The breeds · side by side
for grouse
Brittany or English Setter.
Two pointing breeds a grouse handler weighs every year. It comes down to range in thick cover, the coat and the burrs, and the size of dog that fits the truck and the house.
Every value below shows its source and how sure we are. Breed sets the odds; the parents set the dog. Nothing here is a prediction about one dog.
What the question turns on
Range
Close to medium: 'without the great range' of a pointer; 'with his shorter range, is becoming more popular as hunting becomes limited to smaller fields with more fences.' AKC Gun Dog stakes require 'a range suitable for a handler on foot'; All-Age stakes ask the dog to 'range well out'.
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'
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'
Coat
Dense, flat or wavy, never curly; neither wiry nor silky. Some feathering on front and hind legs, too little preferable to too much; long or profuse feathering severely penalized. No undercoat described.
field lineLess coat than show stock: field-bred setters 'carry less coat than Setters from show stock'
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
Primary game
Upland birds: 'used primarily on upland game in the United States.' The ABC runs regional classics on quail, pheasant, prairie chicken, chukar, and grouse/woodcock.
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'
Exercise need
More than 2 hours per day
More than 2 hours per day
The rest, read the same way
Height at the shoulder
19 in (17.5 to 20.5)
show linedogs 25 in · bitches 24 in
Weight
35 lb (30 to 40)
field line'Field-bred Setters are a little smaller and carry less coat than Setters from show stock.' No published numbers.
show linedogs 72.5 lb (65 to 80) · bitches 50 lb (45 to 55)
Shedding
Shedding 3 of 5 (AKC breed page trait score)
Sheds; AKC breed page shedding level 3 of 5 ('Moderate'), RKC 'Sheds: yes'
Heat tolerance
4 of 5 · Derived from the standard's coat: dense, flat or wavy, lightly feathered, no undercoat described — a light single coat of medium length, scored between 'short single' and 'medium double'.
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
Median lifespan
11.1 years (10.9 to 11.3)
13.1 years (12.7 to 13.6)
Exercise need
More than 2 hours per day (RKC). The parent club: 'a high energy dog who is bred to hunt. He does need lots of exercise or opportunities to hunt to keep him happy.'
More than 2 hours per day
Energy
5 of 5
AKC breed page energy level 3 of 5; RKC: more than 2 hours of exercise a day
field lineHigher drive and ground speed than show-bred dogs: 'wider ranging ... high speed required in field trialing'
Grooming load
3 of 5 · More than once a week
3 of 5 · More than once a week (RKC grooming band); coat length medium
Grooming
More than once a week
More than once a week
Role
Pointing dog: 'He works in the same manner as a pointer, but without the great range. He points and holds his game. He retrieves both on land and in water.' Also a NAVHDA-recognized versatile breed.
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
Also used on
'Used on both fur and feather in France.'
Not recorded for this breed yet.
Field trial standard
AKC pointing-breed field trials, run in braces. Gun Dog: hunt for the handler on foot, point staunchly, steady to wing and shot, honor the bracemate's point; a dog that does not point cannot be placed. All-Age: same bird work at greater range and independence. A Brittany FC must include a 3-point-or-better major in an Open stake held by a Brittany club. Dual Champion = CH + FC; over 500 Brittany Duals by 2006, the most of any AKC sporting breed.
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
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'
Water work
'He retrieves both on land and in water.' AKC pointing-breed field trials have no water series; NAVHDA tests (the breed is recognized) include 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
Cold water
2 of 5 · Derived: the club says the breed 'retrieves both on land and in water' and 'has enough coat to protect him from the briars but not enough to catch burrs', with no undercoat in the standard — a water-capable dog, not a late-season water dog.
2 of 5 · Medium feathered coat; no water work in the breed's trial life
Hip dysplasia
13.8% · 23,813 hip evaluations, all data through the Oct 5 2026 read: 85.1% normal (10.9% excellent, 59.5% good, 14.6% fair), 13.8% dysplastic (8.2% mild, 5.0% moderate, 0.6% severe).
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
Elbow dysplasia
2.2% · 3,328 elbow evaluations, all data through the Oct 5 2026 read: 97.5% normal, 2.2% abnormal (1.8% grade I, 0.3% grade II, 0.1% grade III).
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
Most common disorders
Not recorded for this breed yet.
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
What to ask a breeder for
Clearances
- Hip evaluation and ophthalmologist evaluation (AKC national breed club recommendations) · US
- One of: cardiac evaluation, elbow dysplasia, patellar luxation, or thyroid evaluation from an approved laboratory (submitted to OFA) · US
- Eye exam by a boarded ACVO ophthalmologist, each year from 2 to 8 years of age · US
- Hip evaluation · US
- Hip scoring · UK
- Hip certification (OFA, GDC or PennHIP) on at least both sire and dam, preferably three generations · US
- Thyroid evaluation (required for CHIC from January 1, 2014) · US
- Hearing test (BAER), at about 7 weeks or older · US
- Elbow evaluation · US
- Hip evaluation · US
- Hearing testing including litter screening (Best Practice) · UK
- Elbow grading (Best Practice) · UK
- Hip scoring (Good Practice) · UK
The health clearances each breed’s own club and registry name. Reference only: what to ask for, never a statement about any dog’s health.
The selector
Which one, for your life?
A few minutes of honest answers: the birds, the ground, the water, the house, the week. The selector ranks both of these against what you said, explains every rank, and shows exactly where the one you came in wanting lands.
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