They’re known as the “Gentlemen of the Shooting Field,” a breed that was described by John Caius in 1576 in his book, “Of Englishe Dogges:”
“These attend diligently vpon theyr Master … when he hath founde the byrde, he keepeth sure and fast silence, he stayeth his steppes and will proceede no further, and with a close, couert, watching eye, layeth his belly to the grounde and so creepeth forward like a worme.’
They are English Setters, but in Caius’ day, setters were known as “setting spaniels.” Their job: To locate game birds which were then caught by bird of prey (falcons) or in nets. When muzzle-loaders replaced the nets, the dogs became more commonly known as setters.
Image: Oil painting of two Setters dated 1918 by Percival Leonard Rosseau (1859-1937) which sold for $44,000 in 2003