Especially to Those Who Have Contacted Us in Recent Months ...

For those who have contacted us in the past six months about our English Setter shooting dogs and puppies and other matters, we apologize for the delay in getting in touch with you,

We have had very limited access to the internet, not to mention being very busy with shooting trips, guided hunts, training a group of young setters, as well being involved in the design and construction process of a new kennel facility.

Even though we now have access to the internet on a more regular basis, catching up with the correspondence we've received will be undertaken in the order in which we received your inquiry. This may take some time due to the number of inquiries and other correspondence received and also due to the recent whelping of two January litters and the required time involved in the proper training and evaluation process of a very special group of up-and-coming young gun dogs.

To save further time regarding any new contacts who may be interested in our English Setter shooting dog puppies, we would like to advise that we have a three year waiting list at the present time. This time frame is based on current reservations as well as what our clients desire in a new puppy as well as on the bloodlines of our breedings, repeat clients, sex requested, color and markings, etc.

For those who are interested in seeing our excellent shooting dogs, we are always pleased to have anyone join us for a guided hunt and witness first hand what a setter shooting dog is supposed to do while hunting "wild" game birds.

At this time, we have limited openings available for booking guided hunts for the 2012-2013 hunting season. If interested, contact us through our Contact Us page (easily accessed by clicking here) for further information and pricing of available guided hunts and available dates. In the meantime, we sincerely hope you all enjoyed a wonderful holiday season as well as the chance to enjoy some great hunting. A belated and heart-felt safe, healthy and Happy New Year from our house to yours.

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~~~The Fetters Challenge~~~ UPDATE

It has been nearly a year (March 13th, 2010) since John first announced The Fetters Challenge ~ an open invitation to anyone out there who claims to own and/or breed "Ryman Type" or "Ryman Style" setters.

"... to bring their best setter and join me in The Fetters Challenge: a six-day hunt running in brace with any setter from my kennel, which will begin each day at sun-up and end at sundown. Point for point, wild bird for wild bird, retrieve to hand. At the end of this six day period, we will see whose setter is eager and rarin' to go hunting for the seventh day ..."

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Needless to say, he has been "thoroughly disappointed" that no one to-date has taken him up on this invitation.

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In early December 2010, John enhanced the challenge to include a $2,500 stake, with the loser of the challenge donating that amount to the winner's choice of charities. Still, no one has taken John up on his invitation. For more on The Fetters Challenge and The Fetters Challenge Update, see the "Fetters Setters ~ Testimonials" page, easily accessed by clicking here.

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Ladybug, Ladybug ...

Ladybug
house guest
having a
drink of water
>
One or two Ladybugs does not an "infestation" make. Rather with a degree of understanding and knowledge, they can be delightful little winter house guests, with a little nurturing and care.

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And living into the Spring, they then can resume their beneficial role in the pest control department ~ especially in the garden.

Sometimes taking shelter in one's home when the weather cools in the fall and winter, they will invariably leave in the Spring as the days grow longer and warmer.

Do they really bring "good luck" as so many folk tales predict?
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That remains to be seen. But in the meantime, they can be fascinating creatures to learn about as shown in the article authored by The Lady of the House, "Ladybug, Ladyburg ..." featured on the "Fetters Setters ~ Home, Hearth, Hunting, Family, Fashion and Fun" page, easily accessed by clicking here.
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Letter from Paul Long ...

With his singular wit showing through in his letters as well as in person, the receipt of yet another letter from the irascible Paul Long was always a great treat for John.

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From Long's habit of giving the day of the week he was writing the letter as well as the present weather condition ~ instead of the date, month and year in more common use ~ down to addressing John as "Johny" with one "n" ~ Long's unique character and sense of humor, as well as his sense of life, shone through in his many letters to John.

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Over the years, John received dozens of these letters from Paul Long, faithfully and timely answering each one, and eagerly awaiting the next in reply.

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The letters were almost like Cracker Jack boxes ~ John never knew what the treasures would be but knew that Paul Long's letters always contained at least one.

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On our "Fetters Setters ~ Tributes and Memories" page, easily accessed by clicking here, we are sharing one of these extraordinary letters with our readers. More of these will be presented in one format or another in the future ... the present one we are sharing, postmarked May 29th, 1990.

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Breeding the Lines, a Successful Long-term Strategy ~ Part Two

George H. Ryman

shooting over

Ryman's

Birdy Anne,
a 47-pound

short-coupled

Setter
..

....

Despite many breeders' current claims to be breeding "Ryman Type." "Ryman Style, "Ryman Line," etc. English Setters ~ and even one stupendous claim from a breeder who claims George H. Ryman did not possess the talent to personally pen the "Ryman Standard" ~ George H. Ryman did indeed have his standards and ideals for his shooting dogs which relied on the dogs more than the "paper" in the pedigrees which so many breeders utilize today.

Through the years, we have been made aware of increasing genetic problems as a result of inexperienced and unknowing breeders ~ issues with conformation, pigmentation and unfortunate physical/medical problems as well. And every one of these breeders marketing their dogs and puppies with the "Ryman" label in one incarnation or another.

John discusses some of these issues and more in his latest piece, "Breeding the Lines, a Successful Long-term Strategy ~ Part Two," on the "Fetters Setters ~ History amd Heritage" page, easily accessed by clicking here.

