Doggy bitch - bitchy dog?

[KC and the boys]

I came across this expression here some time ago and it made me wonder...

 

Errol’s sire was huge, possibly the biggest IS I have ever come across. His mum was rather more petite. He’s definitely not taken after his dad and he is not what I’d consider a lad-ish dog. OK, he humps like there is no tomorrow but physically he is probably rather on the short'n'slight side of the IS. Mind you we've only ever met one other IS boy in Brighton so I've had little opportunity to compare him directly with others. However that one IS we met was exactly the same age but at least 1 inch taller and much bigger build and angular which made me wonder, too…

 

A few days ago I took Errol out in the evening and came across some youths hanging out in the streets (we live in a less salubrious area). As we walked past them Errol stopped to cocked his leg and one of the chaps said "Oh it's a fella - I thought it's a birddog (sic!)..." And that was the third time I pondered the gender issue…

 

Has anybody else come across this issue with their boys (or alternatively with their girls)? Any comments from breeders... I'm not worried just curious.

[Carmel Murphy]

Abbey does that too, but she is a bit lighter;o))))))

[KC and the boys]

Thanks for gently steering the discussion back to topic. :)

Errol has for once stood still and has given me a chance to measure him. He is 24 1/4 (or 61.5 cm) and last time he stood on a scale at the vets he weighed just under 30 kilos. He is slim but not skinny. Therefore he would be possitively dwarfed by Blaze who surely must be the (handsomest!) Goliath in all the Setter world. However it looks like big is where the breed is heading towards: Errol and I met a 7 month old Setter pup recently who was already the same height as him. Watching the two was a weird experience: one being all fully formed and with racy elegant movements the other still all floppy and lolloping.

 

Anyways, re. the notion of a bitchy dog. I really can't make up my mind whether Errol's fits the description. He doesn't seem so clearly defined - sometimes he's all square and bloke-ish sometimes very soft'n girlie.