Hello-
Looking at getting my first hunting dog. Dog will live and spend most of its time indoors.
Should I expect any difference in the average brittany or english setter in the amount of energy it will have or ability to live comfortably in home?
What about grooming? I live in the northeast so worried about bringing ticks in the house. Any difference here? Or should I go short hair breed if concerned in that manner?
Thank you!
English Setter vs Brittany- better house dog?
Re: English Setter vs Brittany- better house dog?
Very little difference imo.. Like all gun dogs , their behaviour in the house depends almost entirely on the amount of hard running exercise they get. Do you have a place you can run the dog as it grows out of the puppy stage? A walk around the block isn't going to do it.
At the puppy stage, a walk at lunch is essential if no one is home all day. Grooming needs are minimal for both breeds.
Hats off to you for asking questions before the purchase. (Welcome to the forum.)
At the puppy stage, a walk at lunch is essential if no one is home all day. Grooming needs are minimal for both breeds.
Hats off to you for asking questions before the purchase. (Welcome to the forum.)
" We are more than our gender, skin color, class, sexuality or age; we are unlimited potential, and can not be defined by one label." quote A. Bartlett
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birddogger2
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Re: English Setter vs Brittany- better house dog?
As far as dispositions are concerned, I would say that "AS A BREED", field bred setters tend to be a little more mellow with people than field bred Brittanys. Most of the Brittanys I have known came toward me with the following attitude: "OK, I'm here...so where's the party??" The older setters I have know(not nearly so many) have been more like: "Can I curl up next to you and have you pet me? "
Once again "AS A BREED", Brittanys tend to be somewhat more compact than English setters, but to be sure, there are tiny setters and big brittanys.
I would not worry so much about dogs and bugs. You will undoubtedly be using some type of tick/flea repellent and they are pretty effective. Burrs and such are another matter. Both breeds will pick up vegetation type hitchikers that will need to be combed or cut out.
But since your dog will be inside most of the time, I will caution you regarding pet fur. Basically all the dogs you will be considering... shed. Since the dog will be mostly inside...it will shed year round pretty much. Longhaired fur, like setter or Brittany sheddings kinda lay on top of things and are fairly easy to vacuum up. The sheds from shorthaired dogs are like little spears and they stick deep into most fabrics making them a real PIA to remove.
Add to that the fact that many shorthaired dogs have a lot of white fur, which shows up very nicely against most darker backgrounds.
Lots to consider. Welcome and good luck with your search.
RayG
Once again "AS A BREED", Brittanys tend to be somewhat more compact than English setters, but to be sure, there are tiny setters and big brittanys.
I would not worry so much about dogs and bugs. You will undoubtedly be using some type of tick/flea repellent and they are pretty effective. Burrs and such are another matter. Both breeds will pick up vegetation type hitchikers that will need to be combed or cut out.
But since your dog will be inside most of the time, I will caution you regarding pet fur. Basically all the dogs you will be considering... shed. Since the dog will be mostly inside...it will shed year round pretty much. Longhaired fur, like setter or Brittany sheddings kinda lay on top of things and are fairly easy to vacuum up. The sheds from shorthaired dogs are like little spears and they stick deep into most fabrics making them a real PIA to remove.
Add to that the fact that many shorthaired dogs have a lot of white fur, which shows up very nicely against most darker backgrounds.
Lots to consider. Welcome and good luck with your search.
RayG
Re: English Setter vs Brittany- better house dog?
Thanks for both responses.
Funny description of the dog personalities!
My wife really likes springer spaniels. Any different answer in regards to disposition or shedding etc?
As for exercise, we have a small fenced yard. Approx 25 yards x 10 yards. The plan is dog gets to play in yard as much as it wants during day. Dog gets 20-30 minute focused exercise/run every 2-3 days. On weekend dog gets a big run or hunt etc. Does this sound sufficient to keep the dogs behavior in check?
Funny description of the dog personalities!
My wife really likes springer spaniels. Any different answer in regards to disposition or shedding etc?
As for exercise, we have a small fenced yard. Approx 25 yards x 10 yards. The plan is dog gets to play in yard as much as it wants during day. Dog gets 20-30 minute focused exercise/run every 2-3 days. On weekend dog gets a big run or hunt etc. Does this sound sufficient to keep the dogs behavior in check?
Re: English Setter vs Brittany- better house dog?
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Re: English Setter vs Brittany- better house dog?
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" We are more than our gender, skin color, class, sexuality or age; we are unlimited potential, and can not be defined by one label." quote A. Bartlett
Re: English Setter vs Brittany- better house dog?
I had two Britts before my current setter.
In my experience, the setter is the much better dog in every regard including house manners. My Britts would chew things up, get into garbage and bark crazy when someone pulled down the driveway. With my setter, I could leave a bag of garbage with food scraps in it and he would never tear into it. He has also never barked or growled at anyone.
