The English Setter descends from the ancient family of sporting breeds known in England since the 1300's. The spaniels that existed there originated from Spain, but were crossed through the ages to the Spanish Pointer, the large Water Spaniel, and the Springer Spaniel. For centuries, the English Setters were prized more for their ability to work during the hunt than for their appearance, and records of breeding lines were not kept. It wasn't until the 1800's that two men, Laverack and Llewellin, attempted to standardise and promote the breed through conscientious breeding programs. The English Setter was one of the first to be admitted for official registration in kennel clubs on both sides of the Atlantic. Today, this elegant and dignified dog is equally at ease in the field and in the house.

Appearance
The English Setter is a gun dog, bred for a mix of endurance and athleticism. The coat of the English Setter is flat with light feathering of long length. They have a long, flowing coat that requires regular grooming.

Character
The English Setter can be described as friendly and good natured; however, it can also be strong-willed and mischievous. English Setters are energetic, people-oriented dogs, that are well suited to families who can give them attention and activity, or to working with a hunter, where they have a job to do. The English Setters are active dogs outside that need plenty of exercise in a good sized fenced in yard. Inside they tend to be lower energy and love to be couch potatoes and lap dogs that love to cuddle.
 

Temperament
English Setters are extremely devoted and love nothing more than to be part of their families. The English Setters are sweet, gentle and placid and love to play, jump, run and dig. English Setters get along with children as long as the children respect the dog and they love to play with other dogs. English Setters are very intelligent and can be trained to perform about any task another breed can do, with the exception of herding. However, the English Setters are not always easy to train, as their natural bird instinct tends to distract them in outdoor environments. Their temperament is considered a soft one. Therefore the English Setters are very sensitive to criticism, and could be unwilling to repeat a behaviour out of fear to disappoint the trainer. Positive reinforcement training methods therefore work best for English Setters.

Exercise/Training
The English Setter needs a lot of exercise every day, requiring at least an hour of hard exertion. It can be a good companion for jogging, hiking ore running along side a bike. Playing and obedience are very good types of mental exercise. 20 minutes obedience and playing with your Golden Retriever will be more useful for the dogs exercise then an hour walk on the leash can provide.

Color
The various speckled coat colours when occurring in English Setters are referred to as belton; valid combinations are white with black flecks (blue belton) or with orange flecks (orange belton— depending on the intensity of the color, they might be lemon belton or liver belton), or white with black and tan flecks (tricolour belton).

Grooming
The long coat of the English Setter needs regular brushing every two or three days. The white coat may be difficult to keep gleaming in some areas. Some clipping and trimming every month or two is advisable for optimal good looks. A good nutrition and regular brushing keeps the proper coat of the English Setter shine and the skin healthy. Bathing doesn’t harm the coat of the English Setter as long as you use a good quality shampoo that doesn't dry the skin and coat and is formulated for a canine coat. The ears of the English Setter should be kept clean and regularly inspected as well.

Any breed described as "good with children", the dog must be accustomed to children. Any dog that is not well socialized with children will not behave predictably around them. As with all dogs, they should never be left alone with young children.