Exercise
A large adult dog such as an English Setter needs plenty of exercise. This does not apply to a young puppy. Over- exercise or a lot of free running at an early age does more
harm than good. Do not attempt to take a young puppy on a five-mile trek or expect him to keep pace with adult dogs. Inappropriate action such as this can lead to a puppy growing out of proportion or even contribute towards skeletal problems such as Hip Dysplasia.
An eight-week old puppy will get sufficient exercise just playing in the garden. When he has had his complete course of inoculations you can start to take him for walks on a lead. Start gradually and limit this to a couple of hundred yards for the first month or so (up to 6 months of age), extending the distance as the dog gets older and stronger.
You may have your dog well-trained at home, but when he is running free you may find he refuses to answer your commands. English Setters have a habit of appearing deaf when they wish to be and if they identify an interesting scent in the air, they will go and investigate, despite your protestations. Bear this in mind when exercising him off a lead. One does need suitable large open spaces away from all road traffic and other hazards to allow free exercise. Be responsible and ask for permission before exercising your dog on private land.
Even though they are energetic dogs, English Setters will frequently go from one extreme to the other. When visitors arrive, they will greet the person with lots of running around, tail-wagging, licking, jumping up, and perhaps barking. Try to deter them from jumping up at visitors.