Gordon Setter

(Breed Standard)

Partha Sekhar Chatterjee

International All Breeds Dog Show Judge

General Appearance 

The Gordon Setter is a stylish dog, with galloping lines. It is consistent with its build which can be compared to a weight carrying hunter. Conformation is symmetrical throughout.

Characteristics

They are intelligent, able and dignified.

Temperament 

They are bold, outgoing and of a kindly even disposition.

Head and Skull

The head is deep rather than broad, but broader than muzzle, showing brain room. The skull is slightly rounded broadest between the ears. They have a clearly defined stop, the length from the occiput to stop is slightly longer than nose from stop to nose. Lean below and above eyes. The cheeks are as narrow as leanness of the head allows. The muzzle is fairly long with almost parallel lines, neither pointed, nor snipy. Flews not pendulous. They have clearly defined lips. The nose is large and broad. The nostrils are open and black. The muzzle is not quite as deep as its length.

Eyes

They are dark brown, bright, neither deep nor prominent, set sufficiently under brows, shown keen, intelligent expression.

Ears 

They are of medium size, thin. Set low, and lying close to head.

Mouth 

The jaws are strong with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square to the jaws.

Neck 

It is long, lean and arched, without throatiness.

Forequarters 

The shoulders are blades long with a sloping back, wide flat bone, close at withers, not loaded. The elbows are well let down and close to the body. The forelegs are flat boned, straight, strong with upright pasterns.

Body 

The body is of moderate length, a deep brisket, and ribs well sprung. Back ribs are deep, wide and slightly arched. The chest is not broad.

Hindquarters 

Broad and muscular. The hock of the heel length is short and strong, well bent stifles straight from hock joint to ground. The pelvis tends to the horizontal.

Feet

They are oval, close knit, with well arched toes and plenty of hair between. They have well padded toes with deep hell cushions.

Tail 

It is straight or slightly scimitar, not reaching below the hocks. It is carried horizontally or below line of the back. It is thick at the root, tapering to fine point. Feather or flag starting near root, long straight, growing shorter to point.

Gait

They have a steady, free moving and true, gait with plenty of drive from behind.

Coat 

On the head, front of legs, tips of ears it is short and fine, of moderate length, flat and free from curl or waves on all other parts of the body. Feather on upper portion of ears long and silky, on backs of legs long, fine, flat and straight, fringes on belly may extend to chest and throat. As free as possible from curl or wave.

Colour 

They are of deep shining coal black, without rustiness, with markings of chestnut red, i.e. lustrous tan. Black penciling on the toes and black streak under jaw is permissible. Tan markings: two clear spots over eyes not over three quarters of an inch in diameters. One sides of muzzle, tan not reaching above base of nose, resembling a stripe around clearly defined end of muzzle from one side to another. Also on throat, two large, clear spots on chest. On inside hindlegs and inside thighs, showing down front of stifle and broadening out to outside of hindlegs from hock to toes. On forelegs, up to elbows behind, and to the knees or little above, in front, around vent. Very small white spot on chest permissible. No other colour permissible.

Size 

They measure 62 to 66 cm in height and 25 to 30 kg in weight.

Faults: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree. 

Note: The males should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

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