Snapshots of English Setter History

The most famous English Setter to not finish an AKC championship was Rummey Stagboro, who was born in 1929. He simply could not beat the great Ch. Blue Dan of Happy Valley in the show ring. Eventually, he was withdrawn from competition.

Instead of show glory, Rummey built his reputation as a top-producing sire, producing 33 champions, a truly remarkable total for the time. This list of champions contains some very well-known, big-winning English Setters. One of these was Ch. Sturdy Max, who was considered by many to be the English Setter who best typified the breed ideal.

Rummey Stagboro became truly revered by English Setter breeders of the day, and he had great influence on the breed for many years. Ironically, Ch. Blue Dan of Happy Valley, who denied Rummey his championship in the show ring, fizzled as a stud dog, siring only three champions.

Perhaps one of the most interesting English Setter stories is that of Ch. Daro of Maridor, who remains the only English Setter to win Best in Show at Westminster. Daro was just shy of eleven months old when he took the world of canine sport by storm, winning his way out of the classes to go Best in Show at the 1938 Westminster show. This was the first time he had been shown.

Afterwards, he disappeared from the show scene with no explanation. Later, it was disclosed that he had been ill with distemper, which nearly killed him. It was thought for a time that Daro’s show career had ended. But he recovered and resumed showing. Daro won the 1940 and 1941 English Setter Association specialties.

When Daro won the breed (and Group 2) at Westminster in 1942, a wire service reporter wrote, ‘Daro’s present return to top form after much illness is considered one of the most striking comebacks in the history of canine sport.’

The period from the 1930s through the 1950s was the era of the large kennel. There was no kennel larger in size and importance to the English Setter than C.N. Myers’ Blue Bar Kennels in Hanover, Pa. Myers’ kennel operation lasted for over twenty years, closing in 1957.

At times, there were as many as 400 English Setters housed there. Between 1934 and 1959, at least 125 Blue Bar English Setters finished their AKC championships. Myers’ English Setters won eight ESA/ESAA specialties between 1939 and 1957.

It is a rare English Setter today that does not have a Blue Bar dog in its pedigree. Myers could be considered one of the finest sportsmen in canine sport. He became involved in breeding and exhibiting English Setters after becoming unbeatable at breeding and showing poultry.

In 1934, towards the end of an eight-year run of sweeping all of the major prizes at the New York Poultry Show at Madison Square Garden (Yes, there were poultry shows at the Garden!), he converted his poultry barns to kennels and began acquiring and breeding English Setters.

As Arthur Fredrick Jones wrote of Myers in 1939, ‘Mr. Myers believes that sport lies in the thought and effort required to accomplish results. He cannot see wherein there is sport when the result is a foregone conclusion.’ Thus, having outclassed his competition, he abandoned poultry showing and launched his Blue Bar Kennels. The kennel name was a reference to Myers’ famed Barred Plymouth Rock chickens.

The biggest-winning English Setter of all time was the immortal Am./Can./Cuban Ch. Rock Falls Colonel, who was born in 1948. The Colonel’s show career is the stuff of legend. He became an AKC champion of record in May of 1950 and won his first Best in Show on September 16, 1950.

By the time he was finished in 1957, he had won 100 AKC Bests in Show, a Cuban BIS, and a Canadian BIS out of 186 times shown. He was handled his entire career by his ‘amateur’ handler, breeder/owner Bill Holt. There was more to Colonel than his incredible show record and his prowess as a sire. He was perhaps the breed’s best ambassador. A number of breeders got involved with English Setters after seeing him compete. It was common for a group of people to gather around the Colonel after a win in the ring, and Mr. Holt would let anyone who asked hold Colonel’s leash.

On one such occasion, a young boy asked to hold the leash and Bill complied. Minutes later, the boy and the Colonel were gone. A frantic search found them both outside of the building. The youngster was walking the Colonel home, firm in the belief that the Colonel had been given to him as a pet!

The most accomplished English Setter was Dual Ch. Am/Can Ch. Set’r Ridge’s Solid Gold CDX MH HDX CGC. ‘Hadji’ is the top-producing English Setter sire of all time, producing 139 AKC champions to date. He is also the first bench English Setter to be successfully bred using frozen semen.

Hadji won the 1988 ESAA Futurity, the 1993 ESAA National Specialty, eight All Breed Bests in Show, and ten Bests in Specialty overall—all owner-handled. He finished his field trial championship at nine years of age to become the eighth Dual Champion in the breed’s history. He is the only Dual Ch. English Setter to win a Best in Show or a National Specialty. In addition to his accomplishments, Hadji is remembered as an amazingly striking example of the breed and for having a great disposition.

When it comes to show glory, English Setter bitches were late to the party. Before the 1960s, it was not common to see bitch ‘specials’ in the show ring. Breeders finished their bitches, then took them home to breed.

For example, when Ch. Mary of Blue Bar went Best of Breed (and Group 3) at the 1949 Morris and Essex show, she was the only bitch to win BOB at either Westminster or Morris and Essex for 25 years, from 1931 (the inception of the ESA) until 1956. Today, English Setter bitches hold the breed records for most Group wins, most Best in Specialty wins, and most National Specialty wins.

The Best in Specialty Show wins record stands at 29 and is held by Am./Can. Ch. Kaska’s Isadora, who was handled by her owner Lindsey Kuhn. Lindsey and ‘Izzy’ began their special partnership in 2004 when Lindsay was a 15-year-old junior and Izzy was two years old and not yet an AKC champion. By the time their record-breaking run was over in 2008, dog and handler had grown up together in the sport, and theirs will become known as one of the greatest dog/handler partnerships in the history of the breed.

The post Snapshots of English Setter History appeared first on Showsight Magazine.

English Setters! What to Do With Them?

