The Gordon Setter is the heavy weight of the setter breeds, known for its confidence, speed and beautiful black and tan coat. Like other setters, it was originally developed to hunt and retrieve game.
The Gordon Setter is tall and of elegant appearance, with long legs, a slightly domed head, long floppy ears and brown eyes, wearing a willing and kind expression. Their most distinguishing feature is their glistening coat of black and tan, which is long and silky with a slight wave, and with lengthy fringes on the back of the legs, under the belly and on the tail. Gordons are a friendly, intelligent breed, who like to be kept busy. They relish outdoor activities and playtime with their owners and require at least two hours of exercise each day. Any activities that make use of their intelligence and eagerness to please are also well-received by this breed. They are sweet-natured and love to give and receive affection, and are happiest when in the company of their family. As with other bright, high-energy dogs, Gordon Setters require lots of exercise, playtime and human companionship, without which they can be chewers, barkers and diggers.
History
The Gordon Setter is named after the Duke of Gordon who introduced the breed in 1820 at Gordon Castle in Scotland. As with other setters, the breed was developed to hunt game, and to lay down quietly, or set, when they located their target. Originally black and white or black/white and tan, selective breeding has now established the Gordon as the black and tan setter.
