Alice White
The English Setter is renowned for its endurance. An elegant appearance, worthy of a royal personage, hides a perky character and inexhaustible optimism. Quick wits and developed intelligence are the main reasons why the English Setter is loved by both hunters and ordinary dog breeders. Despite the energy and unwillingness to sit in one place, the animal rarely imposes its society on others. It is difficult to find a more understanding and devoted friend than a setter, even among his four-legged fellows. This is a balanced and moderately sociable dog that will happily keep company while walking in the park or watching the evening news release.
#1 The origin of the English Setter is controversial and has generated a lively debate among breeders.
Some attribute the role of the ancestors of the breed to the "Spaniards", others - to the ancestors of modern spaniels. The true roots of the setters are unknown. The only indisputable fact is that this is an English breed, no matter who its distant ancestors were.
#2 Recently, dog breeders are increasingly inclined towards the second version.
During the Renaissance, spaniels were very popular in Western Europe. At that time, there were two main types of this breed: for hunting in wetlands ("water") and on land ("field"). The most famous at that time was the setting spaniel. Representatives of this breed were guided by a unique way of hunting birds. Noticing her, the dog sneaked up and stood in a rack, which attracted attention. The hunter cautiously approached the prey and threw a net at it: firearms appeared much later.
#3 The behavior of the animal during the hunt determined the name of the future breed.
The word comes from the English set - to set. Indeed: having noticed the prey, the dog indicated its location to the owner with the help of a conditioned signal - a stand. Sometimes the name "setter" is mistakenly translated as "squat". Despite this, the version has the right to exist: during the hunt, the animal really "crouches" to the ground in order to imperceptibly approach the game.
