The Gordon Setter is a large breed of dog, a member of the setter family that
also includes both the better-known Irish Setter and the English Setter.
Setter breeds are classified as members of either the Sporting or Gundog Group
depending on the national kennel club or council. The original purpose of the
breed was to hunt gamebirds. Their quarry may be partridge, grouse,
pheasant, ptarmigan, blackgame, snipe or woodcock, quail, willow grouse, sand
grouse, guinea fowl, sagehen, francolin and any other bird that will sit to a
dog—that is to say, will attempt to avoid a potential predator by
concealment rather than by taking to the wing at the first sign of danger. It is
this combination of a bird that will sit fast in front of a dog that will remain
on point that makes bird dog work possible.
Description = Appearance =
Gordon setters, also known as "black and tans", have a coal-black coat with
distinctive markings of a rich chestnut or mahogany colour on their paws and
lower legs, vents, throat, and muzzles; one spot above each eye; and two spots
on their chest. A small amount of white is allowed on the chest. Although
uncommon, red Gordons are occasionally born to normal-coloured parents, the
result of expression of a recessive red gene. Predominantly tan, red, or buff
dogs are ineligible for showing. A Gordon's coat is straight or slightly
waved, long and silky, with chest, stomach, ear, leg, and tail feathering.
According to the AKC breed standard, "the bearing is intelligent, noble, and
dignified". They are the heaviest of the setter breeds, with males reaching 27
inches at the withers and up to 80 pounds in weight.
= Temperament = The AKC describes the Gordon Setter
temperament as "alert, interested, and confident. He is fearless and willing,
intelligent, and capable. He is loyal and affectionate, and strong-minded
enough to stand the rigors of training". Gordons are intensely loyal to their
owners; thrive in an attentive, loving environment; and are good family dogs.
Puppies and adult dogs can be quite boisterous, and although they are
patient by nature, may not be suitable for households with very young children.
Gordons are sensitive and empathic, eager to learn, and need firm but gentle
handling. Early socialisation and obedience training is important. They
are known as great talkers. The breed is one of the slowest to mature, not
hitting prime until three years of age or more, and will show puppy-like
characteristics well into their older years.
Gordons were bred to run, and require 60 to 80 minutes of vigorous exercise
daily. Young dogs should not be over-exercised or begin agility training
until they are at least 18 months old, to avoid joint problems later in life.
Because of their hunting instincts, Gordons should not be allowed to roam
freely if unsupervised, as they are apt to wander into a potentially dangerous
traffic situation while following a scent.
Health Although not as prone to hip dysplasia
as many of the larger breeds, Gordons can suffer from the condition. Other
health issues can include hypothyroidism, gastric torsion and eye
diseases such as progressive retinal atrophy, and cataracts. Life expectancy
for the breed is generally about 10 to 12 years.
At the beginning of 2009, a report was issued to all of the Breed Clubs in the
UK concerning cases of late onset PRA in Gordon Setters.
On March 14, 2011, Animal Health Trust made a DNA test available. The mutation
is termed rcd4 to distinguish it from other, previously described forms of
rod-cone degeneration. It is recessive, and 19 out of the 21 Gordons in their
study who had clinical signs of PRA were homozygous for this mutation, indicating
it is the major cause of PRA in the breed.
As many as 50% of Gordon Setters may be carriers.
History = Origins =
"Domesticated Dogs Finding Their Game by Scent, But Not Killing It, Being Chiefly
Used in Aid of the Gun".The Dog In Health & Disease—Longmans, Green & Co.
