Gordon setter

Gordon Setter

If you fulfill our activity needs, the Gordon setter will become a loving family dog.

We are kind, loving, brave, and endlessly loyal to our owners. One of our greatest strengths is durability: an impressive endurance made to spend many days in challenging terrains.

We are best suited for bird hunting and thrive while hunting for Lagopus and other big birds (which we are made for).

Most Gordon setters have the ability to quickly switch between work and rest.

Important to be consistent with training

If you know what to train for, you can get an abiding Gordon Setter– but you will need to be consistent with our upbringing to achieve your goals. Gordon setters learns bad habits as easily as good habits. In addition, we behave rather juvenile until we become pretty old, so expect some childish shenanigans regardless of how well you train us.

Gordon setters can be somewhat reserved towards strangers, so it can be helpful to socialize us a lot when we are still puppies. A well-socialized Gordon Setter will behave much better around strangers!

Gordon setters love being around children too, but the children need to understand how strong we can get– and act accordingly! We can tolerate rough handling but might answer with the same coin.

Gordon Setter– the toughest hunting dog?

We are bred to work hard for long periods, which has given us incredible endurance. A lot of hunters consider us as the toughest and most hard-working hunting breed.

These traits mean that the Gordon Setter has a high energy drive, and if we don’t get to use this energy, we will become restless and difficult to live around. You don’t have to use the breed for hunting, but you should find other activities, such as tracking or field competitions.

Either way, we can be the ultimate hiking buddy for long and challenging walks. We will probably also swim if the opportunity arises as we tend to love water.

Not a noisy breed

When we bark, we bark loud. However, it is not typical for a Gordon Setter to bark unless we have a good reason for it. For example, if we get startled or see something suspicious.

Or we might vocalize a fair bit as a sign of restlessness. Or just a case of needing to jam out:

Gordon Setters require little grooming, but...

We need brushing/combing routinely twice a week, and our ears need regular cleaning as they are prone to ear infections.

Healthy breed

The Gordon setter is a genuinely healthy breed. Still, we are prone to a few health implications due to our active lifestyles. For example, hip dysplasia is quite common, and regular check-ups with veterinarians or chiropractors are recommended.

On average, they reach an age between 10-13 years.