King with Judi
We are very excited to welcome King into our home as one of the Setter Gang. King is four years old and has been living with his breeder Judi Hunter in Wisconsin. He is a big, orange boy with a magnificent silky coat. I love to run my fingers through his long feathering. Judi sent along a bottle of the special conditioner she uses to keep his coat so silky. I will do my best to maintain his gorgeous coat, but Judi is such a pro at grooming, it won’t be nearly the same. With Judi, King had an extensive show career and is an AKC Grand Champion. Now retired from the show ring, King will go on to become a certified Bright Spot Therapy Dog and work toward earning his AKC Therapy Dog title.
We owe a huge Thank You to Judi’s best friend Jan and her husband John for kindly offering to transport King with them in their RV – along with their own three English Setters – as they travel from Wisconsin to Acadia National Park in Maine for a vacation. I met the traveling ensemble in Brattleboro on Rte. 9. It was a smooth connection, right off Rte. 91, exit 2. We talked a few minutes about their travel route and what it was like traveling with four dogs in their new RV ( I would love to do that!). Not wanting to detain them any longer, we transferred King into my car, along with King’s goodie bag Judi had packed up for him, we said our good-byes, and King and I hit the road. I was anxious to get King to his new home to play out in the back hayfield with Annie, Lily, and James.
What a magnificent sight it was to watch the foursome play together – the two blue Belton girls and the orange Belton boys, their flag-like Setter tails waving in the breeze. To me, watching a group of Setters in the field is breathtaking. They had a ball. Lily reunited with her brother after a two year separation, and James – my dear senior boy – started playing with King like a puppy. Annabelle is convinced she has a boyfriend. King is very interested in her (because she’s so cute – she says!). In true English Setter fashion, they played hard for about an hour, then all came into the house and flopped down on the floor, stretched out in various spots throughout the kitchen and sitting room… so catlike.
Puppy King at 8 weeks
King had won me over the moment I laid eyes on him. But, to secure the deal, while I was kneeling on the floor and petting his fur as he lay stretched out, he sat up in front of me, placed his front paws – one on each side of my neck, leaned his head on my shoulder and gave me a hug. YOW! This affectionate boy was born to be a Therapy Dog! Not a day goes by that I am not thankful for Judi’s kindness in giving me her wonderful dogs, James, Julia, Lily, and now King – and for Eileen who started it all with Beatrice, then Trudi, Phoebe (breeders Judi & Eileen), and Annie. These dogs have brought boundless comfort and companionship to thousands of people in need… the best reason for breeding these gentle, sweet dogs.