Midland English Setter Society

Before you buy your pup, you and all other residents of the house need to think long and hard about whether dog ownership is right for you. The FAQ's on this site provide a guide, but careful thought is still required by the whole family.

Exercise of these large energetic dogs can be time-consuming - not always easy in today's hectic world. Feeding and vet's bills (even the insurance premiums!) are a considerable outlay, as are kennel fees if your annual holidays are not dog-friendly. Feed bills can add up too, and there will be certain costs associated with dog-proofing your home and car. 

Some people think that it would be beneficial to buy two pups at the same time, as company for each other. While this is a very appealing idea, you will probably find that the two pups become very dependent on each other. They will also relate more closely to each other than to you, which makes training a lot harder. Finally, having two puppies together may well leave you with two old dogs together - not such an appealing prospect. If you really do want more than one (on your own head be it!) it is suggested that you wait until the first one has reached 18-24 months old and is becoming more civilised. The older dog will then set a good example to the youngster, one hopes, and will have completed it's basic training. Younger dogs really do learn by example, so you may as well have a little help!

List of available puppies can be obtained from the breed societies. Members are obliged to abide by a Code of Ethics, which promotes high standards of care for the dogs they own and breed. It may be necessary to put your name down with a breeder and wait for a suitable pup to become available, particularly if you want a dog with show potential, or if you  want a pup of a particular colour for example. You are strongly advised not to purchase any puppy without seeing it with it's dam. When you visit a litter, ensure that the surroundings are clean (bearing in mind that the pups won't be house-trained yet!), and that the pups appear healthy and happy. Bear in mind that the dam may be a bit protective of her litter initially in the company of strangers. A good breeder will be happy to answer all your questions on raising the puppy well, and should be willing to offer advice after the pup has moved to it's new home if queries arise. 

Ask too about health issues in the breed, and enquire about feeding, grooming and exercise requirements. 

In common with almost all breeds, English Setters can suffer from inherited problems. These do not affect most setters, but it is important to be aware of the risks.  Both skin and hip problems have a number of causes, therefore there is no easy way to ensure your pup is free of these. Virtually all English Setter breeders now routinely hip-score breeding stock, and this is slowly improving the situation in the breed. Hearing tests are also becoming more frequently undertaken. Further information is available on the Health page.

Your new pup will need just a few basic items when you fetch him or her home. The pet shops are full of many dog care products for  these days, but most of these are not essential. The watchword must be safety - if puppies can get themselves into trouble they will! Anything the pup encounters must be chew-proof, or at least safe if the pup does exercise it's teeth. Young pups need to feel safe when they rest. A strong cardboard box of a suitable size (without staples in) will be an ideal bed if lined with suitable soft bedding material. Veterinary fleece ('Vetbed' and similar brands) is easily washed and dried, and won't harbour fleas. Your pup will also need toys and items to chew while he is teething. Avoid toys that involve tugging, such as rope loops. These can easily pull baby teeth out of line, and in a more dominant pup can encourage possessiveness. Many setters will not naturally retrieve, so don't worry if your pup won't fetch a ball - however, many of them like to carry soft items around in their mouths. Empty plastic milk containers with the tops and labels removed are amazingly popular as they make enticing noises when pounced on! (Whatever did pups play with before plastic bottles were invented?)

Feeding - when your pup comes home for the first time, consider the experience from his point of view. Suddenly everything in his life has changed forever. His mum, brother and sisters are gone, the environment is totally different and he is surrounded by strangers. The first few days are quite traumatic! The pup will still need to sleep a lot, and any children in the house will have to be understanding of it's needs. 

In view of all the changes the pup is going through, it is advisable not to subject the youngster to a change of diet too. Find out before fetching the pup what it is fed on, and keep to the same brand for at least the first fortnight while the pup settles in. There will inevitably be days when the pup doesn't eat well, but DON'T PANIC! Many setters can be a bit picky, but they all survive. There are several ruses that can be tried - try warming the food slightly in the microwave (enhances the smell!), or add a little gravy/ grated cheese/ sunflower oil/ tinned tuna - whatever works best. Most people feed a complete food these days. These have a carefully balanced blend of nutrients to suit your dog's needs. It is important to give a food designed specifically for puppies until the age of about a year as the dog is growing very fast. If the growing skeleton does not have the correct mix of nutrients this could have serious implications in later life. Incorrect nutrition as a youngster can be a contributory factor in hip dysplasia, a major cause of arthritis and severe pain, which does not usually appear until later.  The breeder will also advise about how many feeds a day are required.

Grooming is a major requirement for the adult dog, so start a routine with your young pup from day 1. Using a very soft brush, or even a soft grooming glove, go over the puppy gently from head to toe, ideally every day. If this is done before food time, the pup will learn that good things follow on if it stands still to be groomed. Pay particular attention to the 'armpits', and also the 'trouser' feathering of the hind legs, as tangles often occur here when the coat has some length. As the dog matures, change the brush for a good quality pin brush, and possibly a comb. It is important that grooming goes right down to the skin, or matted tangles will result. Regular grooming will minimise the amount of hair shed around the house. There is no truth in the rumour that setters moult twice a year, for six months in the spring and six months in the autumn - it just seems that way! Check your pup's ears, which should be a healthy whitey-pink colour inside, and also examine the pup's feet. A dog should be quite content to have it's claws clipped, but starting while they are young makes the job a lot easier. In summer, grass seeds can work their way inside the paw if they are left for a day or two, leading to great discomfort for both the dog and the credit card - an operation with full anaesthetic will be required to remove grass seeds. 

