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Black and tan setting dogs were known in Scotland as early as 1620, but it was their presence in the kennels of the fourth Duke of Gordon 200 years later that brought them to prominence. The Castle Gordon Setters had first-class hunting skills and were beautiful as well. It was written of them: "They are not fast dogs, but they have good staying powers and can keep on steadily from morning until night. Their noses are first class and they seldom make a false point. When they stand, you may be sure there are birds."The early Gordons also came in black and white, tricolor, and red, but the Duke was said to favor the dogs with black and tan coloring, and that's what has prevailed over the years. When the Duke died in 1827, his heir, the Duke of Richmond, carried on his kennels.
Between 1859 and 1874, England's Kennel Club listed 126 Black and Tan setters in its studbook. In June of 1859, at the first official dog show, a Black and Tan Setter by the name of Dandie, took first prize for setters, who could trace his pedigree back to the kennels of the Duke of Gordon. The breed officially took the name Gordon Setter in 1924.
The first Gordon Setters imported into the United States came from the kennel at Gordon Castle. The dogs, Rake and Rachel, were purchased by Daniel Webster and George Blunt in 1842. They were the foundation of the breed in the United States.
The American Kennel Club recognized the Gordon Setter in 1892, and the Gordon Setter Club of America, Inc., was formed in 1924. The club is still in existence today and boasts a membership of more than 1,000. Today the Gordon Setter ranks 88th among the 155 breeds and varieties registered by the AKC.
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