Brittany or English Setter

[BigBoyTank]

Assuming all things are equal litter quality/breeder quality....what are the primary differences with regard to trainability, intelligence, temperment etc....as well as training style ....Thanks

[natetnc]

i find brits to be a little more personable with short-med range. i find e setters to be more instinctive pointers and have med-long range. there are others on here with more experience than me, i just formed these opinions from the few i have been around.

*edit* brits seem to be a little softer than setters as well

[Brushbustin Sporting Dogs]

You can't compare breeds like this. As with people there is a hugh variance. Brittanys you will find will be different across the board as well with setters. One very good trainer once told me that setters don't retain there training very well. At the lodge I guide there is a setter that at one point when at the trainer he was fully broke and retreived to hand to this day I personally have never seen this dog point a bird, didn't retain his training, but exception to the rule we also have a rescue dog that once apo a time was work hard and to this day he is only work when he is out hunting and is a joy to hunt behind because he is trained very well. Point being that you can't judge off one thing you've seen or been told. Breeds vary as much as the next it just depends on what you want really.

[BigBoyTank]

I own brittanys and have been around alot....so i have a basic knowledge of how they train what things work and what dont and what to expect with regard to a house pet......i guess the question should have been how do setters train ? are they difficult to train and what kind of pet i.e. temperment do they have

[Brushbustin Sporting Dogs]

The thing you have to ask yourself is " how well does a kid learn?" People like dogs learn things differently, easier or harder than others. We try to say certain breeds and certain things but its all stereotypes. Setters are very diverse in there breed. Some are big running All Age dogs but many are used in the grouse woods also. You can target certain lines of Setters and then maybe ask questions about how they learn and such, but you can't say one statement about a whole "race or breed" of dogs. Think about dogs like you or we think about people we're not really all that differnet from a dog.

[Mav&Lizzy]

I've had about a dozen setters in my life. I've seen the spectrum as far as training and range. Some were easy to train, some did it all naturally and yet others made me want to run head first into a brick wall!! I've had one that would run to the next county and hunt and one that is a boot polisher. The rest have all hunted by adapting to the cover and me. In other words thick cover or me on foot they hunt closer, if I'm working them off of a 4 wheeler or horse they will GET out there!! I've never met a setter that didn't have a good temperment. I had one that would go to his kennel or find a corner in the house when the kids were around but he was older. He was never aggressive but just wasn't personable. Every other setter I've ever been around loves people and attention. All but one have been easy to potty/crate train. I have a Llewellyn male now that is probably the biggest setter I've ever had (weighs about 65lbs). While a little hard headed (under 2 years old so still plenty of puppy) is the softest dog I've ever been around. The slightest bit of pressure and he folds like a limp rag!! In the field he will run and run and run. Big, long haired and even the heat won't slow him down. In the house though he will be on your lap in a heartbeat!! He is the family lap dog and the best setter I have currently.
I would recommend a setter to anyone with a family and the dog is going to be a family pet also. I'll be the first to admit I'm biased but IMO you can't beat a setter to hunt plus be an all around pet!

[ezzy333]

This is a question that can only be answered by you. Both breeds are hunting dogs with the setters being a little bigger. You can find dogs in either breed that are hard to train, easy to train, work close, range big, are great pets, and a few that aren't. Those are the qualities so make your choice since you are the only one that needs to be happy with the choice.

Ezzy

[jbsetter]

I looked at three breeds when I was trying to choose my first pointing dog... English Pointer, Setters (English and Red), and Brittanys.

To me it came down to the looks and temperment. I chose a Red Setter (have had three total now). I have never been around a dog that is so different from field to home. Loads of intensity to hunt, and loads of intensity to love thier people at home. I really liked the small size (35-45 lbs for females) and short to medium coat. I also like the fact that not many others had that breed.

As far as training goes. I have one female who was ready to hunt at 9 months. She trained herself. The other has been taking a lot longer. She is almost three, but is almost there. For her it has not been a intelligence issue. She is very soft and I have had to go VERY slow and easy.

Like everyone else has been saying. You can find goods and bads in every breed. I think you can really narrow down specific traits more if you focus on specific breeders and/or lines.

[BigBoyTank]

my heart lies with brittanys as this is the only hunting breed I have owned....I guess I was just curious about setters......I understand everyones point with regard to good and bad dogs in not only both breeds but in same litters as well....I am a foot hunter and like close to medium range dogs....I also like the size of the brittany....Maybe I should have provided more detail from my original question but what I said was all things equal.....both good breeders/breeding close working dogs that I like ....what if any diferences are there....I believe this is what all people do or should do when choosing a breed....there are standards...temperment/conformation etc....these standards are based on the majority.....

[Scott]

I have both. Right now I have two brittany's and a English Setter. I think both breeds are GREAT family dogs. One of my brittany's is an awesome dog. She will tear it up with the mearns quail, retrieves ducks and is an all around great dog. We kinda let the wildbirds train her. My other brittany is very strong willed, has lots of run to him and a prey drive that has tested my patience but has proved to be a great dog and now competes in AKC events. It took another trainer for him to be steady. My setter is the biggest sweetheart. She is a very nice dog in the house that will lie around and enjoy the family. Kind of a timid dog and I would say she might have been a little slower to mature in her training than the brittany's but she is a good dog. I broke her out. She hunts wild birds well, very stylish, huge run and will hunt for 5-6 hours, (in my opinion there is nothing cooler than a setter on point) over all a great dog.

I guess what I am getting at is I have three different personalities with three different dogs, two of which are the same breed. But they are all traits that I have seen in Brittany's and in Setters.