The English Setter is one of the oldest of the various breeds of gundogs. History dates them back to the 14th century where they were originally called the “setting spaniel.” These dogs hunted the moorland, quartering the ground in front of the hunter searching for birds. The old 16th century name for the setter was “index” where they were used for partridge and quail. The hunters were anxious to get as many birds as possible so they used a net. The dog was trained to lie down or “set” so as not to scare the birds. By the end of the 19th century the net had been abandoned and the setters were now standing on point. The actual source of modern English Setter is questionable, but by the close of the 19th century several distinct lines originated from the old style setting dog.

Sir Edward Laverack is often referred to as the father of today’s English Setter. He was an ardent hunter and very involved in breeding setters. Around 1825 he obtained a pair of setters from a clergyman in Carlisle, England. Practicing a principle of inbreeding with his setters, his success soon became clear. Laverack exported several English Setters to the US, where dogs of his breeding showed all-around excellence in the field. These setters had unusual stamina and could hunt a field from dawn to dusk.

Purcell Llewellin was a friend of Laverack and began his own breeding program based on Laverack’s setters in 1880. He achieved great things with his breeding program and his setters became very sought after, especially in the USA. Llewellin’s line of English Setters are often referred to as the field type setter, they are smaller and a racier version the Laverack English setters.

An English Setter was the first dog registered with the American Kennel Club in 1876. The dog, called Adonis, was owned by George Delano of Massachusetts. Beginning on the west coast Mallwyd and Crombie lines of English setters were the first English Setter show dogs.

Since 1876, hundreds of dedicated English Setter breeders in the US have created a wonderful and very versatile companion dog. “The Gentleman’s Gentleman.” The English Setter is wonderful addition to a family as a faithful friend. These days more and more folks are doing a lot of different activities with their English Setters.

Bird Hunters are still using the English Setters as an upland game hunter; others are entering AKC’s Field Trials. In this author’s opinion, AKC Field Trial judges are biased against the larger show type setter with its straight off the back tail point and favor the smaller field type setter that points with a 12 o’clock tail straight up in the air. This is likely the reason there are only 12 English Setter Dual Champions. Many folks who are trying to compete with their bench style English Setters shave the hair so as not to look so much like a “foo foo show dog.”

Because of this bias, many who are interested in testing the hunting ability of their English Setters are turning to Hunt Tests. At hunt tests, dogs are not in competition against other dogs, but to a series of skill levels, where they earn the title of Junior Hunter, Senior Hunter and the newest title Advanced Master Hunter.

Although, English Setters are not known as “water retrievers” they can be such ardent hunters that getting wet is not a problem when birds of any sort are involved. Even in the icy waters of Michigan.

Not a hunter? Well owners are finding that the English Setter is a very willing competitor in Agility, Rally, Scent Work, Obedience and Tracking. AKC recently created Lure Coursing titles for all breeds.

The first English Setter to earn a Lure Coursing title was an English Setter bitch, aptly named CH Somerset’s Whirl Wind of Wind Dancer, CA, “Darby”, owned by Julie Brimble and Kathy Rodriguez. Darby literally walked out of the show ring after earning a specialty major the day before and reserve that day, walked across the road and entered her first coursing ability trial. She turned in a very respectable time of 56 seconds to run 600 course yards and earned her first pass. Darby had never seen a lure course before.

Although it is this author’s opinion that English Setters do not “love” Obedience, they do love pleasing their owners. So with creative training, many have excelled in Obedience, as the multi-titled “Ranger,” Dual Champion/Amateur Field Champion Heathrow’s Winchester Ranger, UDX, MH, TD, OA, NAJ, NAP, NJP, VCD1, HDX, CGC so aptly demonstrated. Ranger was the most AKC titled English Setter in the United States. He was expertly trained by Terry Barnes.

Many owners have begun “giving back” to their communities with their English Setters, training them through various organizations to be therapy dogs. As therapy dogs, many visit the elderly in various types of care facilities, they visit schools and participate in reading programs and are also allowed into some hospitals. At Rouge Valley Medical Center in Medford, OR, Edwardian Three Spots Short, aka Spanky Doodles, visited sick children and also visited in the locked mental health ward.

Kathy and Lanny Goodwin and their English Setters “Gromit” Gold Rush True Class, ThD and “Tru” Harmony Hollows Gold Rush Troubadour spend time at Los Angeles International Airport or LAX. Gromit and Tru walk through the airport wearing a red vest with the word “PET ME” printed on each side. The setters have access to the airport (except on the airplanes). The official LAX duties statement for Gromit and Tru are:

“As traveling can create stress and anxieties at airports, the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) Pets Unstressing Passengers (PUP) program is an opportunity to provide an overall enhanced customer experience, providing stress relief and comfort to passengers through interaction with pets. The pups are the volunteers’ own dogs and both donate their time to LAX. They are registered with Therapy Dogs, Inc.”

Agility and Rally must have the “most fun ever” stamped in the brains of many English Setters (with the exception of bird hunting). Go to any Rally or Agility trial and just try to find a dog that does not seem to be having a ball. Now that doesn’t mean a perfect run, nope they can be messing up like crazy through the entire course, but they sure have fun doing it.

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English: The Moderate Setter

An English Setter is often described as moderate. In fact, our standard specifically states, “Extremes of anything distort type.” The hallmarks of the English Setter can be found in the first sentence of the standard under General Appearance:

“An elegant, substantial and symmetrical gun dog suggesting the ideal blend of strength, stamina, grace, and style.” Elegant, substantial, and symmetrical are key words, but what do those italicized words mean?

“Elegance” indicates there should be some “pretty” to the dog. A long, lean head leading into a long, lean, graceful neck blending smoothly into the shoulders help to give the impression of elegance. To be typey, the head should have level, parallel planes and a squared-off flew with a well-defined stop, and a moderately defined occiput. A dark, large, nearly round eye with dark pigment and a soft expression complete that look of elegance. When in motion, the dog should be light of foot with efficiency of gait. Prancing, while pretty, is incorrect, as are mincing steps.

