The Kennel Club has recently published a new ‘Health Standard’ for good breeding practice, with recommendations for each breed. The English Setter Health Committee has worked with the Kennel Club for many years, but does not agree with the recommendations in the current Health Standard. The Committee continues to work with the Kennel Club to propose changes to the next revision of the standard.

The English Setter clubs have all agreed to recommendations made by the Joint English Setter Health Committee, on what health tests should be completed for dogs used in breeding programmes, and new potential owners should ask and expect the following from breeders:

Essential

• That both parents have been Hip – X-rayed and scored through a recognised Scheme. Such schemes would be the BVA/KC UK scheme – these will be viewable on the health test result finder on the KC website, the Australian Hip scoring Scheme or the European Hip Scoring scheme – these will not be visible on the KC website currently. 

Recommended

• Many breeders now hearing test (BAER) their breeding dogs and puppies. Deafness can be in one or both ears. The rate of deafness in the breed is low, 4.5% are deaf in one ear, and 0.5% are deaf in both ears.

Imported (not born in the UK) dogs used for breeding

• Should be PRA4 and NCL DNA tested. These conditions are rare, and are not found in the UK population so there is no requirement to test.

Not required

• BVA/KC Elbow scoring. Whilst owners may choose to elbow x-ray their dogs, there has never been a prevalence of elbow dysplasia in the breed that has required the breed to be part of this scheme.