The Llewellin descends directly from the longest existing breed of Setters in the world. The Laverack base of the breed goes back to the 1500's. By the early 1900's in the USA there were no lines of English Setters that did not have the Llewellin bred into them. The Llewellin blood proved to be so superior in competition that there were no strains of Native or English Setters left pure. The Llewellin was recognized as a breed on its own. All other strains were recognized as English Setters. From the beginning a Llewellin and English Setter bred together resulted in the registration of the pups as English Setters. For years the Llewellin was the dominate dog in competitions. The changes in the format of trials and the use of Pointers are the factors which resulted in the change of opinion of what Setters truly are. The Llewellin, a pure bred strain of English Setter is I believe superior to all other breeds of Setters, both recent imports and continental breeds, for bird hunting in the US. I do try not to be prejudiced BUT I have hunted the Llewellin for 35 years and have hunted against pretty much all other setting-pointing dogs. I honestly can't remember when my dogs have been 2nd best. They have been bred for over one hundred years to hunt our type of Game Birds and cover and terrain. More and more dedicated foot hunting sportsmen will contest that they have the best nose of any dog. Truly their sense of smell is the most important factor in their breeding. Their single-minded ability to find gamebirds is as good today as it was over one hundred years ago. Bird hunting for centuries was for sport and food. For me that is what it has always been. Competition first began as a medium to make available the best of the best. Because of the change of direction of the Trials the wider running dogs became prevalent.

The first setting dogs were introduced in England and the British Isles for the art and sport of Falconry by Royalty. The art of Falconry was quite a popular thing in those days. The Setters of that time, known as Land Spaniels, went with the hawking party to the field, they quartered the hunting area, as dogs do today, and would show the group where the birds were. Then the Hawks hood was removed and he was unleashed to circle above whereupon the birds were flushed to be caught and killed by the Hawk. The actions of Falconry are shown in the writings of Richard Suflet, in 1600, by his description of his dog setting birds; as quoted in THE AMERICAN BOOK OF THE DOG, in 1891, "Warning of what he scenteth, and to prepare himself and his Hawke for the pleasure he seeketh, and when he is assured of his game, then to quest out loudly and freely." "The hawker trained his Spaniel to set; then he cast off his hawks, which ascended in circles, and 'waited on' until his master roused the quarry from its concealment when she pounced upon it like a pistol-shot." LOUIS XVIII of France loved to hunt with his Falcons and had an extensive kennel. It is said he was a great breeder of dogs. The old writers mention his dogs as being speckled all over with White and Black, with mingled colours inclined to a marble blewe which was used to point gamebirds which were then flushed to be killed by Falcons waiting overhead. This "MARBLE BLEWE" is what we call the Blue Belton color….