“Substantial” indicates the English Setter has enough bone and body to hold up well in the field. Given their job as a gentleman’s hunting companion, they should be able to cover ground in search of upland game birds for the better part of the day. They were developed to hunt in English fields, so there was no need for heavy bone as in the Gordon Setter who works in heavy cover, or lighter bone as needed by the Irish and the Irish Red and White Setters who work in Irish terrain. The body should have enough heart and lung room (depth of chest to the elbow, and rib spring) to carry the long-distance runner through the day. Starting to see how this all comes together?

“Symmetrical” indicates a dog that is balanced front and rear, with the front angle approaching 90-degrees and a rear that matches the front. A straight front causing extra lift to the front legs with diminished reach, coupled with a long, over-angulated rear that lacks drive will cause the dog to soon tire at his job. While this combination can present a striking picture in the show ring, it is not a correct English Setter. The proper front construction also helps with the “set” (the position a Setter tends to use to indicate game) versus a Pointer who indicates birds with an upright stance. Both breeds have intensity, but a Setter often crouches to indicate the location of the bird; a throwback to when they were hunted over with nets instead of guns. Before the introduction of fire arms, hunters used large nets, which they threw over the place where the birds were—including over the dog—to reap the birds. When the hunter flushed the birds, they took flight and became caught in the net and were easily harvested. If the dog did not crouch, or “set,” it could become entangled in the net. A high tail carriage could cause the tail to get caught in the net, but a tail carried level with the back did not interfere with the net.

The reproduction of the painting by Percival Rousseau shows how an English Setter sets to indicate a bird. This photo also illustrates how form follows function because a dog must have good angulation front and rear in order to assume the setting position. This position often needs to be maintained for several minutes while the hunter approaches and prepares to harvest the bird.

When firearms began to be used to hunt birds, selective breeding of English Setters allowed for a more upright stance for the dog to indicate birds because the dog was easier to see from a distance when standing upright. But the tendency to set is hard-wired in their DNA, and it comes naturally to many of them.

Acceptable Markings and Color

Color helps to define breed type in English Setters and is one of the traits that distinguishes the English from the other Setters. There are no disqualifications in the English Setter standard, including for color. All English Setters have a white base coat covered with varying degrees of orange, black or liver flecking known as Belton. (Named for the English town of Belton where the dogs so marked were first seen.) English Setters flecked with black are called Blue Beltons. Lemon Belton (dilute orange) and Liver Belton (dilute blue) are also acceptable colors, but have become rare. If in doubt whether a dog is Lemon or Orange Belton, check eye color, as the lemons have lighter-colored eyes and lighter pigment than the oranges. It is genetically impossible for a Lemon or Liver Belton English Setter to have very dark eyes, so a lighter-colored eye is acceptable in those colors. Dogs with tan points are called tricolors. Tri-markings can occur in all colors, but they are harder to see in the oranges, lemons, and livers than in the blues. The tricolor marking is a specific gene pattern. All colors listed in the standard are equally acceptable, and there is no preference given to any of them.

There can be little ticking, so that the dog appears almost totally white, through all gradations to very heavy ticking so as to appear almost solid in color (known as roan). Evenly flecked all over is preferred. Patches may occur, especially on the head and neck; these also being acceptable. Occasionally, patches occur elsewhere, such as on the body, a leg, or base of the tail. Body patches are often areas where the soft, solid-colored undercoat (for warmth) is not covered by top coat (for weather proofing). Body patches are undesirable because the dog is more quickly wet to the skin in rainy weather on areas not protected by topcoat. While not preferred, remember it is only color, and the conformation and temperament should always be considered first. You would only consider color or markings when comparing two equal specimens—and looking for a tie breaker. In that case, the dog with the more preferred coloration may break the tie.

Show Versus Field

The show dog should be synonymous with the field dog. The field is where the dog proves that he can perform the function he was developed to perform, and the show dog reflects this athletic ability. While a well-built field dog can do his job, we require that the show dog adhere to the written breed standard and also be pretty. Excessive coat is a detriment in the field and it can also hide the dog’s true lines in the show ring. Creative grooming can make a dog look different than how he is actually built. To know for sure what’s under that coat, you must get your hands on the dog.

The feathering on an English Setter is there to help protect the dog as he runs through the brush in search of birds. Too little and he is no longer protected. Too much and it can be a nightmare entangled in briars, twigs, burrs, etc. Coat texture is also a huge factor in allowing the dog to perform its hunting function. A correct, silky coat combs out easily whereas a soft, cottony coat takes hours to remove debris from the field, pulling a lot of coat in the brushing process. Ideally, a dog should be able to go into the field one day and be competitive in the show ring the next day. Realistically, this is difficult because the current fad for a profuse coat is very prevalent in the ring. A dog in moderate coat may not be as dramatic as a dog with extremely long coat, but the moderate coat is far better for the true hunter, and is more correct. The standard calls for “good” but not excessive length.

The show dog should cover ground efficiently, without any high action or fancy stepping. Fluid movement is essential to an efficient, ground-covering gait. The tail should be level with the back, although the excitement of the ring may cause an otherwise correct tail carriage to be a little high. An examination of the croup will tell whether the high tail is a structural fault or the result of high emotion. Tail carriage is best evaluated on the last go-around, to allow the dogs to settle in and relax. There should be no flag waving in the wind. The topline should be level when moving (and standing still), indicating strength and grace, and carrying the rest of the body with it.

There is a variety of English Setters, bred mainly for the field, with very different goals than conformation breeders have. The goal for field bred dogs is to run very big in field trials, so they are lighter and leaner than their conformation cousins. Field bred dogs tend to have a more triangular head, viewed both from the side and from the top. While their angles front and rear tend to match, always the tail is carried “Terrier high.” This flag helps to find the dog when afield, since they are generally at a far distance from the handler when on point. These dogs are usually much smaller than dogs bred for conformation (the AKC standard calls for males to be about 25 inches at the withers and bitches about 24 inches, though there is no DQ for size), often with more body patches, little feathering, and much less bone. The eye may be dark, but many have quite light eyes.

