MyDogBreeds
English Setter is originated from United Kingdom but Cao da Serra de Aires is originated from Portugal. English Setter may grow 14 cm / 6 inches higher than Cao da Serra de Aires. English Setter may weigh 53 kg / 117 pounds more than Cao da Serra de Aires. Both English Setter and Cao da Serra de Aires has almost same life span. Both English Setter and Cao da Serra de Aires has almost same litter size. Both English Setter and Cao da Serra de Aires requires Moderate maintenance.
The English Setter seems to have been a hunting dog in England as far back as the 15th century. These dogs were known to be ‘setter types’ – hunting dogs that ‘set dogges’ – to set or point at game birds. It is believed that the English Setter is a cross of the Water Spaniel, Spanish Pointer and English Springer Spaniel. In the late 1500’s Sr. Johannes Caius, a sportsman, announced to his friends that there was a new dog our of France for hunting. He then describes an English Setter.
Then in the early 1800’s Rev. Harrison of Carlise sold a couple of setters to Mr. Laverack. This pair is the foundation for the breed of English Setters. Without really knowing, Laverack claimed that this line he was breeding from had been pure for 35 previous years. He inbred his male and female for many years and did well in confirmation and field trials.
Then in 1874 the first English Setters were imported to the US from this Laverack line. Mr. Llewellin then crossed the best dogs in the Laverack line with his dogs and eventually produced winning champions Armstrong Dash II and Dashing Bondhu. This led to the “Dashing Bondhu” or the Llewellin line of English Setters. This is why the English Setter is sometimes referred to as the Llewelllin or Laverack Setter.
The setter group to which the English setter belongs includes the Irish Setter, the Gordon Setters and the Irish Red and White Setter. The English Setter, as well as the others, were bred to hunt birds such as pheasant and quail. It was the job of the setter to find the prey and point it out to the hunter after it had been shot. They were also used to flush the birds from the brush so that the hunter could then release hawks to take down the prey. The English Setter is methodical and systemic in their approach.
By the 1600’s this working dog had become the breed of the landed gentry and shooting game was their pastime. These nobles did not use hawks to capture the prey but rather shot them after the English Setter flushed them out. The English Setter is very popular today both as a hunting dog and as a family pet. The English Setter is bred for athleticism and endurance. The have both AKC and UKC certification.
Ancestors of the Cao da Sera de Aires were used for herding livestock in the Serra de Aires and Alentejo, Portugal. This herding dog is native to Portugal and throughout the 20th Century he was kept as a working dog.
Known also as the Portuguese Sheepdog, Portuguese Shepherd Dog or Serra de Aires Mountain Dog, there are some questions surrounding the breed's ancestry as there are few records of dogs before 1900. The dog is thought to be related to the Pyrenean and Catalan Sheepdogs and that it has descended from Briards which were imported into Portugal and crossed with the Pyrenean Sheepdog.
The Cão da Serra de Aires breed standard was accepted by the Portuguese Kennel Club, and the breed was recognized internationally in 1996. The dog was also recognized by the United Kennel Club in the Herding Group in 2006.
The English Setter is very much a setter in his looks. He is medium in size and was bred to hunt by following airborne prey over a large expanse of ground. He has to have both speed and stamina. He also has to run with his head up watching the prey in the air.
He has a slight dome shaped head and a long muzzle with dark, gentle eyes. The ears have their tips lined up with the eyes, the neck is long and muscular. He shows powerful hindquarters and a fairly long tail.
The coat length is medium and silk. The ears, chest, neck and legs are feathered, as is the tail. The hunting version has a shorter, finer coat than the show dog. The show dogs’ coats are flowing and long. Both types have a white coat with Belton or ticking. The Belton can be black, orange, lemon, liver and the tricolor. This is the liver or blue Belton but there are tan markings on the legs, chest, and face. It was Laverack who named the ticking Belton after a village in England.
The beautiful Cão da Serra de Aires is a medium-sized dog. He stands at 45 to 55 cm at the withers and weighs about 17 to 27 kg. He is recognizable by the long, shaggy, single-layer coat, of straight or slightly wavy hair. Don’t be deceived by the coat as below, the dog has a muscular, athletic body.
