Tail Carriage in the Llewellin Setter
There is much discussion by Setter owners, and would be owners, on the topic of Setter tail carriage. In particular, how the tail will or does appear when the dog is on point.
This is of much more interest in the United States than in Europe. The reason for this is that the field trial community, especially the horse back trial enthusiasts in America, have selectively bred both Pointers and Setters over the past 100 years to be “High at both ends” meaning the dog should point its birds with the head held high and the tail at or close to vertical, the so called, “twelve o’clock”, position.
This is the appearance we have all become most accustomed to seeing in gun dog magazines and sporting artwork of more recent origin. The reason for the high tail being preferred is connected to increased visibility of the dog on point at long ranges associated with horse back trialing.
There are a number of problems one can associate with this breeding objective, but the most objectionable one from this writer’s perspective is that when you continually breed for the twelve o’clock tail you will produce a good number of specimens where the tail goes over beyond 12 o’clock and becomes the curved or “sickle” tail. This is seen more and more in Field trail bred Setters and in the eye of this beholder is ugly and undesirable. Better the tail be lower than vertical and straight.
I might even say the same thing with the dog standing bolt upright on point as we almost always see portrayed in specimens pictured in magazines such as American Field.
A personal walking gun dog such as the Llewellin, is much more dramatic and classy in my view if it leans into its birds with a portrayal of intensity, even nearing a crouch at times.
How can you get an idea of how your pup will carry its tail?
Well, that’s easy. Observe the tail position of the pups when they are “pigging out” on their early weaning food. It is almost certain this will also be the natural tail position of the mature dog on point. A good trainer can “style up” the dog’s tail somewhat in training, in particular he may be able to raise it. But basically what you see is what you get.
Check out this litter!
