Breeding & Presenting Gordon Setters

This article was originally published in Showsight Magazine, July 2014 issue.

Breeding & Presenting Gordon Setters

Breeding and exhibiting dogs of championship quality is both a science and an art, with a whole lot of luck thrown in for good measure. To make the decisions that produce a dog that not only has these fine qualities but also possesses health clearances and a great temperament only makes the task more daunting. Throw bird ability and agility into the mix, and the challenge can appear insurmountable.

Ours has become a sport that is extremely expensive—just the entry fees and travel expenses alone make a staggering total to middle-class people such as myself. Add to that the high cost of clearances, stud fees, and vet bills, and it is very hard for normal folks to compete. Now that I have reached the age where I can no longer show my own dogs, I must hire a great and kind handler as well. The costs become staggering and prohibitive.

I learned a very long time ago from a wise mentor that to be competitive on a shoestring budget, I had to put not just good dogs on the ground, but outstanding dogs. My mentor promised me that if I was willing to make tough decisions regarding breeding stock, I could compete with the big players.

I feel I have done that. I have two All Breed Best in Show Gordon Setters, two National Specialty winners, and most everything I own and exhibit finishes with at least one specialty win, some with all specialty wins. Not only do my bitches produce, but my stud dogs as well, even when bred to other lines.

It feels uncomfortable to say this—it feels like bragging—but that is why I was asked to write this article. I recently learned that my dogs have had a positive impact on the breed, which makes me feel both humble and proud. There has never been big money behind my dogs; I have not had a “huge face” handler showing my dogs, but I have been blessed with a wonderful and talented handler who has taken my dogs to heights we both thought impossible. In a sport described as being so political, it warms my heart that this is still possible to achieve—not always, but sometimes.

I was asked to write an article for ShowSight Magazine, explaining how we have achieved success while considering temperament and health clearances. Additionally, I was asked to comment on anything I feel is important for judges and exhibitors to know about Gordon Setters.

My philosophy about breeding stock, based on advice from my mentor so many years ago, is that just because a dog earns a championship title does NOT mean it needs to be or should be bred. If a dog is mediocre and struggled to finish, it will produce mediocre at best. Only the very best should ever be bred, and that outstanding bitch should be bred to the very best and most appropriate stud dog that can be found. The “most appropriate stud dog” doesn’t necessarily mean a male in my backyard or one that happens to be black and tan like the bitch. I see people breed what they’ve got to what they’ve got—over and over—and rarely do they get much better than what they started with.

I see top breeders who breed one of their bitches to a dog on the other side of the country or many states away and get puppies that take my breath away. They may own stunning champions they could use, but they choose not to. My advice is to be ruthless in your decisions about what should be bred, and certainly don’t be kennel blind when making that decision.

If you don’t do a credible job presenting your own dog, then don’t bemoan the fact that it doesn’t win when competing against dogs that are well-presented. How often do we see dogs poorly presented only to have the owners complain that they haven’t won and a handler beat them? The handler often shows a clean, well-groomed dog that is competently presented to its best.

Keep careful track of your judges. Not every dog wins under every judge. I usually give any judge 2 or 3 entries with different dogs, but if I notice a pattern—that they only see what is at the end of the lead, or they want a type unlike my line—I save my money and don’t enter under them again. Some judges I will enter under no matter where they are judging; other judges wouldn’t see my dogs if they judged one mile down the road.

I know judges consider drawing good entries at shows as something they take pride in. If that is so, be watchful of whom you point your finger at; because most certainly I am watching, and if you want to see one of my dogs again, you need to point to a good dog—not necessarily mine—but a good one; one that looks like a Gordon Setter.

Gordon Setters are a type breed; they are meant to be substantial. They are not Black and Tan Irish Setters, should not be presented with an extreme sloping topline, should not be groomed like an Irish Setter, and should not move like an Irish Setter. If the dog was painted green, would you recognize it as a Gordon Setter, or mistake it for an Irish Setter? Gordons are to have BONE, SUBSTANCE, BODY, and RIB CAGE SPRING. If they lack these traits and fly around the ring at breakneck speed, they are an Irish Setter in a black and tan coat, not correct type.

Type also depends greatly on head type. The standard states the head should be “brick on brick.” Head planes should be level, with a good stop—not too much or it looks like a Pointer; not too little or it looks like a Collie. There needs to be good depth of muzzle with sufficient flews, though not overly pendulous. A key aspect of head type is the eyes. I am a fanatic on dark eyes. The eyes should be dark, correctly shaped (almond, NOT round), and the expression should be sweet and soft, never hard or harsh (often from tan spots that are too large over the eyes).

Lastly, a Gordon should have a big, effortless stride with great reach and drive. They shouldn’t scramble or shuffle; they should move as if nothing hurts and NOT TOO FAST!

It is possible to put a healthy, sound Gordon Setter in the ring with great breed type and be successful. I am grateful for the many good judges who take their job seriously and find the best dog in the breed that day to award. As exhibitors, it is our job to breed the best Gordon Setters we can, and we need to take that job very seriously!