

field

Field-trial and hunting bred, commonly called Llewellin setters and largely registered with the Field Dog Stud Book (American Field). The ESAA: 'Llewellin Setter ... is not a separate breed. Instead, it is often used as an alternate name for a field-bred English Setter.' Smaller, less coat, wider ranging.

show

Conformation (bench) bred, the Laverack strain. The AKC standard describes this dog. The ESAA runs its hunt-test program 'to show the usefulness of our bench setters as hunting dogs' for a handler on foot.

The body

What the breed is built like. Registry standards give an ideal, not a range.

Height at the shoulder

show linedogs 25 in · bitches 24 in

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 1986

The AKC breed page prints 23-25 in for females.

Weight

field line'Field-bred Setters are a little smaller and carry less coat than Setters from show stock.' No published numbers.

Breed clubEnglish Setter Association of America

Qualitative only; the parent club gives no figure for the field line. See open_gaps.

show linedogs 72.5 lb (65 to 80) · bitches 50 lb (45 to 55)

Breed clubAKC

The 1986 standard carries no weight. The AKC breed page prints these figures; the ESAA Breed FAQ prints the same (dogs 25-27 in, 65-80 lb; bitches 23-25 in, 45-55 lb). Two sources, fewer than three, behind this value.

Coat

field lineLess coat than show stock: field-bred setters 'carry less coat than Setters from show stock'

Breed clubEnglish Setter Association of America

Parent-club statement (resolves the pilot's class of unsourced field-coat claims for this breed).

show lineFlat without curl or wooliness; feathering of good length on ears, chest, abdomen, underside of thighs, back of all legs and tail; white ground with belton markings

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 1986

Shedding

Sheds; AKC breed page shedding level 3 of 5 ('Moderate'), RKC 'Sheds: yes'

Breed clubAKC

Heat tolerance

3 of 5 · Medium flat coat with feathering: 'Flat without curl or wooliness. Feathering on ears, chest, abdomen, underside of thighs, back of all legs and on the tail of good length'; AKC tags the coat double

DerivedAKC breed standard, 1986

Derived by the coat rule (3 = medium double). Field-bred dogs with less coat may sit nearer 4. Not a measurement.

How long they live, and what they cost

Measured on real dogs, with the sample and the spread. Never a guess.

Median lifespan

13.1 years (12.7 to 13.6)

MeasuredMcMillan KM, 2024

McMillan et al. 2024 method. The UK KC 2004 owner survey (BHCP) gave a median age at death of 11 yr 7 mo (n = 384 deaths); the 2014 survey had only 38 deaths (range 5-15 yr). RKC band: over 10 years. The breed is not in Teng 2022, so life_expectancy_yr is omitted.

The dog at home

What the breed asks of a day. The first thing most homes get wrong.

Exercise need

More than 2 hours per day

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

RKC exercise band. AKC breed page energy level 3 of 5.

Exercise need

More than 2 hours per day

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

Energy

AKC breed page energy level 3 of 5; RKC: more than 2 hours of exercise a day

Breed clubAKC

field lineHigher drive and ground speed than show-bred dogs: 'wider ranging ... high speed required in field trialing'

Breed clubEnglish Setter Association of America

Grooming load

3 of 5 · More than once a week (RKC grooming band); coat length medium

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

AKC breed page grooming frequency 3 of 5 agrees. Field-bred dogs carry less coat (ESAA).

Grooming

More than once a week

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

The work

What it was built to do in the field, and what a test or trial asks of it.

Role

Pointing (setting) gun dog: 'an elegant, substantial and symmetrical gun dog suggesting the ideal blend of strength, stamina, grace, and style' - finds upland birds and holds point

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 1986

The AKC history: the setting dog 'stayeth his steppes' and marks the bird (Caius 1570); 'Today, the Llewellin setter is considered to be the field-bred English Setter, while Laverack's dog is the foundation for the breed's show dogs.'

Primary game

Upland game birds: historically the setting dog of partridge and quail (Caius, 1570, quoted by the AKC); the ESAA hunt tests specify 'Upland game birds must be used in all tests'

EditorialAKC Staff. English Setter History: From Net Hunter to Dual-Purpose Show Dog. AKC expert advice, 2025

The breed's modern North American standing on ruffed grouse and woodcock is not stated in any source opened; see open_gaps.

Range

field lineBig. Field-bred dogs 'are smaller and wider ranging than show-bred dogs and can cover the enormous amounts of ground with high speed required in field trialing'

Breed clubEnglish Setter Association of America

Carty (Gun Dog, 2011) agrees: English setters are 'typically bigger-running dogs than ... Brittanys, GSPs, wirehairs'.

show lineClose to medium: the ESAA asks for a range 'suitable for a handler on foot', working 'far enough out in open cover to check distance objectives' but never 'too distant or out of sight for a length of time'

Breed clubEnglish Setter Association of America

The ESAA FAQ: show-bred dogs suit owners who want personal gun dogs that can be followed on foot.

Field trial standard

field lineAmerican Field / AFTCA Shooting Dog and All-Age stakes: find and handle all game on the course, staunch and stylish on point, steady to wing and shot, back a bracemate on sight; the All-Age dog 'runs off - but not quite' and shows at distant forward points

Breed clubAmateur Field Trial Clubs of America

English Setters are also an eligible breed under the AKC pointing-breed rules (Gun Dog and All-Age stakes: point staunchly, steady to wing and shot, honor).

show lineESAA hunt tests for bench setters: the dog 'must find and point game', a firm point ('A flash point is not acceptable'), range suitable for a handler on foot, 'an attractive style of running' with intensity; retrieving optional. Purpose: 'to show the usefulness of our bench setters as hunting dogs, not to qualify them as AKC field trial dogs'

Breed clubEnglish Setter Association of America

AKC hunting tests (Junior/Senior/Master) are open to the breed as well: Senior and Master must be steady to wing, retrieve and honor.

