The first nine breeds added to the AKC were all “bird dogs,” or gun dogs trained to retrieve birds. These breeds, all recognized in the same year, 1878:, were the Pointer, Clumber Spaniel, English Setter, Gordon Setter, Irish Setter, Cocker Spaniel, Sussex Spaniel and Chesapeake Bay Retriever.
Not every breed is recognized by its original name. The Gordon Setter, for example, was originally known as the Black and Tan Setter. The name ‘Gordon Setter’ was eventually chosen because the Scottish nobleman, Alexander Gordon, 4th Duke of Gordon, is credited as the creator of the breed during the early 1800s.
Image: Gordon Setter by Steven Nesbitt
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