English Setter Colors: Rarest to Most Common

Kind-natured and calm – the English setter is one of the most loving family dogs around! They are best known for their marbled coat patterns and feathered fur, but did you know that the English Setter can be found in a handful of stunning coat colors?

The English Setter can be found in five unique coat colors that you are sure to love, so let’s introduce you to each of them below!

The English Setter is a treasured member of the Setter family. They were originally bred to be skilled hunting companions that could locate and point to their hunter’s target. Though their hunting skills were intended to be the star of the show, their charming personality soon took the stage. It didn’t take long for the English Setter to transform into a well-rounded family dog.

The English Setter’s gentle nature makes them wonderful for homes with children or owners that love to show off their furry friends. As long as they are by their owner’s side, the English Setter is simply happy to be included! The English Setter will make a wonderful addition to any family, no matter their coat color!

What Is A Belton Marking?

Before we introduce you to the five English Setter coat colors, we should first breakdown a word you will be seeing throughout this article – Belton. The term Belton refers to a coat that is predominantly white with shades of another color. The Belton coat pattern gives the English Setter their signature marbled appearance!

#1 Chestnut Belton

The chestnut Belton coat color is the rarest coat color seen in the English Setter. They sport a white base coat color with brown spots, though these brown spots will be much warmer than the common liver coat color. The chestnut Belton shade may appear to have red hues when the dog stands in the sun. The shades of chestnut can vary from light brown to rich chestnut.

#2 Lemon Belton

The lemon coat color is another rare coat color in the English Setter breed. The spots on their coat are light tan to light copper in color, and their nose will often be a shade of pink. They often closely resemble the orange Belton English setter, but their eye pigment tends to be much lighter.

#3 Liver Belton

The liver Belton English Setter sports a white base coat color with dark brown or liver spots. Their colored stippling can range in congestion, but they tend to have heavy liver stippling throughout their coat. They often have a similarly liver shade of nose and their eyes are a warm shade of brown.

#4 Orange Belton

The orange Belton English Setter is one of the most common coat colors seen in the breed. These pups have a white base coat color with spots that vary in shades of light tan to brown, often appearing white when mixed with the white base coat. Their noses and eyes are often dark brown in color.

#5 Blue Belton

The blue Belton English Setter is the most commonly seen shade of Setter. The blue Belton English setter is not actually blue at all, but they rather have black spots on a white base coat color. Occasionally, you may see a few light brown spots mixed in with their black ticking. Their nose and eyes will have a dark brown pigment.

Which English Setter Colors Are AKC Recognized?

Each of the English Setter coat colors we discussed above are recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC). No matter which shade of English Setter you welcome into your home, they are ready for the show!

Final Thoughts

The beloved English Setter can be found in five beautiful coat colors, each of which sport a unique Belton pattern. The Belton coat pattern is unique to the English Setter breed, and these special pups sport it with pride! Check out the English Setter coat colors we listed above to see which one you love the most, though it will likely be hard to choose!

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/alexeys