04/30/2026
Copied from another page…a good article
What Color English Setter Should You Buy?
It may be the most common question in the English Setter world.
“Do you have any tri-colored pups?”
People ask it before they ask about bloodlines. Before they ask about temperament. Before they ask about bird sense, range, intelligence, confirmation, or even whether the breeder understands what kind of dog they truly need.
And that is entirely backwards.
The truth, one that experienced breeders eventually learn, is that color is among the least important qualities in an English Setter.
That statement surprises many people because color has always fascinated Setter enthusiasts. The romantic image of a heavily ticked tri-color standing against autumn grasslands is undeniably beautiful. Certain colors become fashionable for periods of time, and buyers naturally gravitate toward what catches the eye. But fashion has very little to do with whether a dog becomes extraordinary in the field, in competition, or beside a hunter over the course of ten seasons.
The most important decision in buying an English Setter is not color.
It is breeder selection.
A great breeder knows their blood. More importantly, they understand application. They know whether a buyer needs a horseback field trial dog, a wild-bird mountain dog, a foot hunter, a companion, or a shooting dog with exceptional handle, and biddability. The best breeders are not simply producing puppies, they are matching genetics, temperament, structure, and instinct to a specific purpose.
When those two things align, a breeder who truly knows their line, and a buyer who clearly communicates their needs, the odds of finding a remarkable Setter increase dramatically.
Color barely enters the equation.
In fact, many longtime professionals become almost colorblind in their evaluation of dogs. They stop seeing “tri-color” or “orange belton” first. Instead, they see movement. They see intelligence in the eyes. They see balance, and confirmation. They notice how a puppy carries itself, how it responds to pressure, how quickly it learns, how naturally it searches for objectives, and whether it possesses the intangible qualities that cannot easily be taught.
Confirmation
Bird finding ability.
Biddability.
Mental composure.
Athletic efficiency.
Heart.
These are the traits that matter.
Ironically, while tri-colored Setters may often be more sought after by buyers, many seasoned field trialers quietly acknowledge that orange, and white dogs, or lightly marked white dogs, have historically won at disproportionately high rates compared to their popularity. Why might that be?
Perhaps because fashionable buyers sometimes select for appearance first, and quality second. Once substantial money, and emotion are invested into a visually striking puppy, people naturally push that dog forward. Meanwhile, some exceptional dogs, dogs with superior intelligence, movement, and field instinct, are overlooked simply because they lacked dramatic markings.
Experienced breeders know better.
Spend enough time around serious Setter people, and you will notice something fascinating. Given the choice of an entire litter, they often bypass the flashy puppy. Sometimes they select the lightly marked dog. Sometimes the nearly white one. Sometimes the puppy no casual buyer would have picked first.
And more often than not, there is a reason.
They are seeing beyond color.
There is, of course, one practical conversation surrounding color worth mentioning. Hunters, and field trialers often prefer dogs with lighter bodies, and less ticking because they are easier to see in thick cover, dark timber, sage, or steep country. A mostly white bodied dog can stand out against heavy brush far better than a darkly marked dog disappearing into shadows hundreds of yards away.
Beyond that, discussions about pigmentation, eye rims, nose color, or breeding for certain coat traits belong more appropriately in advanced breeding conversations, not in the priorities of the average buyer searching for the best possible dog.
Because the best possible dog rarely announces itself through color.
It reveals itself through quality.
So the next time you look at an English Setter litter, resist the temptation to start with markings. Instead, start with questions that truly matter.
Who is breeding these dogs?
What is their reputation?
Do they know their bloodlines deeply?
Do they understand your specific needs?
Do you trust them?
Then, once you find that breeder, have enough wisdom to listen when they say, “This is the puppy I’d pick for you.”
That recommendation may not come wrapped in the color you imagined.
But it just might come wrapped in the best Setter you will ever own.
So next time you go looking for an English Setter, put on your colorblind glasses.
