English Setter
The gentleman of the moors — feathered grace with the softest heart in the field.
On these lists: Dogs for hunting
Vital stats
| Size | Large · 56–68 cm |
| Weight | 20–36 kg |
| Life expectancy | 11–12 years |
| Energy | High — 60–120 min/day |
| Shedding | Moderate, year-round |
| Coat | Long, silky, feathered · belton flecking in blue, orange, lemon or liver |
| Group | Sporting · FCI №2 / AKC |
| Origin | England |
| FCI group | 7 — Pointing Dogs · FCI 2 |
Breed traits
Friendliness
Care
Mind
The English Setter by the numbers
The English Setter facts owners search for most — price, lifespan, weight, shedding and colours, in one place.
Widely bred, so you can usually find a litter from a registered breeder without a long wait. Ongoing costs run high — more food, bigger doses at the vet, and pricier insurance. Its coat also needs a professional groom every few weeks — a real line in the budget.
We don't quote a single figure: the real price swings with breeder, region, bloodline and health testing — and a rescue costs a fraction of a breeder's litter. Adopting is almost always the cheapest route.
Temperament
Bred to sweep the moors for hours and then crouch — 'set' — the instant it found birds, the English Setter pairs real stamina with a famously mild nature. At home that translates to a soft-eyed companion that wilts under harsh words and blooms with kind ones. Expect merriment outdoors and melting affection on the sofa.
Habits & quirks
The lean
A setter shows love with its whole bodyweight, usually against your legs.
Moor mode
In open country the elegant houseguest becomes a ground-eating athlete, nose into the wind.
Bed connoisseur
Sofas, duvets, your pillow — the breed has firm opinions about soft furnishings.
Selective hearing
Mid-sniff, recall becomes a suggestion; patience and treats work better than volume.
Health
The English Setter is a moderately robust sporting breed, and the health questions worth asking a breeder are specific: ask about hearing tests, because congenital deafness occurs in the breed, and ask about hip and elbow scores. Day to day, the coat needs a share of the attention too, since the silky feathering tangles and hides burrs, and the ears want checking after every romp. Screen well, keep him lean and active, and the English Setter is a straightforward dog to keep sound.
Nutrition
| Exercise | An hour or two daily, ideally with free running — a setter that only walks on lead is a setter half-lived. |
| Grooming | Brush the feathering two or three times a week and check ears after every romp; burrs adore this coat. |
| Training | Gentle, consistent and reward-based — this sensitive breed shuts down under heavy-handed methods. |
| Health | Ask breeders about hearing tests (congenital deafness occurs), plus hip and elbow scores. |
An English Setter is a working athlete under all that silk, so feed to its real workload: a dog getting an hour or two of hard running a day and a quieter one don't need the same bowl. Weigh the meals, count treats into the day's total, and aim for ribs you can feel under the feathering. Keep this large, active breed lean, because extra weight tells on the joints of a dog meant to cover ground for hours.
Puppy guide
An English Setter puppy is gentle, sociable and more sensitive than its size suggests, so the first year is built on kindness and good experiences. Socialize him widely, keep everything positive, and get him used to being brushed and having his ears and feet handled early, because that feathered coat needs regular grooming for life. Keep growing joints in mind by going easy on repetitive hard exercise, and build recall patiently, because a setter's nose will always argue with it.
Training
English Setters are willing and clever but genuinely soft-hearted, so kindness isn't optional here: it's the method. Keep training gentle, consistent and reward-based and this sensitive breed learns happily; raise your voice or your hand and it simply shuts down, and rebuilding trust takes far longer than doing it right first time. Give the athletic body real daily running, and remember a setter left alone and under-exercised is an unhappy one.
Life expectancy
English Setters live 11–12 years. The English Setter is a fairly long-lived sporting dog, and you keep it at the top of that range the same way you keep it happy: parents screened for hearing, hips and elbows, lean weight, a coat kept brushed and ears kept clean, and enough real daily running to keep body and mind sound. A fit, well-fed, well-loved setter is a durable companion.
Similar breeds
Breeds with a similar build and background — worth a look if this one isn't quite the fit.
Breeds that look like this
Common questions
Are English Setters good family dogs?
Among the best of the sporting breeds — patient, playful and gentle with children. They do need real daily exercise and dislike being left alone for long stretches.
Do English Setters shed a lot?
Moderately, year-round, and the silky feathering tangles if neglected. A few brushing sessions a week keeps both coat and carpets under control.
What's the difference between show and field English Setters?
Show lines are bigger, calmer and more heavily feathered; field (Llewellin-type) lines are smaller, lighter-coated and considerably more driven. Choose the type that matches your energy.
Is the English Setter hypoallergenic?
Not really. No dog is truly hypoallergenic, and the English Setter's shedding coat releases plenty of the dander that sets off allergies. If someone at home is allergic, this isn't the easiest breed to live with — spend time around one first.
Is the English Setter easy to train?
Reasonably. The English Setter is trainable with consistency and rewards, though it isn't the quickest study. Keep sessions short and positive, and be patient with the basics like recall.