Ezzy brings up a good point, I think size is the main difference to me. Overall I think both breeds are great. Even so my next dogs will be brittany's and I can't explain the reason for it because our setter is an excellent dog and lots of fun to hunt with. Probably it is due to the fact most of my experience has been with brittany's and I belong to the brittany club.

Knine, has setters and brittany's I believe. Heck I might have even seen a pointer or two at their place. But I imagine she feels the same they are
both great dogs.

One of my hunting buddy's has 6 shorthairs. They are all awesome hunting dogs with somewhat different personalities. Some have similar personalities to my brittany's and Setter.

I think if I were to be looking at another dog. I would write down personality traits and hunting traits that I want. Then I would start talking with breeders and spend some time with their dogs to see which lines indeed have the personality and hunting traits that I desire.

So many excellent breeders out there I am sure you can find your exact dog in any breed. Thats why I don't breed dogs. So many awesome lines out there that give all the traits you want in a given breed.

[BigBoyTank]

Sounds like a good plan Scott. Thanks

[Flush]

I agree with most others, when it comes to personality type traits like you are asking about, it's really hard to generalize about different breeds. If you were asking about hunting style it would still be hard to generalize, but I think you can find differences in the way they hunt that are more consistent than temperament (which has a big impact on how to train). In general if you have a good system for training Brits, it should work just fine for Setters. They are much more alike than they are different if you are asking about fundamental training techniques. You will need to adjust things based on the individual dogs progress but you have to do that with any breed.

There is more variation in size and hunting style across the breed in setters than there are in Britts. Setters run the gamet of 30lb firecrackers to 70+pound "dual" type dogs, and both could be "good dogs from good breeders". This variation can be seen as a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you look at it. I like it, because there is a setter for just about everyones taste. It's not a luck of the draw on what you are going to get. If you work with a good breeder, they will know exactly what type of setter they will be producing for you. If you are big into strict breed standards, you probably would not agree that variation is good.

As breeds go, both Brits and Setters are very loving breeds and make great house dogs and family pets. It's hard to say much more than that about differences.

I will say that on the whole Brits may just mentally mature a little sooner, but I will also say Setters seem to show more natural instinct to point at an early age. In other words some setters can't take a lot of formal training young, but they will get out there and point real young so which breed is "ready" for hunting sooner really depends on how high of a level of training you need before you start to hunt. Again thats just my experience and not every Brit starts pointing later than every Setter, but I would say I have seen that trend, if only slight.

If you stick the conversation to strickly Setters with field trial breeding, I would say on average they run a little more than brits. Not necessarily range farther, but are more likely to perform their hunting duties at a more rapid run-type pace whereas Brits tend to have a little more deliberate and thorough approach. Both methods have pros and cons.
And some will swear the fast approach finds more birds, others the more thorough approach, and again that is not an absolute with these breeds.

Really in the end it will come down more to luck of the draw on the individual's temperament. The hunting style is really a matter of personal preference. You really need to spend some time watching setters and dealing with them yourself to form your own opinions. For every person that prefers Brits and raves about their qualities, I can find you someone who will say similar about Setters.
-Flush

[Scott]

Very well said Flush.

I agree. Both are great dogs. If you spend the time with breeders you will get the dog you are looking for.

[EWSIV]

If you get a dog from a good breeding, then the difference between the breeds is a little size and the length of the tail. There is of course great variation in individual dogs.

[RoundRiver Setters]

I agree with Flush and Scott also. ( By the way good name Scott )
I have two Ryman / Old Hemlock Setters. One is a pup and the other is about 3 years old. They are great family dogs. Likes to snuggle on the couch and the bed. Will hunt all day long for you. He is out there 50 or 60 yards quartering nicely and and swinging back to check in every couple of mins. Training was very easy. IMO you need to figure out what type of dog you want. Get the best breeding you can afford........Scott

[BigBoyTank]

cost really doesnt even come into play...I dont have a problem spending waht I need to get what I want...My prefrence is to get a dog from a breeder who is fairly local within 3 hrs so I can check the dogs out see the parents etc....I found a llewellin setter breeder in NH that I'm going to be visiting with to check out his dogs ....wish me luck

[RoundRiver Setters]

Best of luck and picking out te pup is the hardest part........ Scott

[RoundRiver Setters]

If you don't mind me asking who is the breeder?......scott

[BigBoyTank]

any suggestions

[BigBoyTank]

little river kennels ...ever heard of him

[RoundRiver Setters]

No I have not. But I am not up on the llewwllin lines. I know that Bondu and grouse ridge are some good lines....But I am more into the other type of setters ..........Sorry Scott

[Mav&Lizzy]

little river kennels ...ever heard of him

I have 2 ES and 1 LS. I've raised approximately 13 setter in my life. My LS is currently the best dog in my kennel and probably the 2nd best setter I've ever had.

Does this Kennel have a web site?

Before purchasing I'd pm with a few LS people. There are some on this site. Big Steve can point you in the right direction and highcotton could probably answer most questions. I know he is probably too far but highcotton kennels is a great place to start looking if you are serious about an LS.

I must warn you that, IMO, the are very addictive very loving affectionate little characters. There are lots of web sites that will also answer most questions you might have about LS. Not sure if Keith Hickam or whiterock still frequent here but they have a ton of knowledge about LS. Either one of these guys have probably forgotten more about LS than I'll ever know!!

www.llewellinsetter.net

[Wa Chukar Hunter]

I have seen ads about Little River Kennels but I have never personally seen any of the dogs.

One of my llewellins won an Open Puppy stake this weekend. TannerXPolly son.

[Mav&Lizzy]

I have seen ads about Little River Kennels but I have never personally seen any of the dogs.

One of my llewellins won an Open Puppy stake this weekend. TannerXPolly son.

Saw that on ourllewellins, congrats!