The temperament is the same sweet gentleness that is the trademark of the English Setter, whether bred for the show ring or strictly for the field. All are great family dogs because of their gentle nature and their patience.

English Setters have been around a long time—at least 400 years. Their type was defined and refined in the 1800s by breeders Edward Laverack and R. Purcell Llewellin. Some field English Setters today are known as Llewellin Setters, but they are actually a sub-branch of English Setters. We in the US are proud of the fact that the very first dog in the AKC stud book was an English Setter named Adonis.

Whichever color, whether open-marked or roan, this elegant, substantial, symmetrical gun dog is a very handsome member of the Sporting Group.

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Judging the English Setter

The English Setter is an upland bird hunting dog. Although they originated in England, they became popular in the U.S. as an important hunting dog in the South and later a competition field trial dog. In addition, there were dogs imported to be shown as well.

The English Setter has been a great upland bird dog originating in England. It is extremely important when judging this breed that we remember they were bred to be a hunting dog and they should retain these qualities.

The word Setters comes from the word Set. English Setters were bred to ‘set’ birds. To ‘set’ means to crouch down on point (pointing at a bird). Consequently, structure is important not only for endurance but also for crouching down for long periods of time. A dog often will stand on point for twenty minutes while the hunter works their way up to flush the bird that is being pointed.

The balance of a pointing/hunting dog is of utmost importance as they must cover vast terrain in pursuit of game (birds). Balance in structure helps reduce fatigue and breakdown of joints and muscles. Often you will see a less angulated dog be quicker for short periods of time, but not be able to outlast the endurance of a dog with proper angulations and balance. Correct balance and angulations create effortless movement. In addition, you will gain much more effective movement with correct muscling.

It is important that they have good rib spring to be able to breathe, as a great hunting dog may hunt for eight hours a day for weeks at a time. Their movement should be easy, effortless not heavy or pounding. With no hacking, sickle-hocks, over reaching or rolling as all of these things will break down the body rapidly and cause injuries, aches and pains.

The toes tight, arched and not flat. If their toes are flat, they are at risk of sores and injuries.

Type is pertinent for this breed. English Setters are a moderate gun dog, smaller than the Irish and Gordon Setters. They are of good bone and size without being slight, weedy or massive.

Head planes should be level, the muzzle and skull should have a brick-like appearance. Flews should be square, not pendulous. A must in this breed is the soft sweet expression in the eyes and face with no harshness.

Dog A—Represents the greatest balance of the three dogs. Not only are the length of the bones important but where they are seated on the vertebrae.

As a straight scapula or upper arm will cause the dog to be off balance and make extra effort and motion that is not only unnecessary but will cause the body to break down quickly.

This dog is not only the most balanced in bone length, but also in length of body to height. Average measurements: 26¼” x 26½”.

Length of back is extremely important as well, as a setter can not reach and drive properly with a back that is too short or with a back that is too long and dipping or reaching.

Dog B—Uses himself beautifully moving unless he moved too fast. If he moved too fast, the length of his stifle would over reach his front foot. In addition he was less angulated in the front assembly than Dog A. Because dog B is more angulated in the rear than the front, the slightly extra length in body help to prevent him from over reaching the majority of the time. With his back being slightly shorter it gave him strength to carry the overall extra ½ inch of length in his body.

Dog C—Is balanced in length to height but he has a shorter scapula which restricted him to having as free and easy of a side gait.

When judging the English Setter, you can measure the length of bone but it wouldn’t be necessary as you should be able to tell what their balance is like when you watch them go around the ring.

Although coming and going movement is important it doesn’t override correct side gait balance. You can have a dog that is perfect coming and going slowly, but isn’t balanced at all on the side or doesn’t exhibit good reach and drive.

An interesting observation that I have made is a Setter that is set extremely close in the shoulder often has trouble setting (pointing, crouching) low to the ground. I by no matters am advocating wide shoulders. However, I do believe the two finger width might be too close together. Of course much of that depends on the layer of the scapula onto the spine and the muscles.

Muscles carry a big factor in this creation. They hold the bones in and help carry the dog across the ground. Muscles take all tension off the bones and help the dog move with ease.

Hocks need to be stable without wobbling. If they wobble, the dog will break down after hunting for a long period of time. Shorter hocks give balance and drive than long hocks do.

Tails should come off the back with a slightly sloping croup to almost level. Often if the crop gets too level then the tail is carried higher. The tail should be carried straight off of the back, not elevated above the topline.

As a whole, an English Setter should be slightly smaller than the Irish and Gordon Setters. Balanced both front to rear and height to length as well as scapula to upper arm and upper thigh to lower thigh. Hocks should be short and solid without wobbling when moving. When moving, the dog should look so smooth that you could imagine putting a glass of wine on their back and not fall.

The post Judging the English Setter appeared first on Showsight Magazine.

1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself. Where do you live? How many years in dogs? How many years as a breeder? What is your kennel name?
2. What is your “process” for selecting show puppies? Performance puppies?
3. In your opinion, is your breed in good condition overall? Any trends that warrant concern?
4. As a Preservation Breeder, can you share your thoughts on the sport today? How’s the judging these days? What do you think about the number of shows?
5. In your opinion, is social media good for the sport? Is it harmful?
6. What are the biggest challenges facing the dog show community as a whole today and how can these be addressed?
7. What are some of the positive changes you’ve seen in the sport over the past decade?

1. I’m Lori Whorff. I live in East Texas and my kennel name is Camellia English Setters. I have been an animal lover all of my life. I’ve been involved in the sport of purebred dogs for close to 25 years. A former molecular biologist, I took 10 years to study my breed before becoming a breeder. I do believe that a good understanding of genetics, and a more than familiar knowledge of pedigrees and the traits that they are known for, is an essential part of being a successful breeder.

