Llewellin Setter - TOP 10 Interesting Facts

1) Origin
Two people played important role in the development of Llewellin Setter. The first one was Edward Laverack who basicly developed the modern breed in 19th century in England and the second person was Richard Purcell Llewellin who wanted to create the best hunting setter possible and he perfected the breed for this purpose.
2) English Setter
There is an ongoing debate whether the Llewellin Setter is a separate or the same breed as the English Setter. The Llewellin Setters are basicly the dogs, that can trace their pedigree to the dogs developed by Richard Purcel Llewellin, but the differences are not big. Some sources say, that Llewellin Setters are better at hunting and that they are little bit shorter and have shorter ears. It can be said, that all Llewellins are English Setters but not all English Setters are Llewellin Setters.
3) Hunters
Mr Richard Purcel Llewellin wanted to created the best hunting bred English Setter not meant for a show ring. Of course it is very subjective what makes the best hunting dogs since different people will have different opinions, but the Llewellin Setter is definitely a great at hunting and Richard Llewellin’s dogs were consistent winners of field trials to a level never seen before. Even today, Llewellin Setters are often time used for hunting and thanks to their high prey drive, high endurance, independent mind, intelligence they are very very good at it. They have this natural tendency to find a retrieve birds, which is essential for setter breed.
4) Exercise
Today, it is not uncommon to have Llewellin Setter as a companion dog and not as a hunting dog. If that is the case, they need plenty of exercise to stay in good shape, healthy and happy. They are working dogs and they were used to work for long hours so daily longer walks, jogs, interactive playtime and exploring is essential to keep this dog happy. Many of them have natural retrieving tendencies, so they might enjoy playing fetch. They are also good at different dog sports like hunting and field trials, flyball or rally.

5) Companions
If you will provide this breed enough exercise, they are typically pretty calm and laid back indoors and they can live indoors with their family, but of course they will prefer a house with at least average sized yard. The Llewellin Setter is just an amazing companion. They are known to create a strong bond with its owner, they are mild mannered and sweet towards the whole family and they just thrive for our attention. They can live with children and thanks to their playful temperament they can be good partners for older kids. But of course you should always supervise the dog with a very young child. Due to the dogs higher prey drive, smaller household pets might be problematic.

6) Training
This is definitely an intelligent dog breed, but they are also independent, which is great, when they are on the hunt, but it can be little bit challenging for obedience training. Some people say they can be little bit stubborn and manipulative, they are definitely not total pushovers to train. This is why this is not a good choice for a novice or unexperienced dog owner. They need very patient, firm and most importantly consistent trainer.

7) Size
This is a medium to large sized dog breed with average height between 20-26 inch, which is 50-66 cm. The females are typically little bit smaller than males. Males also tend to be heavier, bulkier and they usually have bigger head.

8) Appearance
The Llewellin Setter has a deep chest, pretty long head, well developed deep and broad muzzle, oval or almond shaped eyes, medium-length pendant ears and beautiful long and fine white coat which features flecks of colour.

9) Maintenance
The Llewellin setter does shed and if you want to minimize the shedding you will have to brush their coat regularly, definitely several times a week. This will also prevent matting and keep the coat in top condition. Just like with all dogs, you should regularly check the dogs ears, eyes, nails and teeth and clean them or clip them if needed.

10) Health
Usually this is a healthy dog breed with average lifespan around 12 years. The biggest health issue is hip dysplasia. Other health conernc include elbow dysplasia, panosteitis, atopic dermatitis and endocrine pancreatic.