The coat comes in different shades such as fawn, gray, yellow and black. The dog has a long tail which is held straight out or down and he has medium-length, floppy ears. You’ve got to look hard, as the facial features of the dog are hidden by its shaggy coat. He has a lot of facial hair that sometimes you have to wonder if he can see out of his eyes.
The Cao da Serra de Aires is a wonderful canine companion and is devoted and loyal, forming strong bonds with their human family. He is a playful, amicable dog and gets on well with children in the home as well as with other pets.
He is intelligent and trainable, and when properly trained and socialized,he becomes an even nicer pet to have around and is obedient to his master’s voice. He is territorial, strong willed and dominant and makes a good watchdog too.
The AKC standard for the English Setter breed describes him as a “Gentleman by Nature” and that might be all you need to know about this delightful dog. They are people-oriented and settle right down with their families if they get enough exercise. With proper stimulation they become couch potatoes when you bring them in at night.
They are very friendly with everyone but are especially happy when playing with children. You can trust them with your other pets, children of all ages and anyone coming to your front door. They are not guard dogs. However, they can have a stubborn streak, they can be strong-willed. This is especially true the more working than show stock they are. In addition, they are intelligent, calm and quiet in the house.
The Cão da Serra de Aires is such a loyal dog to his human family that he makes a splendid pet. He is active, having worked historically at herding and guarding.
Socialization and obedience training ensure that he becomes an exceptional pet and he has a host of positive attributes to his name – he is intelligent, energetic, loyal and loving. He may have been used long ago to guard livestock, but today he is selected as a pet specifically for his excellent companionship and for his protective nature.
English Setters, like many other breeds that have a base white coat, can be affected by congenital deafness. A test done by LSU in 2010 showed the 12.4% of the dogs they tested were affected by this. They are also prone to:
Most of this is caused by autoimmune thyroiditis or a condition where the immune system attacks its own thyroid gland.
The primary cause of death after ten years old
As with most dogs that are looked after well, their health can be good. The Cao da Serra de Aires isn’t likely to keep you at the vet often. Just like with any good dog, there are some health disorders that can benefit you to know about.
Being forewarned , you can get your pet to the vet quickly before the illness gets out of hand.
There are some pet owners who want to have their pets tested by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals as well as the Canine Eye Registration Foundation to rule out health defects such as hip dysplasia and cataracts before they manifest themselves in their pets. This is of particular importance to breeders so as to prevent the parent dogs passing bad genetic conditions to the puppies.
This is a common skeletal disease where the dog’s hip joints don’t develop properly. It can be terribly painful for your pet to get around. It’s a genetic condition and while it is more prevalent in big dogs, any breeds are susceptible.
Your dog will battle along with painful joints and sometimes his hind-end will be lame. You’ll notice that once lying down, he battles to get up again. Fortunately vets are well acquainted with this ailment and they have different options to treat and manage it.
Cataracts in your dog come about from a disease process which affects the lens of the eye. The eye loses its transparency and impairs vision. There are some instances where cataracts can cause blindness. You’ll see a whitish gray area in your pets eye. The most common cause of cataracts is genetics. Get your pet to the vet who will do certain tests to evaluate the eyes and make a recommendation.
The English Setter is a hard working dog and should be fed accordingly. Puppies should be fed three times a day and adults twice to avoid bloat. Watch your English Spaniel though as they love to counter surf.
In addition to the conditions listed above the English Setter is prone to:
Caused by excessive exercise before or after having eaten a large meal. It is suggested that you feed your English Setter twice a day, smaller meals and not right before or after strenuous exercise.
Keep her ears clean and check regularly for infections.
The English Spaniel needs exercise on a routine basis – every day walks are best along with some time to just run either in a fenced yard or dog park. Take her jogging, running alongside your bike, hiking or just long walks. They do well with lure coursing, agility, confirmation, obedience and rally.
As a working dog used to long hours of action, the Cao da Serra de Aires will need lots of activity. He’ll need you taking him for long walks and playing ball games with him. He can become frustrated and destructive when left without any physical stimulation.
The Cao da Serra de Aires may have long hair but he isn’t high maintenance. He won’t require professional grooming, but will require a good brush a least twice a week. This is because the long coat can tangle.
To keep him looking his best, you’ll want to be trimming the hair around his paws. Another important grooming task is checking his ears and cleaning them. You have to be careful about cleaning your pet ears if you don’t know how, as it could damage the ears. Your vet can always advise you on how this is done.