The regal and stylish Gordon Setter began as Scotland’s original “black and fallow setter,” a handsome sporting dog whose dignified and intelligent bearing continues to attract hunters, show fanciers, and pet owners alike. Among the largest of the gundog breeds, the Gordon Setter, colored in its classic black and tan pattern, possesses a bold, outgoing personality and a kind disposition, offering the right owner brains and beauty and a bit of brawn too. This Comprehensive Owner’s Guide, written by sporting-dog authority, author, and breeder Nona Kilgore Bauer, offers a complete history of the breed from the corridors of Gordon Castle in eighteenth-century Scotland to the homes, fields, and show rings of the United States. The author’s chapter on the breed’s characteristics encapsulates the Gordon’s personality and offers information about potential health concerns that all potential owners should be aware of.

New owners will welcome the well-prepared chapter on finding a reputable breeder and selecting a healthy, sound puppy. Chapters on puppy-proofing the home and yard, purchasing the right supplies for the puppy as well as house-training, feeding, and grooming are illustrated with photographs of handsome adults and puppies. In all, there are over 135 full-color photographs in this useful and reliable volume. The author’s advice on obedience training will help the reader better mold and train into the most well-mannered dog in the neighborhood. The extensive and lavishly illustrated chapter on healthcare provides up-to-date detailed information on selecting a qualified veterinarian, vaccinations, preventing and dealing with parasites, infectious diseases, and more. Sidebars throughout the text offer helpful hints, covering topics as diverse as historical dogs, breeders, or kennels, toxic plants, first aid, crate training, carsickness, fussy eaters, and parasite control. Fully indexed.