Gordon Setter Information
 Photo courtesy of Diptonia |
The Gordon Setter's lineage dates back to at least 1620. The breed was very popular among hunters of Scotland for decades. The black and tan Setter came into prominence in the kennels of the Fourth Duke of Gordon in the 1820's.
In following years, other importations from Great Britain and the Scandinavian countries and the perfection of the American strains helped the Gordon achieve great popularity as a pet and gun dog.
The Gordon Setter resembles the English Setter and Irish Setter in general type. In field trial competition, the smaller Gordon Setter has been more favored while the larger dogs are preferred for bench work. The official breed standard for the Gordon Setter allows for a considerable range in size mainly because individual sportsman from various areas prefer a different size of dog.
Gordon Setters are very alert, fearless, intelligent and capable of getting the job done. They do not warm up easily to strangers, but with their owners they show their affection freely.
Gordon Setters do very well with children. They are very family oriented dogs and get along great with other dogs within their family. They are not aggressive dogs, however will not hesitate to protect their family if they feel it is in need of protection.
They are very intelligent dogs and able to easily figure out the difference between a friendly stranger and an unfriendly one. With friendly strangers they will most likely be fairly mellow and seem uncaring of their presence, however if it is an unfriendly person, they will not be so mellow.
Males should stand 24 to 27 inches tall and weigh between 55 to 80 pounds, females 23 to 26 inches tall and weigh 45 to 70 pounds. Their coats can be black with tan, chestnut or mahogany markings. The do need their coats combed and brushed often, especially after getting wet. Be sure to keep a close eye on the pads of the feet to make sure the hair does not get long and matted between the pads, as this can cause mud, rocks and other debris to get stuck between the pads of the feet and become very uncomfortable. Many tend to also get matting behind the ears as well as in the armpit area.
Gordons do shed, however it's not a horrible amount such as with a Labrador Retriever. Keeping your Gordon properly brushed/combed will help cut down on any shedding.
For the most part, Gordon Setters have been spared by the mass breeding operations (puppy mills), however there are still some breeders who are simply breeding for puppy money and not properly testing their dogs for health issues prior to breeding. Make sure the breeder you choose has their dogs tested for joint and eye issues.
Health concerns with the Gordon Setter include Hip Dysplasia, Bloat and hypothyroidism.
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