IT’S A CURIOUS FACT that the English setter is almost certainly the number one shooting dog in Europe and popular, too, in North America, but not here in its native country. We tend to regard setters of any type as specialist dogs, best for pointing grouse but never as a rough-shooter’s companion. In contrast, in Scandinavia, Spain, France, Italy and Greece the English setter is the hunter’s favourite and is expected to hunt, point and retrieve.
There’s a touch of irony in the fact that one of the