Many owners buy a crate these days for the pup to use as it's 'den'. This is a useful aid in housetraining too, as most pups will naturally be clean if given the chance. The pup will be fed in the crate, and can go in there to sleep. When the pup wakes it needs to be taken straight outside to empty itself. Plenty of praise is called for when it gets it right! Using a crate also makes taking your dog on holiday easier. Just set up the crate in your holiday accommodation and the dog has a home from home, also giving less worry about the dog getting out or causing damage. 

So you have survived the first few weeks! Your pup will be growing fast, and is now a very important member of the household. The pup will have had it's final set of immunisations, and can go outside the house and start exploring. Only go for very short walks at first,  just 5 - 10 minutes twice a day initially. This doesn't sound like much, but pups run round the house and garden all day and burn up a lot of energy. This amount can be built up gradually to about an hour a day by 6 months old. Include a little free running too, in a safe place. You will be amazed (and horrified!) at how fast and how far they can run, but they need to get used to the recall command from an early age. Socialisation with other dogs is also essential - they need to meet all sizes and shapes of dogs in all sorts of situations so as to learn how to behave.

Setters are notoriously exuberant, and are not normally renowned for their concentration span. Training is essential though, or after a year or so you will have a 25kg hooligan rampaging round the house! While anyone wanting an Obedience Champion would be unlikely to take on an English Setter, it is important that basic rules are set and kept to by everyone in their dealings with the pup. The pup will soon know it's name, and body language can do much to encourage obedience. If you call the pup to you, bend your knees and go down to the pup's level when as it comes towards you - open your arms wide, and give lots of fuss when it comes. Setters respond very well to kindness and praise, whereas a scolding is likely to leave you with a confused little waif, at least in the early days. The idea is to create a bond with the pup, so it wants to please. The 'Sit' can be taught easily when the dog is fed - call the dog to you and hold the food bowl just above it's head. It will soon learn that when it sits it is rewarded with it's food. This can be developed with the 'Wait ' command - put a hand in the air at chest height, palm flat towards the dog, giving the command at the same time. This is invaluable when you open the back of the car to let the dog out - the last thing you want is the dog trying to dash out as soon as there is a space to squeeze through. The wait command can also be used immediately before you put his food bowl down for him.

All dogs need regular free running - only for short times when they are young, but a good 'blast' is necessary several times a week for the adolescent and mature dog. Setters have been selectively bred for hundreds of years to cover immense distances at great speed, and this trait remains even though most are not worked any more. You must use a safe area to run them on - a little patch between the houses on a modern housing estate is not sufficient. A whistle can be used to give commands - 'peep-peep-peep' to call the dog back to you, used together with a voice command (The dog's name and 'Come') initially. Again, when the dog returns, make an enormous fuss of him. Calling the dog back to you several times in one outing, then sending it out again, will prevent a dog thinking you are automatically going to take it home every time it returns to you.  Free running can start as soon as the dog is able to go out after it's immunisations, remembering not to overdo exercise at first because of immature bones and joints. A puppy will be more likely to return if it is a bit unsure of the big wide world, so make the most of this stage as it won't last!

Training needs to be in short chunks to be effective, otherwise confusion will result - little and often is best. If a session is going all wrong, go back to something really basic that you know the dog will do well, then finish. Always end on a good note, and above all make it fun for both you and the dog.

Training classes can be very enjoyable for you both, and are an excellent socialising opportunity (for the dog that is - though you should enjoy them too!) Ask local dog owners where they recommend, and ask to go along to watch without the dog and see what you think. Don't expect to do as well as the collies and other working breeds - obedience is a question of horses for courses, and Collies and the like simply think differently. Your setter's ancestors, the working dogs, were bred to think for themselves, and this trait still remains whether we like it or not.

By now (at about 12-18 months) your setter should be becoming a slightly calmer individual. The early training you will have put in will be showing benefits. While there will still be times when the dog simply does not listen, you should by now have a dog that will sit, return to you, and also wait on command when for example you open the back door of the car. Setters are naturally friendly to other dogs, and in the park they will still gallop over to see their friends if possible - that is all part of a setter's day.

If you plan to breed from your dog, it is suggested that you discuss this with the breeder. You will need to consider many practical aspects, not least the considerable amount of physical work involved, and the potential expense. No-one makes money out of having a litter, and you can end up seriously out of pocket if a caesarean is needed (invariably at night or at a weekend), or if the puppies are slow to sell. If you decide to go ahead, ask the breeder to advise you on the choice of a stud dog which complements the bloodlines of your bitch.

Setters remain active well into old age, though they may slow down just a little! Regular check at the vets will ensure any slight problems are dealt with, and your dog should remain active and happy to the age of 10, 12 or more. Older dogs may not hear quite so well - genuinely this time, as opposed to the temporary deafness that afflicts them when they see a large expanse of grass to run on! Arthritis may be a problem and may cause pain, as with any breed. English Setters are very stoic and you may not realise there is a problem - another reason to work with your vet so as to ensure quality of life.

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It may be, near the end, that your dog is starting to struggle with everyday life. There is a lot that can be done to ease things, but if your dog is losing it's dignity or becoming unable to cope it is a kindness to call the vet one last time to ease his passing. Remember your companion as he would wish, full of the joy of living, and think of the many happy years you have had together. It is the last thing you can do for your old friend, and he would thank you for it.

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MESS offer the information on this website in good faith. However, neither the Society or it's committee can be held responsible for any errors or omissions.     Page last updated 1 August 2007