Again, just my experience but I wish I had always had setters.
In my experience, the setter is the much better dog in every regard including house manners. My Britts would chew things up, get into garbage and bark crazy when someone pulled down the driveway. With my setter, I could leave a bag of garbage with food scraps in it and he would never tear into it. He has also never barked or growled at anyone.
Again, just my experience but I wish I had always had setters.
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gundogguy
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Re: English Setter vs Brittany- better house dog?
Forget about it! Springers would be a terrible choice Shed like crazy All that exercise only makes them want more, need to be trained to the hilt.Joe3232 wrote: ↑Tue Nov 19, 2019 9:20 pm
My wife really likes springer spaniels. Any different answer in regards to disposition or shedding etc?
As for exercise, we have a small fenced yard. Approx 25 yards x 10 yards. The plan is dog gets to play in yard as much as it wants during day. Dog gets 20-30 minute focused exercise/run every 2-3 days. On weekend dog gets a big run or hunt etc. Does this sound sufficient to keep the dogs behavior in check?
A Setter or Brit would make a much better choice for you and your family.
Hal
Re: English Setter vs Brittany- better house dog?
Full disclosure, I've never owned a Brittany and I know every dog is an individual, but some of the Brits I've been around at events have this awful horrible scream thing going on. They get excited and the resultant vocalizations are ear splitting. Whereas the noisy setters do the repetitive bark bark bark thing. I'll take the bark, but the overall appeal of Brits apparently overcomes the noise factor for some folks.
Setters come in a wider variety of colors and color patterns. Both breeds have variation in size and type, but I think setters have more of them.
If you need a non-shedding dog, you'll have to look at those little hairless kind that need a sweater all the time. All the sporting breeds shed ( Maybe not Irish Water Spaniels, IDK about them with their poodle-y coat) As Ray stated above, the difference is the short haired ones leave little needle hairs stuck into the rugs, upholstery and your clothing while the long haired dogs sheds kind of lay on the surface. I recommend investing in a Shark vacuum and counting on 10-15 minutes a day with it to keep the house relatively hair free.
It sounds like you plan to leave the dog in the yard most of the day? Just know that a outside a possible minute or two of "zoomies" young dogs don't generally just randomly run around all by themselves. But they will dig up plants, chew the patio furniture, and make good use of whatever mudhole they find or make. Depending on your dog's needs, plan on wearing him down before you leave for work and after you get home, almost every single day. Go with the understanding that the more fit the dog is, the more rigorous your wear-down program will need to be until the dog is somewhat older.
You could just not worry about exercising the dog at all and deal with the consequences of misplaced pent up energy. It will adjust. But then, you won't have much of a hunting partner when you decide to pull him off the sofa when you need his help.
Owning a sporting breed is a huge commitment of time and energy, and usually money. But IME it's all worth every minute and dime of it. Without the dogs, we'd probably miss those lovely late afternoons outdoors when the light seems to be made of golden cream, and the cool misty morning when the birds are in full throat. We'd be checking Facebook instead of enjoying long walks or jogs around the neighborhood, and we would miss the first spring wildflowers in the woods, and the clouds of monarch butterflies rising of the goldenrod in autumn fields. I find the hours spent outdoors under God's sky to be priceless regardless of season.
Go into this venture with your eyes open to both pros and cons. Good luck with your decision.
Setters come in a wider variety of colors and color patterns. Both breeds have variation in size and type, but I think setters have more of them.
If you need a non-shedding dog, you'll have to look at those little hairless kind that need a sweater all the time. All the sporting breeds shed ( Maybe not Irish Water Spaniels, IDK about them with their poodle-y coat) As Ray stated above, the difference is the short haired ones leave little needle hairs stuck into the rugs, upholstery and your clothing while the long haired dogs sheds kind of lay on the surface. I recommend investing in a Shark vacuum and counting on 10-15 minutes a day with it to keep the house relatively hair free.
It sounds like you plan to leave the dog in the yard most of the day? Just know that a outside a possible minute or two of "zoomies" young dogs don't generally just randomly run around all by themselves. But they will dig up plants, chew the patio furniture, and make good use of whatever mudhole they find or make. Depending on your dog's needs, plan on wearing him down before you leave for work and after you get home, almost every single day. Go with the understanding that the more fit the dog is, the more rigorous your wear-down program will need to be until the dog is somewhat older.
You could just not worry about exercising the dog at all and deal with the consequences of misplaced pent up energy. It will adjust. But then, you won't have much of a hunting partner when you decide to pull him off the sofa when you need his help.