2. I begin evaluating my English Setter puppies the second they are born! Heads, necks, just the feel of them… I think you can tell quality early, especially if you’ve been looking at puppies for many years. I do make my critical decisions regarding conformation between eight and nine weeks of age. I look for type and balance, “smoothness,” and bone.

3. I think, right now, my breed is in the best shape that it has been in in many years. This past fall, I was at our ESAA National and I was so excited to see the quality in many classes. The bitch classes were particularly exceptional and Best of Breed was thrilling, with so many lovely dogs. I was so happy to see this. Breeders are doing a tremendous job. I do want to see breeders being mindful of temperament, of how that is an integral part of our breed’s type.

4. As a preservation breeder, I love going to shows, especially Specialties, and seeing what other breeders have brought forth. There is so much to see and learn from other breeders and it’s interesting to see what stud dogs and certain lines are producing. There are a lot of shows… too many, I think, making it easy to finish almost anything. But, as a breeder, it is your job to evaluate your animals and be critical and analytical about what should be bred and what your goals are. I love going to shows because I love dogs. Of course, I like to have success, but for me, that is not the sole purpose of going. It’s to enjoy my dogs, my friends, and to learn and talk to other breeders.

5. Social media is a double-edged sword. I think it’s great to be able to see dogs from all over the country, and to be able to easily communicate with other breeders all around the world. Unfortunately, I also think that some people use it to bully others. People say things on socials that they would never say in person, and that is unacceptable. I’ve also noticed a big uptick in “shaming.” Criticizing another exhibitor and posting a pic online… yikes! These are the kinds of things that chase people away from our sport. From the outside looking in, it’s not a good look. Rather than make a spectacle of it, just tell the person directly, “Hey, I have a bag if you need it for picking that up.”

6. Animal rights groups are powerful. They have huge amounts of support and money. They buy ads on TV that discourage the breeding of purebred dogs. They’ve made it “uncool” to have a well-bred dog. It’s hard to combat that. In any community that we hold a show in, we need to always reach out and educate the public about purebred dogs, about preservation breeders. The public is unaware of what we do and we need to take every opportunity and let them know. Be kind, be informative, be inclusive. I love it when I’m given the opportunity to speak at a school or a club. We need to share the joy of a well-bred dog, and let them know how hard we work to care for our animals and breed to preserve purpose-bred dogs. If ever you are presented with the opportunity to educate the public on what we do for purebred dogs, take it! I am the new media person for my kennel club (Tyler Texas Kennel Club) and I’m looking forward to sharing my love of purebred dogs!

7. I love how easy it is to communicate and stay in touch with other people in the dog fancy. Social media has been great for that, and also, Zoom meetings are wonderful. You can use these for meetings, for sharing information, or even for holding online seminars about breeding, handling, grooming, anything! We are very lucky to have these tools for both educating and uniting us.

Thank you, SHOWSIGHT, for allowing me to share my thoughts as a preservation breeder and as a lover of dogs!

The post Lori Whorff | Camellia English Setters appeared first on Showsight Magazine.

1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself. Where do you live? How many years in dogs? How many years as a breeder? What is your kennel name?
2. What is your “process” for selecting show puppies? Performance puppies?
3. In your opinion, is your breed in good condition overall? Any trends that warrant concern?
4. As a Preservation Breeder, can you share your thoughts on the sport today? How’s the judging these days? What do you think about the number of shows?
5. In your opinion, is social media good for the sport? Is it harmful?
6. What are the biggest challenges facing the dog show community as a whole today and how can these be addressed?
7. What are some of the positive changes you’ve seen in the sport over the past decade?

1. My name is Joan Savage and I have bred English Setters since 1982. I am a retired veterinary technician, so I am very conscious of having healthy, hardy breeding stock. We are very lucky to have the OFA database to check on clearances of possible stud dogs. My kennel’s name is Stagedoor English Setters. I am an AKC Breeder of Merit and have bred over 100 champions. I have bred several National Specialty winners, BIS, and BISS winners. I was honored by the AKC by winning the Breeder of the Year award in 2008. I also currently judge the Sporting Group, Junior Showmanship, and BIS. I grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, but I have been living in the Portland, Oregon, area since 1980. We have 11 acres in a rural area 30 minutes from Portland. I belong to the Portland KC, and I’m their Delegate, Dog Fanciers Assoc. of Oregon, Tualatin KC, ESAA, and I am the President of the Willamette Valley English Setter Fanciers.

2. When I have a litter, I am watching and handling the puppies from birth. Then, I officially grade them at eight weeks, taking photos and looking at them with a very critical eye. At that age they are pretty balanced and look like little setters. They have to pass the BAER hearing test, have a good bite, and the testicles should be dropped by then. As for performance, their hunting instinct should be evident, by noticing birds and butterflies in the yard. Most do this naturally. I have put Junior Hunter titles on several of my dogs, though I have not had the time to go further in the hunting levels.

3. My opinions of the show trends in English Setters is that most setters are happy and good-tempered for the ring. This makes them fine for novice and owner-handlers to be successful. Grooming has become an art form. Generally, breeders have bred for excessive coat. When judging, I look for a healthy texture, not focusing on too much furnishings. Fronts are generally lacking in angle and depth, and often, not in balance with the rear angle. The setters should be balanced front to rear, with enough leg for length of body. I would also like to see more classic headpieces, which should be elegant with level, parallel planes of equal length and a moderate stop.

4. I believe the sport in general has declined. The number of dogs entering is low, with the same dogs every weekend. No class dogs, all Specials. Breeders are aging and not breeding as often. The social pressure on breeders has affected the public buyers’ opinions of purebred dogs. I find that I have to defend what I do to the general public. I find that the judging of my breed is hit or miss. Too many newer judges just check the boxes without learning the nuances of the breed. Judging larger entries at Specialties, the judges generally find the better dogs, but with small entries they often find the flashy, showy dogs, not always the best English Setter.