Water work

No water test and no retrieving stake requirement for the English Setter in AKC pointing-breed field trials; AKC Senior and Master hunting tests require land retrieves of shot birds

Breed clubAKC

AKC rulebook plus the hunting test regulations (akc_ht_rules). ESAA hunt tests: retrieving optional.

Cold water

2 of 5 · Medium feathered coat; no water work in the breed's trial life

DerivedAKC breed standard, 1986

Derived from coat plus the absence of any water requirement for the breed in AKC pointing-breed trials. Not a measurement.

How common the problems are

Evaluated dogs skew toward breeding stock; the numbers are still the best there are.

Hip dysplasia

15.3% · 13,448 OFA hip evaluations on file (all evaluations on file, read Oct 2026; the service prints no start year): 83.3% normal (12.2% excellent, 56.9% good, 14.2% fair), 15.3% dysplastic (8.9% mild, 5.6% moderate, 0.8% severe); rank 84 of the breeds listed

MeasuredOrthopedic Foundation for Animals

Voluntary registry: Hou et al. 2013 (7,112 English Setter hip records 1974-2009) document that public OFA records under-report affected dogs. UK BVA/KC scheme (BHCP): 2,905 English Setters scored to 30/04/2019, 15-year median hip score 12 (range 1-92), 5-year median 11.

Elbow dysplasia

14.7% · 4,966 OFA elbow evaluations on file: 85.0% normal, 14.7% abnormal (11.1% grade 1, 3.4% grade 2, 0.3% grade 3); rank 35 of the breeds listed

MeasuredOrthopedic Foundation for Animals

Same voluntary-registry caveat. The English Setter was one of the 21 breeds in Hou et al. 2013's elbow analysis (1,785 records 1974-2009).

Most common disorders

UK Kennel Club 2014 survey, 183 live English Setters: lipoma 10.9%, otitis externa 9.3%, hypersensitivity (allergic) skin disorder 8.7%, skin cyst 8.7%, umbilical hernia 4.4%. 2004 survey (633 dogs): otitis externa, colitis and benign neoplasia most reported; atopy 4.3%, hypothyroidism 3.0%. 2004 deaths (n = 384): cancer 32.8%, old age 18.8%, cardiac 7.0%, urologic 4.7%. The BHCP's priorities: atopic dermatitis, hypothyroidism, fertility, hip dysplasia

Breed clubThe Kennel Club

Owner-survey figures reported in a Kennel Club document; the 2014 sample (183 dogs) was below the 200-dog threshold for Wiles 2017's within-breed table, so the peer-reviewed paper carries only the count. The ESAA's named concerns: hip and elbow dysplasia, thyroid, hearing (BAER). No VetCompass breed paper exists.

akc bands

AKC breed page trait scores (1-5): Energy Level 3; Mental Stimulation Needs 4; Trainability Level 4; Barking Level 3; Watchdog/Protective Nature 3; Good With Young Children 4; Openness To Strangers 4; Good With Other Dogs 4; Shedding Level 3; Coat Grooming Frequency 3; Drooling Level 3; Affectionate With Family 5; Playfulness Level 4; Adaptability Level 4.

Breed clubAKC

Fourteen AKC bands in one row; the selector reads each by name. Breed-club ratings: a tendency, never a measurement.

What to ask a breeder for

The health clearances the breed’s own club and registry name. Reference only: what to ask for, never a statement about any dog’s health.

USThyroid evaluation (required for CHIC from January 1, 2014)OFA · English Setter Association of America, Health and Genetics (CHIC requirements: hips, elbows, BAER hearing, thyroid)
USHearing test (BAER), at about 7 weeks or olderBAER · English Setter Association of America, Health and Genetics (CHIC requirements: hips, elbows, BAER hearing, thyroid)
USElbow evaluationOFA or OVC · English Setter Association of America, Health and Genetics (CHIC requirements: hips, elbows, BAER hearing, thyroid)
USHip evaluationOFA or OVC · English Setter Association of America, Health and Genetics (CHIC requirements: hips, elbows, BAER hearing, thyroid)

UKHearing testing including litter screening (Best Practice)RKC BAER · The Royal Kennel Club, Breeds A to Z: English Setter (breed characteristics, pre-breeding health screening; vulnerable native breed)
UKElbow grading (Best Practice)BVA/KC · The Royal Kennel Club, Breeds A to Z: English Setter (breed characteristics, pre-breeding health screening; vulnerable native breed)
UKHip scoring (Good Practice)BVA/KC · The Royal Kennel Club, Breeds A to Z: English Setter (breed characteristics, pre-breeding health screening; vulnerable native breed)

No KENAI kennel lists the English Setter yet. If you breed them, list your kennel free: it shows on this page and in the hunting dog breed finder, under every handler whose answers land on the breed.

Side by side

Or let the selector rank the English Setter against your own answers.

How to read this page

Every value carries a label. Measured means peer-reviewed data on many dogs. Studied means peer-reviewed, smaller or indirect. Breed club means a club or registry states it. Editorial means expert opinion with no measurement behind it. Where two good sources disagree, both are shown and neither is averaged.

Published when the entry rests on the best information available from no fewer than three independent sources, checked by a second pass that did not write it. 12 sources on this page. Found something wrong? Tell us and the correction is logged with its date.

Also called: Llewellin Setter (field-bred), Laverack Setter (show-bred)

Every breed, read the same way.

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