Owning a sporting breed is a huge commitment of time and energy, and usually money. But IME it's all worth every minute and dime of it. Without the dogs, we'd probably miss those lovely late afternoons outdoors when the light seems to be made of golden cream, and the cool misty morning when the birds are in full throat. We'd be checking Facebook instead of enjoying long walks or jogs around the neighborhood, and we would miss the first spring wildflowers in the woods, and the clouds of monarch butterflies rising of the goldenrod in autumn fields. I find the hours spent outdoors under God's sky to be priceless regardless of season.
Go into this venture with your eyes open to both pros and cons. Good luck with your decision.
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Dakotazeb
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Re: English Setter vs Brittany- better house dog?
I'll jump in here in defense of Brittanys. I'm on my 4th and all have been absolutely great house dogs. Not destructive and very little, if any, barking. They all seemed to have a switch that they turned off in the house and back on in the field.
I've been trialing in NSTRA for about 10 years and the dogs that seem to be the loudest and barking the most at trials when tied up are Shorthairs and Setters.
My personal opinion is that it's more in the breeding, training and the environment they are raised in, than it is the breed. My kids were all gone before I got into Brittanys and so the dogs were raised in a quiet environment around just my wife and myself. Thus quiet dogs. Bring any dog into a home with some fairly wild youngsters that want to be loud ans tear around the house and the dog will be the same. I've seen that with my daughter's Brittany.
I think both Brittanys and Setters have about the same ability to be excellent house dogs. You just need to do your due diligence in selecting a breeder and breeding regardless of breed. And consider the environment they are being raised in. Good luck with your decision.
I've been trialing in NSTRA for about 10 years and the dogs that seem to be the loudest and barking the most at trials when tied up are Shorthairs and Setters.
My personal opinion is that it's more in the breeding, training and the environment they are raised in, than it is the breed. My kids were all gone before I got into Brittanys and so the dogs were raised in a quiet environment around just my wife and myself. Thus quiet dogs. Bring any dog into a home with some fairly wild youngsters that want to be loud ans tear around the house and the dog will be the same. I've seen that with my daughter's Brittany.
I think both Brittanys and Setters have about the same ability to be excellent house dogs. You just need to do your due diligence in selecting a breeder and breeding regardless of breed. And consider the environment they are being raised in. Good luck with your decision.
Re: English Setter vs Brittany- better house dog?
I have a Brittany. She is inside if we are home. She sheds. Wool rugs are not your friend with these dogs. Mine is a great house dog and sticks to you like Velcro one minute then quietly goes off in a corner the next. If left alone in the yard she will dig. Probably all of these dogs will since their nose gets them in trouble. I would look very closely are the disposition and shedding of the parents of your pup. Some Brittanys shed more than others. Mine is a short coat also.
Good luck with your search
Good luck with your search
Re: English Setter vs Brittany- better house dog?
Thank you all! We decided on a 5 month old "started" setter. She was pointing birds, not gun shy and showed what as a novice I would call decent prey drive in the short time we were with her.
The first two days have gone well.
If you have any words of wisdom on initial obedience/house training, please pass them my way!
The first two days have gone well.
If you have any words of wisdom on initial obedience/house training, please pass them my way!
Re: English Setter vs Brittany- better house dog?
Congrats on the new pup.
Starting with house manners is easy.
Crate train. I use the plastic airline crates because my dogs have always settled in them better than the wire ones. Plus, the plastic crates are better at containing dirt and hair...no little halos of dog scurf around the perimeter of the crate. Crating keeps the dog out of trouble when you aren't around, keeps her safe in your vehicle, and is a great place for a dog to chill when family life gets crazy.
Housebreaking might go faster with an older pup. We always took ours out on a lead or checkcord and gave a command like "Hurry up" when they went. That way when we travel or whatever, walking the dogs isn't a long drawn out affair...they pee pretty much on demand. For your pup, take her out first thing in the morning, last thing at night, and several times during the day especially after playtime or feedtime. Praise when she does her business. Be aware that females can tend toward UTIs, so if she seems suddenly more accident prone, have your vet check her out.
Teach "wait" or "whoa" or whatever command you want that means "stand still". This is easy at feed time...make her wait until you put down the pan and release her ro chow down. Make her wait while you pass through doorways first, make her wait for her treats, etc.
You can work on recalls around the house or in the yard.
Teach her to walk nicely on a lead. I always start with a lead, not a checkcord, because I want my dogs to handle much more independently on the cc during the steadying process.
Teach her to respond to "Enough!" or whatever command you like when you want her to settle down or to stop barking.
I don't think there is anything wrong with teaching parlor tricks, especially if you have kids.
Remember that dogs are the most optimistic opportunists in the whole world, so don't let your pup do things now that you won't want her to do in the future. So if the sofa will be off limits, enforce that and don't let her cheat. Same with begging for table scraps and any other little habits that might become annoying later. Once a dog thinks something is OK with you, they'll try and go for it forever after you change the rules. (ask me how I know
)
If you work on this stuff over the winter, you'll have a pretty good bond and a good start when you get around to yardwork in the nice weather.
