Have just seen the most beautiful Gordon Setter

[EbbyEbs]

I was walking my dog earlier and saw a proud, tall dog ahead prancing towards us, black shiny hair flowing, head held high - I fell in love!

Anyone know what their temperament is like? I couldn’t talk to the owner as my little treasure is reactive 🤦‍♀️

Its the grooming..... (and the hair!). They dont look like that first thing or even most of the time.
Black sounds lovely though. I believe they are known to be a bit dipsy but not an expert

They’re really very rare, so I’ve no in depth knowledge, but they are supposed to be calm and dignified in comparison to the other setters.

Cant really help you except to say my sil has five of the beasts. Beautiful and large and calm.

I know they got their first from some Scottish breeders who show at crufts. They have a fb page.

There is a good video on YouTube by a breeder of Gordon Setters. I found it when we were considering getting one. They are beautiful dogs, the lady than ran the boarding kennels our dogs went to for 30 years was a breeder.

I love Gordon Setters! They're incredibly rare though.

As far as I'm aware, they're calmer than other setters too.

my mum has a few. Whenever people encounter them I always wonder if it’s hers! They are calm for setters but that’s not saying too much really… I’d also say they aren’t as bright as other setters…

most of hers have been lovely but she’s got one who was very poorly socialised as a young dog she got at 9 months and he is INSANELY reactive, I think because they are so rare means they end up in experienced, breed-enthusiast homes they are generally well brought up and if a few more problems would come to the fore with them if they were in out and out pet homes.

I grew up with an English Setter.
Obviously not a Gordon, but they are gorgeous dogs.
Do not underestimate the hair and the slobber.
Setters are such lovely dogs.

I see two regularly and as well as being beautiful they seem to be much calmer and more trainable than Irish setters, more like a lively golden retriever. They look more substantial too.

My cousin is on her fifth one.
They are lovely dogs but are quite headstrong (and of course physically strong). They need LOTS of exercise. She shows one of hers and has 'trained' a couple of the others, but they seem to do what they want regardless!
They are indeed huge and they rest their heads on the dining table looking for a treat and one literally ate the sandwich from my young sons hands when he gesticulated with it (there's that 'training' again). Their tails are lethal - one wag and all things get swept off.
Gentle giants with a lot of energy and big appetites! Definitely a country dog.

You’re right about them being rare, I looked for Gordon Setter groups on Facebook and could only find 2!

I agree with you - they are one of my favourite breeds. We have a pup around where I live and she's gorgeous. Admittedly I'm honest and I like a low energy breed so I currently have a Newfoundland. She's amazing but the grooming and hair and dirt we have to now live with is on another level. I've had spaniels and Golden Retrievers, Pugs and now the Newf, plus a few rescues/foster dogs. Unfortunately for me, life isn't long enough to own every breed I love. Due to experience (or inexperience in the past), I would not pay a penny for any Pedigree dog now unless the breeder can proved they've health tested both dam and sire for hips, elbows and any genetic problems. A good place to start for any dog is the breed club of the uk, here's the link for Gordon Setters. britishgordonsetterclub.co.uk

What was your golden retriever like? What do you think to them as a breed?

My Golden was a big boy - 40kg - the same as my female Newfie so he was big and she is small. The Golden was way easier to train. Newfies have a stubborn streak, as do Pugs. All breeds have their issues and most dogs under the age of 2/3 are bloody hard work. I never stop training my Newf and as I type, have just come home being complimented on her behaviour, which was a gentle street sniff, boosted with training reminders. She had a good run earlier this morning where I'm more lenient. It's nice to be complimented, but I still have the odd day where she's a complete shit and ignores me/defies me completely. I guess what I'm trying to say is ALL dogs are hard work, for the most part of 3 years. Goldenseal tend to learn quicker, on the same token, I knew my Newfie was going to be harder to train. Both equally adorable!

I grew up with 3 Irish Setters as my mum is a huge setter lover, my aunt had 2 English setters. We'd often all go on holiday together and it was lovely with the dogs on the beach together. I think they're all pretty similar - absolutely beautiful and so loving.
They can be trained quite well, ours had good recall, but they will always on the lookout for free food - and being so big they can swipe anything from the counters, one of ours ate the mince out the pot on the stove! Their tails knock everything off the side tables, so hold onto your glasses of wine! They slobber all the time, especially after drinking, usually accompanies with a big shake of the head so the slobber flies up the walls. Their ears can fall in their dinner bowls so we'd tie them up with scrunches when it was feeding time 😄
They LOVE sitting on you, as though they are tiny wee lapdogs, and they love getting into bed with you 😄

Was it mine? :-)
They are daft and messy and actually quite slobbery around the chops. Gentle and affectionate but also bouncy, and at 29kg that's a lot of bounce!

Fantastic dogs we’ve had them for years and they always stand out ! They are incredibly loyal and easy to train although they can be stubborn . We bred and show them and after my beloved reds they are my favourites . It’s the loyalty that is so lovely they really do love their people and have very long memories of people they love . They can be a bit bullish and always want to be first ect but they are harmless bless them

Beautiful looking dogs.

I meet a chap walking two! They seem less daft and more trainable than Irish setters.

I have had 5, 4 of them through the rescue. They are the most beautiful dogs. Need a lot of exercise. The Gordon Setter rescue told me last year, they had none to rehome, they are endangered breed I think, not many puppies born. The ones Ive had have all had lovely temperaments.

Yes it's a vulnerable native breed (the most 'endangered' category)

I have a different breed on the list - it's a shame that some fantastic breeds are only just hanging on.

There's a separate list for the "at watch" breeds

It of course means that it can be hard to find one, and you may have to wait. You also need to check the COI (how in-bred) but they're produced only by breed enthusiasts (not puppy farmers) so they get a pretty good start in life

Link to the 'vulnerable' and 'at watch' lists in case anyone is interested

www.thekennelclub.org.uk/getting-a-dog/are-you-ready/vulnerable-native-breeds/

I love Gordon Setters. There are a few owners in my area and I agree they are beautiful, calm and friendly souls. I have a rule that I only ever rescue so unlikely to ever own one but always admire from afar 🥰

Its great you are considering one of the breeds on the endangered native breed list, many are great pets but people often won't wait for a puppy
We have two dogs from the list and they are great pets
www.thekennelclub.org.uk/getting-a-dog/are-you-ready/vulnerable-native-breeds/