1859 This is the title of the chapter
covering pointers and setters in Stonehenge's work on dogs published
around a hundred and fifty years ago. The term "gun dogs" would pretty well
cover all the dogs described in the chapter. Many of the gun dogs described
by Stonehenge are no longer to be found in the United Kingdom or have been
absorbed into one of the other breeds. The Russian Setter, the Welsh Setter,
Northern Irish Water Spaniel, Southern Irish Water Spaniel and English Water
Spaniel, the Spanish Pointer and the Portuguese Pointer have all disappeared
in the past hundred and fifty years, and the pictures of some of the breeds that
are still with us show considerable differences to the breed as we see them
today. Edward Laverick wrote in The Setter, published in 1872: "the setter
is but an improved spaniel"; while the Rev Pearce in The Dog, published in the
same year, said, 'he is a direct descendant of the Spaniel: "a Setting
Spaniel" was the first Setter'. Since then this is the generally agreed with
conclusion that the Setter was primarily derived from the old Land Spaniel, so
called so as to distinguish it from the Water Spaniel. It is however likely that
outside crosses with Hounds or Pointers did influence its development. William
Taplin in The Sportsman's Cabinet maintained that it was "originally
produced by a commixture between the Spanish pointer and the larger breed of
the English spaniel". We now really need not to go back to the
Spaniel and its specialised development into the setting-dog, as it was called,
and can be found in the work by the famous French sportsman, Gaston de Foix,
Vicomte de Béarn, who it is said owned about 1500 dogs 'brought from all
countries of Europe' and was known as 'Gaston Phèbus' owing to his love for
the chase. This work is called Livre de Chasse or Miroir de Phèbus, and was
started in 1387. This work was the bases of The Master of Game written between
1406 and 1413 by Edward III's grandson, Edward, second Duke of York, who
acknowledged his debt to de Foix. Below is the main passage referring to the
Spaniel and the Setting-dog, as republished in 1904:
—Baillie-Grohman, p. 66 The modern Gordon Setter is a
predominantly black dog with rich tan marking on the muzzle, legs and chest. A
little bigger and heavier than either the Irish or English, he is nevertheless
descended from the same genetic mixing pot, which undoubtedly has its origins
among those setting spaniels we met earlier. The Kennel Club applied the
name 'Gordon Setter' to the breed in 1924. Before that they were known as
black and tan setters, and were found in many kennels beside those of the
Alexander Gordon, 4th Duke of Gordon. Indeed, as we shall see, there is plenty
of evidence that the majority of the setters at Gordon Castle during the
Duke's time were tri-coloured rather than pure black and tan.
The breed was brought to the United States by George Blunt and Daniel
Webster in 1842, with the purchase of two dogs named Rake and Rachel from the
Duke's kennels. The American Kennel Club officially recognised the breed in 1892.
= Breed development = The Gordon Setter as a gundog in the
United Kingdom Among the many changes which took place
in sport and country affairs during the last century where those concerned with
the method of shooting and consequent role of the gundog. These changes were
accelerated after the Second World War, prior to which there were many "dogging
moors" in the north of the UK, especially in Scotland. Walking up game
became largely superseded by driving and field-craft by marksmanship. The
function of the gundog was as a result limited to the recovery of dead or
wounded birds and – in the age of specialisation – this meant that the
Labrador Retriever came to the forefront while the number of working Pointers and
Setters declined year after year. Besides the modernisation of the style
of shooting and the work required of gundogs, the situation was altered by
the new developments that also took place in farming, which helped to bring
about a marked reduction in the partridge population. This came about
with the introduction of modernisation such as early cutting of silage, the use
of fast-moving mechanical equipment, the burning or ploughing of stubble-fields
soon after harvest, the destruction of hedgerows and the use of chemical sprays
for weed-killing. The hedgerows had provided shelter and nesting sites; the
weeds and other herbage supplied food and cover; whilst the stubble-fields had
been a primary source of winter food; so the partridges were deprived of some
important assets, whilst the wide use of chemicals on the land exercised a direct
harmful effect. It will be obvious to the reader that
these changes significantly affected the status of Setters and Pointers, not
least that of the Gordon. Though often used as a general purpose gundog, the
Gordon Setter is essentially a wide-ranging dog employed in the UK to
locate red grouse and ptarmigan on the Scottish or North of England moors and
partridges on the stubble-fields of the south of England. Up to the late 1930s
most Gordons were kept for this type of work, so that the majority were to be
found in Scotland and the north of England; but now they are more evenly
distributed and there are no large working kennels.
The function of the Setter is well summarised by Captain Blaine as follows:
‘The work required of the setter and pointer differs from that of all other
breeds of dog. It is their business to range and hunt independently for game,
at a distance from the sportsman, using their own initiative and intelligence to
find it, and having done so, to remain staunchly “on point” awaiting his
approach. They must search for the body, and not for the foot scent, and be able
to maintain a fast steady gallop for long periods without fatigue. For the
purpose a dog should have independence of character, speed, endurance, and a
sensitive nose, combined with natural ability for hunting the terrain, in the
best method of finding game’. Only one Gordon Setter has achieved the
title of Dual Champion since the second World War. This was a bitch whose
registered name was Amscot Irresista Belle; her pet name was Trisca. The
Kennel Club regulations state this title can only be claimed by dogs who have
achieved the title of Show Champion and Field Trial Champion.