5. I think social media has been good and bad for the sport. There are sometimes too many harsh negative comments, but it is helpful to spread needed information quickly. I also find social media is fun for bragging about wins and keeping up with my puppy buyers.

6. I believe the biggest problem with the sport today is the aging of breeders and club members. The younger generation doesn’t seem to be big on joining clubs or to get serious about breeding. They like to show, but they don’t volunteer to join the clubs or work to host the shows. There still may be a possibility of encouraging young participants from within the 4H community.

7. I find one of the positive changes in the sport is the addition of the Grand Champions. People are encouraged to keep showing to earn more titles, and there are many new events to compete in. The downside is that they keep showing the same dogs and they aren’t starting with a new or younger dog. Hence, most entries at the shows are in Specials and not in the classes. With that, the point scale keeps dropping, making it easier to finish dogs.

The post Joan Savage | Stagedoor English Setters appeared first on Showsight Magazine.

1. 1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself. Where do you live? How many years in dogs? How many years as a breeder? What is your kennel name?
   2. What is your “process” for selecting show puppies? Performance puppies?
   3. In your opinion, is your breed in good condition overall? Any trends that warrant concern?
   4. As a Preservation Breeder, can you share your thoughts on the sport today? How’s the judging these days? What do you think about the number of shows?
   5. In your opinion, is social media good for the sport? Is it harmful?
   6. What are the biggest challenges facing the dog show community as a whole today and how can these be addressed?
   7. What are some of the positive changes you’ve seen in the sport over the past decade?

1. It is an honor to be included with other Sporting Group breeders dedicated to preserving their breeds. My name is Melissa Newman, Setter Ridge Kennel, English Setters. I live on an Island off of Washington State. I have been involved in the sport of dogs for 52 years. I started professionally boarding dogs when I was eight years old and by the time I turned twelve years old I was professionally training Working dogs and Sporting dogs, both advanced Obedience, hunting training, and retrieving. I purchased my first Setter with my own money at twelve years of age and competed in Obedience and 4-H. At eighteen, I purchased my first show quality English Setter. I have competed in Obedience Trials and trained Setters through Utility, and have trained and competed with them in Hunt Tests to earn several Master Hunter Titles. I have trained and competed in AKC Field Trials to earn several Field Championships and Amateur Field Championships, and I’ve competed in Specialties and National Specialties and have won both the American and Canadian Nationals as well as many All-Breed Bests in Show. I’m a producer of over 25 All-Breed Best in Show dogs in many countries, over 200 American Champions, and many National Specialty winners and High in Trial Obedience dogs, Field Trial Champions, and Dual Champions as well as Certified Therapy Dogs, Rally, Scent, Barn Hunt, Fast CAT, Service Dogs, 4-H dogs, and some of the top Junior Showmanship dogs.

2. Because I believe a dog should be able to function in what they were bred to do, it is very important to me that English Setters are hunters as well as beautiful and have excellent movement. Hunting for hours every day takes a correctly built dog. When I grade my puppies, I look for balance, good muscle tone, strong toplines, and strong fronts and rears. I believe an English Setter should flow smoothly from the head all the way through the tip of the tail. The tail should not be high and coming over the back; it should be an extension of the topline. Heads should be brick-shaped and very pleasing to look at, with no harshness in the eyes. A good show puppy should have drive and confidence as well as being birdy.

3. My concerns for the breed would be high tail carriages and lack of strong, correct movement. This is a Sporting dog that should be able to hunt all day for days on end.

4. I worry that judges are too influenced by what other judges are doing rather than judging to the Breed Standard. I am always impressed when a judge has the guts to put up the best-moving and typey dog in the ring and not worrying about its popularity. That seems much more rare these days. More education on breed function and how important it is to have sound dogs would be good, and to encourage judges rather than berate them for not putting up the popular dog. I think social media ads to this problem. I don’t have a problem with a lot of shows, but it has always been harder for people in Western states to get to as many shows as the Eastern states. I do feel that Sporting dogs move better outside in bigger rings.

5. I believe social media can be harmful for our sport, as judges can be chastised publicly for not putting up the favorite dog. However, it can be a positive for educating people about breeds, breed type, what a breed was bred to do, and what the temperament of the breed is like.

6. We are losing new people in our breed, as people tend to show their dog to Grand Championships and they don’t get a new dog to show in the classes. So, instead of trying to pursue a better dog that can be competitive with the Breed winner, they just compete for Grand Championships and are satisfied with those titles. On the flip side, it has given people who can’t get a second dog an opportunity to show them to their Grand Championship and show them in the Owner-Handled competition. Sometimes I think people feel like they can’t beat the top-winning dog, but I think they can if they have the better dog, and train it to perfection and show it to perfection. It takes work to make a good dog a big-winning dog.

7. I think adding more performance events has given more people positive things to do with their dogs. I feel the Owner-Handled Group has encouraged more owners to show their own dogs and enjoy the sport.

The post Melissa Newman | Setter Ridge Kennel English Setters appeared first on Showsight Magazine.

Interview with Dr. Jill Warren of Esthete English Setters, by Allan Reznik.

Where did you grow up?

Dr. Jill Warren: I grew up near Toledo, Ohio.

Do you come from a doggie family? And if not, how did the interest in breeding and showing purebred dogs begin?

Dr. Jill Warren: My family always had a dog but they were mixed breeds. When I got married, I assumed my husband and I would go to the pound and get a dog there, but he said, “Let’s get a purebred dog, one where someone has put some thought and care into its creation.”

He had had German Shorthaired Pointers and English Setters as a kid, so he wanted one of those, and I chose an English Setter.

We got our first two English Setters in the early 1980s. They were pets from show stock. In retrospect, I’m pretty sure both could have been shown to their championships. One died young of an autoimmune disease, so we were looking for another dog.