Have fun and enjoy the journey.
Starting with house manners is easy.
Crate train. I use the plastic airline crates because my dogs have always settled in them better than the wire ones. Plus, the plastic crates are better at containing dirt and hair...no little halos of dog scurf around the perimeter of the crate. Crating keeps the dog out of trouble when you aren't around, keeps her safe in your vehicle, and is a great place for a dog to chill when family life gets crazy.
Housebreaking might go faster with an older pup. We always took ours out on a lead or checkcord and gave a command like "Hurry up" when they went. That way when we travel or whatever, walking the dogs isn't a long drawn out affair...they pee pretty much on demand. For your pup, take her out first thing in the morning, last thing at night, and several times during the day especially after playtime or feedtime. Praise when she does her business. Be aware that females can tend toward UTIs, so if she seems suddenly more accident prone, have your vet check her out.
Teach "wait" or "whoa" or whatever command you want that means "stand still". This is easy at feed time...make her wait until you put down the pan and release her ro chow down. Make her wait while you pass through doorways first, make her wait for her treats, etc.
You can work on recalls around the house or in the yard.
Teach her to walk nicely on a lead. I always start with a lead, not a checkcord, because I want my dogs to handle much more independently on the cc during the steadying process.
Teach her to respond to "Enough!" or whatever command you like when you want her to settle down or to stop barking.
I don't think there is anything wrong with teaching parlor tricks, especially if you have kids.
Remember that dogs are the most optimistic opportunists in the whole world, so don't let your pup do things now that you won't want her to do in the future. So if the sofa will be off limits, enforce that and don't let her cheat. Same with begging for table scraps and any other little habits that might become annoying later. Once a dog thinks something is OK with you, they'll try and go for it forever after you change the rules. (ask me how I know
) If you work on this stuff over the winter, you'll have a pretty good bond and a good start when you get around to yardwork in the nice weather.
Have fun and enjoy the journey.
Re: English Setter vs Brittany- better house dog?
Thanks for the tips. Can you explain these two points?
Also, when walking on a leash, should I have her "heeling" the whole time or is better to encourage her to be out front exploring?
Re: English Setter vs Brittany- better house dog?
What Dakotazeb said. You do not want your dog pulling you around all the time, right? It's rude and annoying at best, and can be dangerous if she trips you up or pulls you over.
On the cc, yes. It's for training on birds, and I want my dog out front looking for them. Even then, you can have her at heel until released with whatever word you want, like OK or find 'em.
On the cc, yes. It's for training on birds, and I want my dog out front looking for them. Even then, you can have her at heel until released with whatever word you want, like OK or find 'em.
Re: English Setter vs Brittany- better house dog?
You can have your dog do both, heeling and being out front on a lead (mines 6ft). I say this because I like to walk my dog and exercise him in my neighborhood when I can't get him out in a field to run. I walk him out front with a harness on and have him pull on me so there is a small amount of resistance... sure I have to correct him a times when he pulls to hard, but I just give him a quick jerk back and he figures out what I want. When someone or another dog approaches I just bring him to heel.
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bamanicksbd
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Re: English Setter vs Brittany- better house dog?
I’ve had both in the house. To some extent in my experience any dog with spaniel in its name has been hyper. The setters I’ve had tend to be more laid back. Less barking etc.
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bamanicksbd
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Re: English Setter vs Brittany- better house dog?
Just dont spoil them lolol.
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Featherfinder
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Re: English Setter vs Brittany- better house dog?
I had Brittanys for about 26 years. I've had 3 setters after that.
A big part of their fabric regardless of the breed, is genetic. If you want a reasonable assessment of what you're getting, look at the sire and dam.
Subsequently, what your next pup is like in the home will be determined by you. If you do not establish what is acceptable and what is not, it reflects on you more-so than pup.
In closing, I have been blessed with exceptional dogs throughout my life. Two stand out. One was a Brittany 8itch that was truly amazing both in the field and as a companion. The other was a setter 8itch - again remarkable. We feel the absence of both these dogs to this day.
I vote setter.
A big part of their fabric regardless of the breed, is genetic. If you want a reasonable assessment of what you're getting, look at the sire and dam.
Subsequently, what your next pup is like in the home will be determined by you. If you do not establish what is acceptable and what is not, it reflects on you more-so than pup.
In closing, I have been blessed with exceptional dogs throughout my life. Two stand out. One was a Brittany 8itch that was truly amazing both in the field and as a companion. The other was a setter 8itch - again remarkable. We feel the absence of both these dogs to this day.
I vote setter.