Gordon Setter

From the year 1770, in the Gordon castle, in Scotland, different setters were bred. Later, the dogs of these breeders got dispersed. By 1835 the Duke of Gordon relived the fame of his breeder and spent time to the task of obtaining a specimen that was heavier, more aggressive, and more resistant than the others. He crossed his specimens with collies, Bloodhounds, Irish setters and no doubt with a pointer too, creating a selective type with stronger blood bonds and finding new sponsors that got interested in his dogs. The standard was established until 1927, after the creation of the British Gordon Setter Club.

The Gordon setter is slower than the other setters but it can work with the snout closer to the soil, it can be trained to follow the trail of blood and pick up the prey. In most cases, it is a better retriever and it can be advantageous to use it for this task. It also works well in water. From all the setters, it is the one that has more varied qualities, so it can be used in open land, in water and in the woods. It likes to help and works well in the roads.

Because of its beauty it is also used as a pet dog. It is tranquil and helpful, kind with children but it is very mistrustful with strangers.

Size: male 66 cm, female 62.5 cm. Weight: 25.5-29.5 kg. Color: anthracite black with tan patches (1). The patches form two zones around the eyes, the tan color of the snout borders do not extend more than the beginning of the snout. The birth of the neck, the internal part of the rear legs and the haunches are tan; the color goes from the knee to the external part, up to the toes.

In the front legs, the tan color extends to the rear part of the elbow to the toes and in the front, from the toes to the carpus. The anal region has also a tan color patch.

Compared to the Irish setter (2) and the English setter, the Gordon setter (3) has a wider cranium, the cranium box (from the occipital protuberance to the stop) is longer than the facial part of the cranium (from the stop to the snout).