I have trained and hunted over English Setters since I was 10 years old.

When my Cody died of cancer in May of 2011, at age 7 (and broke my heart), I began looking for a new partner. Because a hunting partner is a long term commitment, I spent many hours looking at English Setter kennels on the Internet, printed many photos, and made many notes so that my final decision would be the best I could make. (I am a tax accountant, so you can imagine the files I had by decision time!)

When I saw the extensive web site of Round River Setters, I thought they were some huge kennel in the Midwest. Wrong. They are a small family kennel who treat their setters like family members. There is NO shortage of photographs and videos of their pups from the day they are born until the day they leave home. That is because the pups do whatever the Gillis family is doing. Going to the park?---They took him. Swimming at the lake?---He was there. Professional photographs taken at a local studio?---They sent them to me. Photos of him at the airport?----Got them.---Videos of his plane taking off?---------Yep, I've got them too. (Available upon request if you think I'm kidding.) Amazing.

This is not a puppy mill.

They are always interested in their dog's progress and readily reply to all Emails from you.

A look back at the pup's heritage showed me a strong background with many familiar names of great gun dogs. That is always good sign in a pup's future.

Once they believed I would be a good partner for their pup, they jumped thru "airline hoops" (stupid regulations) to fly him to me in Florida.

The only negative in this whole thing, is that for the first 3 months of his life they called him "Kirby". Kirby?? Kirby sounds like a dog who watches hunting programs on television.

Fortunately, I saved him a lifetime of humiliation by renaming him "Dakota". (After all the times I have hunted pheasants there.) He therefore has to be a great dog---because he now owes me big time!

Dakota is now almost 10 months old. At 74 pounds, he is a big, strong, handsome English Setter Gun Dog. It's that simple. I have seen the likes of him before. He will be "hard core" and hunt with me all day, everyday,-----until only one of us is standing. (My advice? Bet on the dog.)

I did not have to force break Dakota. He was a natural retriever from day one. He loves to "hunt dead" and finds all little treats no matter how well hidden. (And he would look the rest of the day if he thought there was one more.)

In my 67 years, I have had several setters with great noses, but I have not had a dog who was only 10 months old with this good a nose. Only time will tell, but at this point, as a hunting prospect, I would say he is a nose -------attached to a big, strong dog as a life support system.

As a family member, he is a big loveable puppy who makes me laugh. He does all the crazy things that young dogs and young children do. I will, however, give him credit for being a fast learner. For instance, from his usual full speed ahead and damn the torpedo's pace, he now slows down and checks to be sure the doggy door is not in the "closed position".

Good Hunting to all of you.

Robert Glazebrook
Palmetto Bay, Florida

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