English Setter
The gentleman's setter. Gorgeous, mellow, gentle. Beautiful feathered coat needs care. One of the calmest sporting breeds.
Coat
long
Size
large · 45-80 lbs
Life expectancy
12-14 yrs
Activity
high
The breed
Where the English Setter comes from, and what living with one actually asks of you.
About the English Setter
The English Setter is an elegant sporting breed developed for bird work, with a feathered coat, soft expression, and famously gentle style. It is still a field dog at heart. The breed's beauty can distract from the practical needs: exercise, ear care, coat maintenance, and kind training.
Living with an English Setter is often easier for active homes that like a sociable, affectionate dog with outdoor interests. Many are friendly, mellow indoors after exercise, and good with children and other dogs. Young Setters can be exuberant, distractible, and bird-focused, so recall and leash manners need patient repetition.
Health planning should include hips, elbows, hearing, thyroid, eyes, and bloat awareness. Local data flags hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, deafness, hypothyroidism, and PRA. AKC and English Setter health statements emphasize hip and elbow dysplasia, thyroid evaluation, and BAER testing for deafness. PRA/NCL testing is also discussed in UK breed health resources.
Living with an English Setter
English Setters are usually friendly, gentle, willing, and affectionate. They often do well with children and dogs, but their feathered coat and soft temperament need respectful handling.
Training should be positive and patient; harsh methods can make them shut down. Field-bred individuals may need more exercise and bird-dog structure than show-bred companions. Alone-time is manageable if exercise and routine are adequate.
Daily care
Feeding, exercise, and coat — plus how the routine shifts from puppy to senior.
Feeding an English Setter
Elegant sporting breed. Calorie needs vary with size, sex, and field workload; omega-3s can support skin and coat health generally.
Key nutrients
- —omega-3
- —biotin
- —glucosamine
Portion notes: Two meals daily.
Exercise & enrichment
English Setters need daily exercise and opportunities to use their nose. Companion and field dogs can differ substantially, so feed to body condition, age, sex, neuter status, and workload rather than a fixed range.
Grooming routine
The feathered coat needs regular brushing, especially ears, chest, belly, pants, tail, and feet. Check ears for redness, odor, or debris, particularly after swimming or field work. Omega-3s can support skin and coat health generally, but brushing and detangling are the main work.
The English Setter through the years
English Setter puppies need socialization, recall foundations, grooming practice, ear handling, and low-impact exercise while joints develop.
Adult Setters need exercise, coat and ear care, measured meals, and monitoring for lameness, hearing issues, thyroid-like signs, eye changes, or abdominal distress.
Senior English Setters benefit from arthritis support, dental care, hearing-aware routines, lower-impact field games, and prompt evaluation of lumps, weight changes, or appetite loss.
Health
What English Setters are prone to, the signs worth catching early, and what supports them.
Health concerns to watch
Beautiful feathered coat requires regular grooming and detangling.
Among the most mellow sporting breeds — gentle house dogs.
Deafness is breed-linked; BAER testing recommended.
Supplements for English Setters
Matched to this breed's common health concerns. All NASC-sealed.
Cosequin (Nutramax)
The #1 vet-recommended joint supplement
- —#1 vet-recommended
- —NASC Quality Seal
- —Glucosamine + chondroitin
- —Clinically studied
Supplements support — they don't treat or cure disease. Talk to your vet for anything clinical.
Gear & services
Food, gear, training, and what the first year with an English Setter actually costs.
Fresh food picks for English Setters
Our recommended fresh-food subscriptions for large dogs.
The Farmer's Dog
Fresh, human-grade food portioned for your dog
- —Human-grade fresh food
- —Portioned per dog
- —Vet-developed recipes
- —50% off first box
Ollie
Fresh food with both cooked and baked recipes
- —Fresh and baked recipes
- —Turkey, beef, lamb, chicken proteins
- —Custom portions
- —60% off first box
Nom Nom
Restaurant-quality fresh food with microbiome testing
- —Pre-portioned pouches
- —Vet-formulated
- —Microbiome testing available
- —50% off first order
Spot & Tango
Fresh or UnKibble — whole-food nutrition, your choice
- —Fresh or UnKibble options
- —Human-grade ingredients
- —Shelf-stable storage option
- —50% off first order
What to budget for an English Setter in year one.
A practical range for routine care and first-year setup. It assumes a dry or mixed diet and mostly at-home care; purchase and adoption fees are excluded.
Practical first-year range
$1,800-$5,200
A typical ongoing year runs $1,425-$3,525before optional services and unexpected medical care.
Food (year one)
Dry or mixed diet; fresh food can cost more
$750-$1,800
Gear & supplies (year one)
Crate, bed, harness, bowls, toys
$300-$650
Routine vet + preventatives
Wellness, vaccines, flea/tick and heartworm; no emergencies
$500-$850
Grooming
high needs; DIY to periodic professional help
$50-$600
Training
At-home work to group classes
$0-$600
Optional supplements
Not included in the headline totals
$0-$480
Other first-year
Microchip, license, spay/neuter if needed
$200-$700
Optional pet insurance
Not included above; premiums vary by age, ZIP and coverage.
$650-$1,500/yr
Also not included: fresh-food-only diets, boarding or day care, emergencies, and condition-specific treatment. Breed health risks are planning flags—not guaranteed annual bills.
Size-adjusted U.S. planning ranges, updated July 2026 and benchmarked against Rover's 2026 cost report and Synchrony's 2025 study. Actual costs vary by region and lifestyle.
Gear for English Setters
Breed-size-appropriate picks. Links go to Amazon.
Training for English Setters
Matched to English Setter temperament (friendly, mellow, gentle).
BAXTER & Bella
Online puppy training program, lifetime access
- —Lifetime membership
- —Self-paced video lessons
- —Puppy + adult content
- —Behavior troubleshooting
GoodPup
1-on-1 virtual dog training with certified trainers
- —1-on-1 live video sessions
- —Certified trainers
- —Custom per-dog plan
- —Weekly structure
Dogo
App-based training with daily structure
- —App-based daily plans
- —AI-guided feedback
- —Affordable monthly cost
- —Trick training library
GPS trackers for English Setters
Size-appropriate picks for tracking, activity monitoring, and escape alerts.
Fi
Smart collar with GPS + activity tracking
- —Real-time GPS
- —Activity + sleep tracking
- —Escape alerts
- —3-month battery
Tractive
Affordable GPS tracker with unlimited range
- —Attaches to any collar
- —Worldwide GPS coverage
- —Activity monitoring
- —Budget-friendly
Curious about their DNA?
Confirm breed mix, check for genetic health risks, and get actionable insights.
Embark
The most comprehensive dog DNA test
- —350+ breeds identified
- —250+ health conditions screened
- —Cornell-partnered science
- —Relatives finder
Wisdom Panel
Breed identification + health screening
- —350+ breeds
- —Genetic health insights
- —Budget-friendly option
- —Fast results
More on the English Setter
Similar-size breeds
English Setter questions, answered.
Are English Setters calm?+
Do English Setters need BAER testing?+
Do English Setters get ear infections?+
Are English Setters easy to train?+
What health testing should I ask about?+
How long do English Setters live?+
How big do English Setters get?+
How much exercise does an English Setter need?+
What health problems do English Setters commonly have?+
Are English Setters hard to groom?+
What should I feed an English Setter?+
Are English Setters good for first-time owners?+
Ask Searchbreed about your English Setter
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