I contacted a breeder, and she asked, “Do you want a show dog?” I replied, “What’s a show dog?” We got a show-quality puppy, and in 1989, I started showing and never looked back.

I was in my early 40s at the time, so I got a late start. It is such an advantage to start as a junior or be born into a doggie family, so I had a steep learning curve to make up for lost time. However, my story tells you that it’s never too late to start.

Those were glory days for English Setters. Most specialties had 100 or more entries, most of the entries in the classes, and it took quite a large number to make a major.

Who were your mentors in the sport? Please elaborate on their influence.

Dr. Jill Warren: In about 1988, I read an interview with Neal Weinstein of Guys ‘N’ Dolls English Setters in a great magazine called Setters Inc. From the interview, I could see this guy was a pivotal figure in English Setters. I got in touch and asked about buying a puppy. I met him and his wife Linda at the Seattle National in 1989 and was fortunate to be offered an adult bitch, Ch. Guys ‘N’ Dolls Jean Harlow, soon after. I jumped on that offer with all four feet. Neal helped me pick a stud dog for ‘Jeannie,’ and she produced Winners Dog at the National in her very first litter, shown by Eileen Hackett. Neal bred beautiful dogs, but one of his great achievements was his dogs’ awesome temperaments. Jeannie was the sweetest, happiest, and easiest-to-train dog one could ever want.

I got together with Neal every chance I could, and he shared his breeding philosophy and history freely. He told me that a key breeding for him was when he used Hillsdale Sentinel as a stud, as that gave him the style and pizzazz he wanted, and he nurtured that spark further with every breeding. He explained the ins and outs of inbreeding, linebreeding, and outcrossing to me. His favorite way to go was linebreeding. Once he had a selection of Guys ‘N’ Dolls dogs on the ground, he almost always bred Guys ‘N’ Dolls to Guys ‘N’ Dolls. He had two branches of his dog family that had different roots, and he liked to breed individuals from those branches together. He hardly ever outcrossed. He felt that he had to do a lot of clean up after an outcross.

Neal gave me some choices of dogs that I could breed Jeannie to, one of which was Ch. Guys ‘N’ Dolls Blame It On Rio, owned by Eileen Hackett. I picked ‘Rio,’ and that gave me the opportunity to work with Eileen, arguably now the Greatest Of All Time (GOAT) English Setter breeder. Eileen shared all her breeding knowledge freely and taught me how to show groom. We talked a lot about great dogs of the past and how they added to the development of English Setters. I met her at shows every chance I got, and drank in every drop of information she offered. She, too, bred Guys ‘N’ Dolls to Guys ‘N’ Dolls as long as she could until Neal passed and there were fewer and fewer dogs of his breeding available. Her current dogs are firmly rooted in Guys ‘N’ Dolls.

Eileen taught me what good structure is in English Setters and helped me develop my eye for evaluating dogs standing still and moving. She is a perfectionist that way.

I’ve had many other mentors over the years, and I am grateful to all of them for their help.

Your English Setters are widely known, highly successful, and well respected. What breeding philosophies do you adhere to?

Dr. Jill Warren: First and foremost, I adhere to Form Follows Function. In order to be able to understand that, I had to see for myself English Setters working in the field to see how their structure (form) allows them to perform their original function of hunting upland game birds. That requires a balanced dog with proper angulation front and rear, and proper proportions of length of body to height, plus good muscle development, athleticism, and coordination. I place high value on balance and running gear on a dog. I recognize that head details and coloration are key components of breed type.

Hunting is hard in today’s society. You need access to birds and acreage, and a place where shooting guns is allowed. But it’s worth the effort to seek these things out and train one’s dogs in hunting. Also, seeing the pure joy they experience when they are given an opportunity to hunt—that’s the greatest gift an owner can give an English Setter or any Sporting breed. Most of my dogs have at least a JH, a few have an SH, and one achieved an MH.

I also like to train my dogs in Agility, Obedience, and Rally, so I am trying to breed the complete package with structure, breed type, AND brains, trainability, and drive—quite a challenge.

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How many English Setters do you typically house? Tell us about your current facilities and how the dogs are maintained.

Dr. Jill Warren: Four is a good number for me. I train each dog every day in Agility, Obedience, and Rally skills and take them to several classes a week. I also keep up their coats with frequent bathing and grooming. Finishing championships on all my dogs is important to me, so I also do regular Conformation training. If I have more than four, I can’t give them the daily one-on-one attention they thrive on.

I have an acre fenced with my own covered 80 x 90 Agility field on the back of my lot. My dogs all live in the house, lie on the furniture, and sleep on the bed with me. I don’t have kennel runs. They run and play with each other outdoors every day. Agility keeps them physically fit, but nothing compares to the conditioning provided by hunting, where the dog does a full bore gallop for hours every day. When I want to train hunting, I find a field trainer to work with. There are none near me, so I rent a house at their location and train several times a week for six weeks or so at a time.

Who were/are some of your most significant dogs, both in the whelping box and in the show ring?

Dr. Jill Warren: The best dog I have bred is Ch. Esthete’s Splendor In The Grass RN (William), who showed from about 2000 to about 2005. He was No. 1 English Setter All-Breeds, won the Breed at the Garden, and won the National, campaigned by Valerie Atkinson. I wasn’t into the other dog sports then, but I now realize that the traits that made William a great show dog would have made him great in hunting, Agility, Obedience, and Rally. Those traits are the ability to handle pressure, never giving up under adverse conditions such as heat, never burning out, and always being up for anything. He did get a Rally Novice title with very little training. William had a fabulous front, proper proportions, and balance. At times, judges would call their colleagues into the ring and say things to the effect of “Check this dog’s superb front,” such a gratifying comment.

