Tag Archives: about the Gordon Setter

Population nearing 1945 number

October 4, 2015 Sally Gift Leave a comment

For those of us following the decline in the AKC registrations of Gordon Setters over the past two decades I’ve put together this not very scientific but mostly factual chart<grin> a scientist I’ve never been! I pulled AKC registration numbers from the history pages of the Look/Lustenberger book “The Complete Gordon Setter” which have allowed me to complete this 70 year view of the size and fluctuation of our Gordon Setter population.

This chart uses 5 year increments to illustrate both the growth from 1945 (post WWII) until 1975 and then the decline that began in the 1990’s. Not listed on this chart is the lowest year in our current decade 2013 with 396 registrations which took us back nearly to the level of 375 dogs in the 1950 the post war era.

Many imported dogs arrived from England in the late 30’s because of the war when English breeders found themselves unable to maintain the dogs. Much of the breeding here in the states then, as a result of those imports were crosses to the English stock as well as matings of the imported dogs. Remember that in 1939 the American Gordon Setter standard was revised to create a 3″ allowance in height and heavier weights as these English dogs were larger than the American bred Gordon of the time. The accommodation was written into the standard to allow for the increase in size that occurred here in the states as a result of the new imports, obviously our predecessors liked the results they were getting from these matings, and those measurements remain the standard today.

As always, your comments, questions, suggestions and other pertinent stuff like that are welcome in the comment section. Tell us what you’re thinking or if it needs to be done, correct me if I’m misquoting or wrong!

Sally Gift, Mesa AZ

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Breeding, Catch All, Field Events, Performance Events, Training

The Very Versatile Gordon Setter – Meet Tyler Dargay!

September 22, 2015 Sally Gift Leave a comment

Introducing an ideal video sharing a true Breed Ambassador – Tyler Dargay and his loved ones, Bill and Diane Dargay.

“Beauty, Brains & Birdsense” are the watchwords describing how life can be loved with a Gordon Setter as your family companion. In this video Tyler plays a starring role, taking us on a tour of his life and times. From his relaxed pose as a regal and beautiful member of the Gordon Setter breed calmly enjoying a well-behaved moment with his family, this video follows Tyler and takes us through his many and versatile paces; from his job as lifeguard, to treks in the field to find game birds with Bill, to the fast paced fun and games of Flyball competition with Diane, to the quiet time he devotes to soothing and comforting the ill. Tyler is indeed a true Breed Ambassador, a superb example of life at it’s best with a Gordon Setter by your side.

The next time you’re trying to explain why you love Gordon Setters, you might simply show them with this video!

Thank you to Gordon Setter Club of America members Bill and Diane Dargay for sharing Tyler with us!

This 4:35 minute video clip is from a 12 Episode session for Doggone It about Sporting Breeds produced by ESPN and aired in 2004.

Sally Gift, Mesa AZ

Breeding, Catch All, Health & Genetics

Is Our Breed in Jeopardy?

September 17, 2015 Sally Gift 5 Comments

As a Gordon Setter lover I believe there has been a call to action that has been largely overlooked or ignored. I’m going to introduce you to that call if you’ve not heard it, or reintroduce you to the reasons why there is a call if you’ve lost focus or need more incentive to find your voice and play your part.

Since 1992, the AKC registry has experienced momentous losses in dog registrations and the numbers are alarming. AKC’s peak year for registrations was 1992 with approximately 1.5 million dogs registered. In 2010, the total annual AKC dog registrations were 563,611. This was a staggering 63% decrease in annual dog registrations for the AKC, and the decline has not stabilized since then.

In 2010 the AKC registered 535 Gordon Setters, approximately .095% of the total AKC registrations for all breeds. If we simply assume the breed has remained in a similar popularity ranking over that 20 year period, for 1992 we could estimate that AKC registered about 1,425 Gordon Setters. Now compare 1992 registrations of 1,425 to the 456 registrations of 2014 and we discover our breed has experienced a decrease of 969 Gordon Setters, a 68% decline in the number of Gordon Setters in the AKC registered population in 22 years. Last year, only 32% of the 1992 population were registered.

Several issues have been suggested as having an impact on the decline in AKC registrations that would also adversely affect our breed:

AKC is experiencing more competition from other purebred dog registries and event organizations such as the United Kennel Club (UKC)
Economic downturns impacting the funds available to purchase purebred dogs. (rescue pets are less expensive to obtain)
Legislation restricting dog breeding and dog ownership at local levels.
Unfavorable publicity in the form of marketing campaigns by Animal Rights Groups and Rescue/Shelter operations regarding “breeders” who compete for a market share of new pet owners. “Adopt Don’t Shop” type of messaging, even informational publications like the AHA Pet Population Fact Sheet implies a negative message regarding the purebred and the incidence of cancer. Would you buy a purebred dog after finding them listed here specifically by breed? Cancer scares everyone…

From the American Humane Society – US Pet population Fact Sheet

62% (72.9 million households) own some type of pet

Most popular type of dog – Mixed breed 53% of all U.S. Dogs

Source of dogs: Family/friends 38%, Shelter Rescue 22%, Breeder 16%

Purebred dog registration has declined in the past decade with “designer dogs” becoming more popular (e.g., Cocker Pug, Labradoodle, Cockapoo, etc.). Pitbull-type dogs have also increased in popularity over the past decade.

Cancer is the #1 cause of death in dogs over age two. 1 in 2 dogs will acquire cancer, 1 in 4 will die from cancer.

Golden retrievers – 60% will die from cancer

Certain breeds of dogs are at-risk for certain type of cancer examples:

Greyhounds – Bone cancer

Scottish terriers – Bladder cancer

Pugs – Mast cell cancer

Bernese Mountain Dog – Histiocytic sarcoma

Boxer – Brain cancer

Collie – Nasal cancer

Chow Chow – Stomach cancer

Golden retrievers – Hemangiosarcoma and Lymphoma

Labrador retrievers – Hemangiosarcoma and Lymphoma

Poodles – Mammary tumors (incidence greatly reduced in dogs neutered prior to puberty)

There is a call to action to be heard here, for those who want to protect and preserve the Gordon Setter, and that call goes out to all who own and love them. I am not advocating that we begin to mass produce Gordon Setters by indiscriminate breeding and one should never interpret this data, nor my words, to mean such action should take place. The AKC however, is taking appropriate action steps to improve the reputation and increase the interest in purebred dogs and we can follow their action plans and their lead. The AKC cannot be successful on their own though, it will take the support of each individual who loves a Gordon Setter and that includes pet owners, breeders and hunters alike. We each need to heed the call to take action and do our own small, yet vital part, to promote purebred dog ownership and the benefits of owning a purebred. We need to join and support our National club and regional specialty clubs to do any small part there that we are able to contribute. At the next level the breed’s parent club, the Gordon Setter Club of America, also needs to visit this call to action to ensure that we, as an organization, are doing our part on a larger scale to promote the breed, interest in the sport, the preservation of our breeders and the development of a future generation of breeders.

Sally Gift, Mesa AZ

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