Gun Dog Forum

My ES is starting to slow down showing signs of old age (11yrs). He's the 1st ES that I've owned.... anyway all other hunting dogs I've had lived to 14-16yrs of age. I looked on google and life expectancy is around 11yrs average for ES. Those of you that have or had ES's do you find that to be true with your dogs that you've kept in good hunting shape? Also how long did you keep hunting them when they were slowing down with age?

That is a good age for any hunting dog several last longer others do not make 11yrs a lot depends on whether they are house or pen keep . Dogs in the outside usally do not live as long ,but I love to hunt them as long as they can . That is a dogs life they live to hunt . not taking him hunting & keeping him in the house is like putting us older people in a nursing home you are taking away what they live for . & this night sound terable to some but when they start having a lot of pain & sickness . Take them out for there last hunt .not to a vet for a shot ////

This is one of the reasons I like this line of GSPS I own & breed.My 2 foundation dogs ACE & Ginger lived long healthy lives only needing Vet Care for accidents.Ace lived a couple mos past 13 & Ginger a couple mos past 15.
I still have a daughter Wendy will be 14 this coming Oct. & a son Major will be 15 in June.Major has never been to the vet since he was a pup & if you saw him you would probably call me a liar when I told you his age.
Wendy is not in as good a shape as Major but she produced 3 litters of very nice pups for me including my FC Vonzeppelins Distant Star,& younger half Brother Vonzepplins Wind Storm Rasin who just needs his retrieving points to finish his FC.
They are all outside kennel dogs with very lovable dispositions & love attention from anyone grown ups or children.

It is very hard to watch them start to decline & go down hill but like all living beings it is inevitable love them as long as you can.

its not the breed of dog just like people some live longer life span. I would hunt the dog as long as you can maybe a half day hunt instead of all day when you see its hurting the dog then its time to retire dog

nevermind wrote:My ES is starting to slow down showing signs of old age (11yrs). He's the 1st ES that I've owned.... anyway all other hunting dogs I've had lived to 14-16yrs of age. I looked on google and life expectancy is around 11yrs average for ES. Those of you that have or had ES's do you find that to be true with your dogs that you've kept in good hunting shape? Also how long did you keep hunting them when they were slowing down with age?

I have a 13 year old field setter. Lots of arthritic pain and is on pain killers , but in great body shape. No way she is staying home. When the other 2 are loading up she is at the door ready to go too. She hunts for maybe 30 minutes at a slow awkward gate and enjoys every minute of it. Pointed 2 woodcock to day. Still hunts better than her daughter ( 9). When she 's had enough she just follows me close. I have a locator collar on her in case she goes down or gets turned around. I'd rather have her go down in the field then on some vet's table.

The day she doesn't come to the door ready to go too , will be the day she stays home.

Hunted mine 13 years, couldn't get a gun or hunting clothes out of the house without her. Quick jaunts at the local club the last year instead of all day runs but she never stopped wanting to go.

The one I knew hunted until the year he died; which was 12. Never did slow down until that day. Go way to go.

Thanks for the reply's... I do plan on hunting him until he doesn't want to run. I'm just disappointed in the longevity of English Setters, but it won't stop me from getting another one ( already coming).

there are a lot of charts showing a dog years compared to human years.....they vary somewhat and the ones I've seen are not breed specific, but generally speaking an 11 year old Setter is probably comparable to a man in his 60's... My dogs (Setters and Springers) have averaged around 14 years. I had one that made 16, but I think that is an exception. I've found that after a dog reaches 10 years old they start to slow down....some slow down sooner than others. I hunt them as long as they can go, but gradually hunt them for shorter and shorter time periods. Just watch your dog.....he will tell you when he's done for the day.

nevermind wrote:Thanks for the reply's... I do plan on hunting him until he doesn't want to run. I'm just disappointed in the longevity of English Setters, but it won't stop me from getting another one ( already coming).

From what I read , the setter has a longevity very similar to other hunting breeds ( if kept well and in good condition of course.)

http://www.petmd.com/dog/wellness/evr_d ... _dogs_live

nevermind wrote:My ES is starting to slow down showing signs of old age (11yrs). He's the 1st ES that I've owned.... anyway all other hunting dogs I've had lived to 14-16yrs of age. I looked on google and life expectancy is around 11yrs average for ES. Those of you that have or had ES's do you find that to be true with your dogs that you've kept in good hunting shape? Also how long did you keep hunting them when they were slowing down with age?

If your previous dogs have lived to 14-16 years of age I think you have been the exception rather than the norm. With the dogs I've had (ESS, Lab & Brittanys) I have seen a general decline starting at about age 9-10. Seems once they reach age 12 anything can happen and a relatively healthy dog at that age can develop health issues all at once. As evidenced by my 12 year old Brittany. She has been very healthy to this point. Still has good hearing and eye sight. All of a sudden 3 weeks ago she starts drinking large amounts of water. Got tests back to day and she has Cushings Disease plus the vet is concerned about pancreatitis because she has an infection of some sort. We went from a health dog to now wondering if she is going to make it in less than a month.

Unbelievable how that happens. I had a 14 year old dog who on a Thursday was running in the fields having a great time and on Friday was dying. ( Now that I think of it, I guess that happens with humans too. Enjoy every day folks.)

My dad raised ES. The last litter was Nov 1941. the month I was born. Last dog in that litter hunted with me till I was 17. He was still alive up to opening day 1959 . He was 18 yrs old. Never had a dog last past 12 yr since.

Sharon wrote:Unbelievable how that happens. I had a 14 year old dog who on a Thursday was running in the fields having a great time and on Friday was dying. ( Now that I think of it, I guess that happens with humans too. Enjoy every day folks.)

So sorry to hear this Sharon

September 5th Zoe will be 13. She is doing great health wise, knock wood. No problems with hips or signs or arthritis. I think she should be easily hunting (short trips) another few years without any issues. Teeth are still good but the breath is a little stinky! She had never had a dental cleanings or anything like that, but no tooth loss.

She has been on the same food (company) most of her entire life. I did make some changes in regards to which diet. I have concluded her granular diet which was her staple food has become a little too rich in her older age. What was happening a normal front end but very loose back end, and got to the point with accidents in the house shortly after coming back in the house. I corrected things but cutting back on the protein by switching to a kibble product (New York Natural) and mixing that about 50% with the granular type feed. She also gets a Petco pro-biotic/digestive enzyme tablet everyday at mealtime. That combination of food and the tablet has been working well.