Another dog of whom I’m very proud is GCHG Esthete’s The Bard Of Avon CD BN RM MH NA NAJ NF CGC TKA (Shakespeare). Shakespeare had those same great show dog temperament traits that William had. William was his grandsire on both sides. We were chasing one of Eileen’s dogs in the standings and ended up No. 2 English Setter during Shakespeare’s campaign. I am always proud to stand in line behind Eileen. Shakespeare was campaigned by Lindsey Cook.

My favorite bitch that I’ve bred is Ch. PACH Esthete’s Satin Doll RN MX MXJ MXP4 MXPB MJP7 MJPS PAX NF XFP T2BP CGC TKN (Lorna). Lorna was a stand-out in Agility. She was a William granddaughter, and I bred her to William. She produced a litter of 11 outstanding puppies that excelled in many different venues. I thought 11 puppies was enough for a lifetime so I didn’t breed her again, but in retrospect, I wish I had.

Please comment positively on your breed’s present condition and what trends might bear watching.

Dr. Jill Warren: Although the number of English Setters being bred and shown has reduced drastically from when I started out, there are some outstanding individuals in the show ring these days.

A positive trend is the renewed interest in dual champions. I give a lot of credit to Frank Luksa for re-invigorating the quest for dual champions in our breed. Frank loves hunting so much that he named his daughter Hunter. M. A. Samuelson finished the first English Setter dual in 1980, and the 12th finished in 2002. For 15 long years, we languished at 12 dual champions. Those 12 took a lot of hard work by M.A., Terry Barnes, Mari Anderson, Sandi McCue, Kathy Rodriguez, Karen Kennedy, and Melissa Newman. Indeed, Melissa bred a National Specialty winner who went on to complete his dual, the ultimate achievement. Since Frank finished our 13th dual in 2017, there have been six more, trained by Steve and Shelley Garland, Ray McVeigh and Karen Lishinski, BJ Parsons, Frank Luksa, and Terry Barnes, with more on the way.

More and more people are discovering the versatility of the English Setter, and are training and showing them in many different venues, which makes my heart happy.

Another positive trend is the improvement in genetic health due to genetic screening. Through screening and selective breeding, we have reduced the incidence of hip and elbow dysplasia, deafness, and thyroid disease in the breed.

As far as trends that might bear watching—proportions (we are getting long and low), balance, and size. Our dogs are maintaining their size pretty well, but some of our bitches are getting tiny, to the point where a 24-inch bitch that fits the Breed Standard looks big in the ring compared to the others. Though we don’t have a height disqualification, there is a reason the Standard calls for bitches to be 24 inches and dogs to be 25 inches, and it has to do with being strong and sturdy enough to handle rigorous field conditions. If you want a dog that is smaller than that, get a Brittany, but don’t allow your English Setter to be sized down. I call on breeders and judges to understand that a 24-inch bitch is correct in size.

A trend that is alarming to me is the emphasis on extremely long coat, which is SO detrimental to a breed’s working ability. The function of coat is to protect the dog from cold weather and from twigs and branches in the field that could injure the dog. That’s it; that’s all. Coat longer than that hinders the dog from working in the field and is not necessary to breed type or anything at all except show ring wins. It turns off potential pet homes who would love an English Setter as the consummate family dog, but they don’t want the coat care. Ideally, you should be able to hunt your ES one day, bathe and brush it, and show it the next. The Standard calls for feathering of good length, but what we are seeing today is excessive length. Please, judges, help us out by not requiring that a dog be dripping in coat in order to receive the top awards.

More and more people are discovering the versatility of the English Setter, and are training and showing them in many different venues, which makes my heart happy.

The sport has changed greatly since you first began as a breeder-exhibitor. What are your thoughts on the state of the fancy and the declining number of breeders? How do we encourage newcomers to join us and remain in the sport?

Dr. Jill Warren: Treasure owner-handlers for what they are—the backbone of our sport. Stop thinking of the “regular” Group as the “real” Group and give as much prestige to the Owner-Handled Group as to the regular Group. When I started out, if owner-handlers worked hard to acquire the same skills and grooming proficiency as the pros, they could win at the top levels. Today, not so much. It’s become much more of a pro’s game. Be more welcoming to newcomers and reach out a helping hand. None of us is born knowing how to show and groom a dog, so help them learn.

Where do you see your breeding program in the next decade or two?

Dr. Jill Warren: I’m of an age where I won’t be breeding much more, if at all. I’m interested in breeders who produce the total dog—typey, athletic, smart, biddable, and with that fabulous English Setter temperament that is the breed’s trademark. If I were to breed a litter, that is what I would strive for.

Finally, tell us a little about Jill outside of dogs… your occupation, your hobbies.

Dr. Jill Warren: My career started as a college professor of English. After I met my husband and moved to New Mexico, I became a technical writer at Los Alamos National Laboratory. That job was fabulous. I’ve been retired for several years.

I am a pro football fanatic. During football season, I am glued to the TV watching game after game unless I’m at a dog competition or judging at a dog show. Right now I’m excited about the play-offs, but after that, I’ll be in mourning when the season ends and there is that long wait until the next season.

I love rock music from the ‘60s through the ‘80s. If you ask me “Can music save your mortal soul?” (lyric from “American Pie”), I would shout a resounding “yes!” I go to rock concerts whenever I can.

I love all the arts—literature, art, and music—and attend exhibitions and performances whenever I can. My kennel name, Esthete, is the noun form of aesthetic and means a person who has a special appreciation of beauty, and that describes me to a “T.”

Are you looking for an English Setter puppy?

The best way to ensure a long and happy relationship with a purebred dog is to purchase one from a responsible breeder. Not sure where to begin finding a breeder?

Contact the National Parent Club’s Breeder Referral person, which you can find on the AKC Breeder Referral Contacts page.

Want to help rescue and re-home an English Setter dog?

Did you know nearly every recognized AKC purebred has a dedicated rescue group? Find your new best friend on the AKC Rescue Network Listing.

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The post Esthete English Setters | Dr. Jill Warren appeared first on Showsight Magazine.