Working
The sight of a working English Setter in full flow, through purple heather, in search of the glorious grouse is difficult to equal. The elegant style, with head held high, quartering from side to side into the wind to find a trace of the elusive scent. Suddenly a faint touch of smell brings the dog to a halt, head facing into the wind, then quietly and slowly drawing forward towards the source, before stiffening to set the goal.
It is said by many, trialers and shooters alike, that the English Setter is by far the cleverest of the setting and pointing dogs and perhaps it is this added fire which also acknowledges them as the most difficult to train.
The function of the modern English Setter is mainly to find gamebirds, predominantly grouse in the North of England and Scotland, and flush them for shooting.Field Trials for Setters and Pointer are, in essence, a simulation of a shooting day and take part at selected times of the year.
Another aspect of Field Trials is the Show Gundog Working Certificate. This is for show dogs who have won ore more C.C.'s and can be entered three times in the dog's life and not more than twice in a Field Trial Year.
For further information on 'The Working English Setter' there is a comprehensive chapter in the book "English Setters, Into The Millennium', from which the details and photograph above are taken.