Setter dogs are a breed of gundogs popular with game hunters, especially in the hunt for quail, grouse and pheasant. Contrary to a retriever, setters do not retrieve the fallen birds; instead, they freeze their stance once the quarry is located. The setters are descended from the 16th century Spanish Spaniels. The modern varieties were developed in France and England.

Setter breeds are of many types, but the four major kinds of setters available are: English Setter, Irish Setter or Red Setter, Gordon Setter and the Irish Red and White Setter. The physical appearance of each of these breeds has a few things in common such as the long silky coats and the skull and muzzle shape, but each of these types has its distinct differences as well.

English Setters are long and lean in appearance. Their skull has an oval shape when viewed from the top. They have long square muzzles with a well defined stop and broad nostrils. The muzzle is either brown or black in color with teeth set in a scissor or level bite.  They have big eyes which range from hazel to dark brown in color. The ears are set at the back of the skull, hang low and have long hairs covering them. English Setters are deep chested without being too round or wide. Their coats are silky and flat with slight feathering near the tail, back of the legs, the ears, chest and the abdomen and underside. Coat color is primarily white with specks in a variety of colors such as lemon, orange, blue or brown. Some varieties of English Setters may have tri-colored coats too.

Irish Setters, also known as the Red Setters, are an active breed. Their skull is slightly domed and the muzzle is somewhat deep. They have almond shaped eyes set apart and are dark to medium brown in color. They have thin ears that droop close to the head. The coat color of the Irish Setters ranges from chestnut red to a sober mahogany, but may include a little bit of white on the chest, toes and throat.

Gordon Setter dogs are slender in structure but have a robust appearance.  Their head is deep and the muzzle is as long as the skull. They have a broad black nose and oval eyes. Their ears are set low, and at level with the eyes. They have soft coats, which can be either glossy or straight. They have some amount of coat feathering, which starts out on the underside of their tails as long growth and then gets shorter towards the tip. The Gordon Setter has a unique color pattern - black with tan marks. The marks may be either chestnut or mahogany and some dogs may have a white spot on their chest.

Irish Red and White Setters are athletic dogs with a very proportionate body. Irish Red and White Setters are strong jawed dogs having perfect scissor bites where the upper teeth overlap the lower teeth closely.  They have a powerful and muscular structure with well developed sinew and muscles.  However, in contrast to their strong structure, Irish Red and White Setters have no protective instincts and are extremely genial.