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Lawerack Laverack Llewellin (or Llewellyn) Setter
Basic Info
It is part of the Setter family, which includes red
Irish Setters, Irish Red and White Setters, and black
Gordon Setters. This breed is a gun dog, bred for a mix
of endurance and athleticism. The coat is flat with
light feathering of long length. They have a long,
flowing coat that requires regular grooming. The various
speckled coat colors when occurring in the dog are
referred to as belton; valid combinations are white with
black flecks (blue belton) or with orange flecks (orange
belton— depending on the intensity of the color, they
might be lemon belton or liver belton), or white with
black and tan flecks (tricolour belton).
Health
A relatively healthy breed, Setters have few genetic
problems but some problems occasionally occur. Canine
hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, and canine
hypothyroidism are some of the more well-known ailments
that can affect this dog.
Behavior
This breed's standard temperament can be described as
friendly and good natured; however, it can also be
strong-willed and mischievous. They are energetic,
people-oriented dogs, so are well suited to families who
can give them attention and activity, or to working with
a hunter, where they have a job to do. They are active
dogs that need plenty of exercise.
Origin
United Kingdom
History
The dog was originally bred to set or point upland
game birds. From the best available information, it
appears that the English Setter was a trained bird dog
in England more than 400 years ago. There is evidence
that they originated in crosses of the Spanish Pointer,
large Water Spaniel, and Springer Spaniel, which
combined to produce an excellent bird dog with a high
degree of proficiency in finding and pointing game in
open country. The modern English Setter owes its
appearance to Mr. Edward Laverack (1800-1877), who
developed his own strain of the breed by careful
inbreeding during the 19th century in England and to
another Englishman, Mr. R. Purcell Llewellin
(1840-1925), who based his strain upon Laverack's and
developed the working Setter. Today, you still hear the
term Llewellin Setter, but this is not a separate breed.
Instead, it is often used as an alternate name for a
field-bred. With time, Laverack inbred successfully to
produce beautiful representatives of the breed. The
first show for English Setters was held in 1859 at
Newcastle-on-Tyne. The breed's popularity soared across
England as shows became more and more widespread. Not
long after, the first English Setters were brought to
North America, including those that began the now-famous
Llewellin strain recorded in the writing of Dr. William
A Burette. From this group of dogs came the foundation
of the field-trial setter in America, "Count Noble," who
is currently mounted in the Carnegie Museum at
Pittsburgh. At present, the English is one of the most
popular and elegant sporting breeds, often grouped with
its cousins, the Irish and Gordon Setters.
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