Perhaps one of the best descriptions of the Setter at work in the field is a
poem by the poet William Somerville in the following lines:
The Gordon Castle and other historically important kennels
Alexander, the 4th Duke of Gordon, established his kennel of Black and Tan
Setters at Gordon Castle, which was situated near Fochabers, not far from
the River Spey and a few miles from the coast of Moray. The exact date when this
occurred is not known. A Colonel Thornton visited the place during his
tour of the Highlands in 1786. He makes no mention of any kennel of Setters at
that time, although he does note that ‘The Duke of Gordon still keeps up a
diversion of falconry….I saw, also, here a true Highland greyhound, which is now
become very scarce….’. The Duke was indeed devoted to country pursuits and
was among the last of his day in Scotland to keep hawks and practise
falconry; he was celebrated for his Scottish Deerhounds as well as his
Setters. However all that can be inferred from the Colonel’s remarks is
that there are unlikely to have been any Setters of note at the Castle in 1786.
There is much on record that seems reliable about the origin or derivation
of the Duke of Gordon’s Setters, though verification at this late date is of
course impossible. Most of this evidence comes from Samuel Brown, the Veterinary
Surgeon of Melton Mowbray, who was a great authority on the breed. In a
letter to ‘’The Field’’ of 12 November 1864 Samuel Brown stated: ‘An old
gentleman sportsman, and one too who has shot over the same breed for fifty years
and knew them during his boyhood, assures me that the late Duke of Gordon,
Marquis of Anglesey, and several other noblemen, had their original stock of
setters from the late Mr Coke of Longford, and that the colour was
usually black-white- and -tan. Mine are descended from the original breed of Mr
Coke, the Gordon ‘’Regent’’ and ‘’Fan’’, and within the last five years from a
black-white-and –tan bitch which I got direct from the Beaudesart kennel’. Five
years late, in another letter to the same journal, the Rev F. W. Adye wrote:
‘Mr Brown was told by Mr Coke himself that he often sent dogs to the Duke of
Gordon and received others in exchange, in order now and then to obtain fresh
blood’. These facts were well known to J. H. Walsh, Editor of ‘’The Field’’ and
a leading authority on sporting dogs, for it is he who mentions in the first
chapter of his book ‘’The Dogs of the British Islands’’ a Setter ‘from Mr Coke
of Norfolk and doubtless related to the late Duke of Gordon’s kennel, as Mr Coke
and the duke bred together and interchanged setters frequently’.
Therefore it does appear to be reasonably established that Mr Coke
provided most of the original Setters for the Duke’s kennel. The Rev
Hutchinson, who wrote under the pseudonym ‘Sixty-one’, insisted that
‘the original setter taken or sent to Gordon Castle by the first Marquis of
Anglesea’, however what has been seen is that, according to Samuel Brown’s ‘old
gentleman sportsman’, the Marquees of Anglesey likewise had his original stock
of Setters at Beaudesart from Mr Coke – probably, although this cannot be
confirmed, some years before the Gordon Castle kennel was founded; for in 1869
the Beaudesart Setters were said to have been maintained ‘for sixty years pure
and unmixed with any blood’. It is most unlikely that the Duke obtained his
setters from only one source, we know that he interbreed with other kennels
besides Mr Coke’s, notably with Lord Lovat’s.
Gordon Setters exercising References
BaillieGrohman, William A. and F, The Masters of Game: Edward, Second Duke of
York: The Oldest English Book on Hunting, limited edition with 4 plates,
London 1904. Popular edition, London, 1909: pp302, illus.
Cunliffe, Juliette. The Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds. Parragon Publishing. ISBN
0-7525-8276-3. Fogle, Bruce, DVM. The New Encyclopedia
of the Dog. Doring Kindersley. ISBN 0-7894-6130-7.
Smith, A. Croxton, Hounds and Dogs; Their Care, Training and Working,
Londoin, n.d.: pp320, illus. Stonehenge, The Dog in Health and
Disease. Longmans, Green, and Co., London, 1887.
Thornton, Thomas, Col. A Sporting Tour through the Northern Parts of England
and Grest Part of the Highlands of Scotland...., London, 1804.
Animal Health Trust, February 2011 Further reading
Argue, Derry. Pointer and Setters. Swan Hill Press, 1993. ISBN 1-85310-239-3.
Hudson, David. Working Pointers and Setters. Swan Hill Press, 2004. ISBN
1-904057-40-3. Jean Sanger Look & Anita Lustenberger.
The Complete Gordon Setter. Howell Book House, 1984. ISBN 0-87605-158-1.
Schweppe, Frederick. Gordon Setters. T.F.H. Publications, Inc., 1990. ISBN
0-86622-690-7. Sorby, Suzanne & Sorby, Norman,. The
Field Gordon Setter: The Black and Tan Bombshell. Xlibris Publishing, 2005.
ISBN 978-1-41349-180-7. External links
Gordon Setter at DMOZ