Grand Gascon Saintongeois vs English Setter - Breed Comparison

Known also as the Virelade, the Grand Gascon Saintongeois hails from the Saintongeois region of France, being a newish addition to the hunting dog breed.

The Saintongeois hound and the Grand Blue de Gascogne are the ancestors of this scentdog as these two breeds themselves, are exceptional hunters. The Grand Gascon Saintongeois is a large dog and favored by the French nobility for its ability to hunt.

After the French Revolution the popularity of the breed waned. It was Baron Joseph de Carayon-LaTour who tried to revive the Saintongeois Hound. The dogs were mated with the Grand Bleu de Gascogne and were so outstanding that breeding was continued. The breed that was created is the Grand Gascon Saintongeois which we know today.

It was in January 1993 that the Grand Gascon Saintongeois was officially recognized by the United Kennel Club.

History

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.

The Grand Gascon Saintongeois is a large, well built breed of dog that looks strong and robust. His head is strong and covered with loose skin that forms wrinkles around the cheeks. He stands at 61-73cm and weighs 30 to 35kg.

He has straight, long legs. He has a short, smooth coat which is white with black patches. Sometimes you'll also find a speckled or ticked pattern. There'll be tan dots over the eyes.

The eyes are brown, the nose black and the long, thin textured ears are low on the dogs head and also well back on the skull. The tail is long.

Temperament:

He is known for his deep voice to voice an opinion. He is a loving, friendly, courageous and affectionate breed with a well balanced temperament, making him a splendid pet. He is also intelligent and so he won't battle at all to learn some rules. Training and socialization will be good for him even though he is such an amicable dog already, but then he just becomes extra obedient.

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.

Your Grand Gascon Saintongeois is a true hunting dog breed and valued for his hunting prowess. He has another side to him though and is gentle, loving and calm with his human family.

He makes a wonderful family companion, getting on well with children as well as pets in the home. He may show a bit of aggression to strangers and this is why training and socialization works so well with him as it helps him behave well around family and strangers.

Training is never a problem as he is an intelligent dog. He is an energetic dog and won't fit well into city life in tiny properties, also because of his tendency to bark when bored. He fits well into country life or large properties.

When you provide your large pet with good food, a warm place to sleep, exercise and plenty of love and attention, the Grand Gascon Saintongeois is going to turn out to be one of the most loyal, affectionate pets you can imagine.

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.

Your Grand Gascon Saintongeois is a robust dog, who with good care can reach up to 14 years of age. You're not going to be running to the vet often with this strong looking dog, but even so, there are one to two problems that you'll want to look out for.

Ear Infections:

Long-eared dogs are more susceptible to canine ear infections. The symptoms of the infection will be dependent on how severe it is. Certainly your dog may experience pain and you'll see him shaking his head and pawing at his ear. If both ears are affected by inflammation, he may even walk in a wobbly fashion and the infection could lead to deafness. It is imperative that he get to the vet as soon as possible.

Hip Dysplasia:

This is where the ball and socket joint of the hip is malformed. It results in a joint rubbing and grinding. It can lead to loss of function of the hip joints. It is a common skeletal disease in young or old dogs, small or large dogs and in both males and females.

Large dogs are more commonly affected though with hip dysplasia which can see arthritis developing too. Your dog will display decreased activity and difficulty with standing up after lying down. Veterinary intervention will be required.

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:

1. Allergies
2. Both Airborne and food allergies can plaque the English Setter
3. Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism

Most of this is caused by autoimmune thyroiditis or a condition where the immune system attacks its own thyroid gland.

Cancer

The primary cause of death after ten years old

These large dogs with their short smooth coats have very little grooming needs. Regular brushing twice a week will remove dead hair and also ensure the good condition of the coat.

He has long ears and these will need to be checked regularly to avoid ear infections. It will be a good idea to learn how to clean the ears and to do it in such a way as to avoid damaging them. Signs of ear infection include redness, discharge, irritation and bad odor.

Diet:

Following the feeding instructions on the packaging of top quality kibble, provide your Grand Gascon Saintongeois with at least 2 meals a day. To steer away from the monotony of kibble every day, mix in some raw meat from time to time, and also include some cooked brown rice, chicken and vegetables as a tasty treat. Fresh, cool water should always be easily accessible to him.

Feeding

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.

Health issues

In addition to the conditions listed above the English Setter is prone to:

Bloat

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.

Ear

Keep her ears clean and check regularly for infections.

Exercise and games

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.