Training
As with any other dog, it is important that your English Setter is taught the difference between right and wrong as soon as he joins your household. It is good practice to make him understand that he has a place of his own to which he can retire when it is time for bed or to which he will be sent when being disobedient. This may be a box, a bean bag, a rug, or even a chair, but he should recognise it as his own. If you do not wish him to climb onto a chair or your bed when he is an adult, then do not allow him to do so when he is a puppy.
When a puppy is separated from its mother and its siblings it is understandable that it feels lonely and unhappy. You will probably experience a few sleepless nights if the puppy is crying. Don't worry as this will subside within a few days. Don't give in to his cries and allow him into the bedroom if you do not want that to be his normal sleeping place. You will only give yourself a long-term problem by doing this. Try to give the young puppy something to comfort him ... perhaps the warmth of a hot-water bottle wrapped in an old blanket, a ticking clock , or leave a radio switched on.
Like children, puppies enjoy playing with toys. You may decide to give him an old slipper or a sock to play with. Do not let him chew it up unless you want him to chew your best shoes when he is an adult. He will not be able to differentiate between an old item of clothing you have discarded and a new item you have just been given as a present.
When your English Setter is ready for lead-training, you must first choose an appropriate lead. Many people choose a separate collar and lead (available in leather or nylon) whereas others choose a combined "choke lead" (available in leather, nylon, or as a metal chain). When a dog is attempting to pull on its lead, it needs to be given an appropriate command and "checked" so that it stops pulling. Unlike a "choke lead", a collar does not lend itself as well to the "checking" jerk which is required. However, you must ensure that a "choke lead" is of the correct size and construction such that it releases easily after a jerking action. Metal "choke chains" may be effective as a training aid, but they tend to spoil the coat around the neck of an English Setter, and are not recommended. A rounded leather collar may prove to be the most suitable as this will not mark the neck quite as badly as a flat leather or nylon collar.
English Setters are wonderful companions, but they have a reputation for being stubborn and this can be extremely frustrating. They may be within a few feet of the owner, and when called, may ignore you. It's not that they have not heard ... in fact, if you look closer, you will notice a slight twitch from the ears. They are listening to what is being said and deciding whether it is really worth the effort of responding.
Having said that, an English Setter can be trained and there are probably many cases where owners have their dogs obeying every command. However, they are not like Retrievers or Spaniels and it is really unreasonable to expect them to act in a similar manner. The natural hunting instinct of a setter is such that it will prefer to range out in front of you rather than walk by your side. You may think they are obeying you, but there will always be instances where the wilful streak emerges and they decide to go on runabout until they decide it's time to return.