The Gordon Setter is quite the remarkable breed. They are extremely intelligent and often compete in obedience, conformation, and agility competitions. This setting dog can be quickly identified by its beautiful, long, soft, straight black coat. The great beauty of this dog resulted in them being depicted in many artworks over the years, and they are associated with the phrase “Brains, beauty, and bird sense”. 

Similar-looking setting dogs have been around in Scotland as far back as the year 1620. They made excellent assistants to their hunter counterparts, and their role was to find the prey, primarily pheasant and quail, and signal the hunter. It was often said that the Gordon Setter “rarely made a false point”. These setters are not very fast animals, but they have an extremely high level of stamina, which would allow them to work for hours on end in the field without tiring. 

The Gordon Setter is a medium-large sized dog weighing between 45-80 pounds. They are known to make excellent watchdogs and are typically quite wary of strangers. They will not be aggressive toward strangers, but they will enjoy the company of their own family far more than that of people they are not familiar with. These pups are also known to be very vocal when communicating their likes and dislikes to their humans, it will amaze you how well these dogs will be able to convey how they are feeling. 

The Gordon Setter is full of energy and will require daily exercise for them to feel their best. The phare “A tired dog is a good dog” applies very well to these pups. These dogs will make amazing, affectionate companion dogs when they have burned off their energy but will be unsettled if their exercise needs are not met. This setter can be a bit stubborn and a little difficult to train. It may take some extra patience and effort when it comes to training a Gordon Setter, but the effort will certainly be worth it as this breed makes an unbelievably loyal friend.