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It is heart-breaking to hear such stories from people who truly love their dogs, and who perhaps must even deal with their dog's suffering because a breeder was only interested in the bottom line ~ no matter what type of marketing nonsense the breeder fed the prospective buyer in person, on their web page or by other means. We have always felt, whether in breeding or purchasing, that prevention is the best medicine.

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So additionally, in order to offer an in-depth look at what is happening in todays world of setter breeding, we will be posting well-documented letters we have recieved over the past five to ten years from people who have purchased setters from individuals who claim to know what good quality breeding is all about.

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Then you can be the ultimate judge in such matters.

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A Rare Opportunity ~ Ryman Film Footage

We are currently entertaining offers on this particular Ryman film footage.

400-feet.

16mm.

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More information can be found on the "Fetters Setters ~ Antiques and Collectibles Shop," easily accessed by clicking here.

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Newest Addition to The Ryman English Setters Story: G.H. Ryman, Proprietor and Poet par Excellence

With the frequency and consistency with which it has occurred, the denigration of George Ryman for any number of reasons, i.e., that he killed many of his dogs because he didn't like them, because they had "body patches," etc. ~ never ceases to amaze.
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Still, it was a little surprising and disturbing that someone would take a cheap shot at Ryman for his literary skills, or lack thereof, as they would have you believe.
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Basing this publicized opinion on some pedigrees and sales brochures they claim to have had the opportunity to "study" or give a "perfunctory look" (whatever the case may be) ~ and while using the Ryman name to shamelessly market the dogs from their kennels, October Setters published the following on their web site:
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"It is obvious with a perfunctory comparison to anything Ryman wrote that he was not capable of writing something as eloquent or grammatically correct as the "Standard" ..."

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A real shame, because a "perfunctory look" at their own writing makes immediately evident a lack of style, eloquence, grammatically-correct sentences and even basic truth.
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While we had planned a piece of this nature at a later time, we felt we could not let this gross misconception stand alone. The 1948 Ryman sales brochure draft we feature as a part of this piece is only one among many documents about and by George H. Ryman contained in the Fetters Family English Setter Histories ~ which also includes many, many letters personally written in George Ryman's own hand as well as personally typed by him.

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And none of them showing any "literary lack" of eleoquence, grammar, etc., as October Setters would have their readers believe. Of course, October Setters is only one in a growing number of self-proclaimed "Ryman experts" and this fact in itself is never surprising.
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George Ryman had many talents which extended beyond the breeding, raising and training of his famed shooting dogs. And you can get a glimpse into this particular side of this multi-faceted individual by reading our latest piece on the "Fetters Setters ~ The Ryman English Setters Story", "G.H. Ryman, Proprietor ... and Poet par Excellence," easily accessed by clicking here.

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~~~~~~~~ The Fetters Challenge ~~~~~~~

New to the "Fetters Setters ~ Testimonials" page is "The Fetters Challenge," easily accessed by clicking here.

The Fetters Challenge is a serious offer to anyone out there who claims to own ~ or especially anyone who is claiming to breed ~ "Ryman Type" or "Ryman Style" setter shooting dogs.

Point for point, wild bird for wild bird, retrieve to hand ... All comers are more than welcome.

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New Testimonials and More Vicious Rumors of "John's Death" Attributed to Breeder Jan Turner of Setter Hills in Willmar, MN

More testimonials received by John over the years have been published on our "Fetters Setters ~ Testimonials" page, easily accessed by clicking here.
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Along with the newly published testimonials is an actual accounting of one particular breeder, Jan Turner of Setter Hills in Willmar, Minnesota, who was helping to spread the rumor (along with other breeders) that John had died!
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As we recounted sometime ago on our "Fetters Setters ~ History and Heritage" page (accessed by clicking here) in John's piece entitled "Breeding the Lines, a Successful Long-Term Strategy," a number of breeders ~ including Jan Turner of Setter Hills in Willmar, Minnesota ~ had attempted to purchase English Setters from John to introduce the Fetters English Setter bloodlines into their own breeding programs ~ and all whom John repeatedly refused to sell to ~ as he did not care (and does not care) for the directions their breeding programs have taken.
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We also recounted earlier here on our home page in the piece entitled "The Rumors of My Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated ..." (accessed by clicking here) that a number of breeders who knew better had been spreading the "John is dead" rumor as well. They know who they are ~ and we know who they are, too (grin).
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Once more, in case it has not sunk in yet:

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John is VERY ALIVE and VERY WELL!!!

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And we are currently VERY BUSY with two new litters of Fetters Setters ~ all of which are spoken for.

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"The Rumors of My Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated ..."

Since the mid-1990s, John and I have been highly amused by the resultant "rumor mill" ~ such "stories" in circulation (for whatever reason and with most originating with those who certainly knew differently!) that John was "bought out," "no longer breeding," ad infinitum, ad nauseum.
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Yes, some even going so far as to suggest that John was dead! (Don't worry though, we know who you are ~ and have received even more reports of these rumors as recently as last week!
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As Mark Twain once famously remarked, "The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated."
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With a family heritage of five generations of breeding exceptional English Setter gundogs to maintain ~ and even though such matters as family affairs and other business interests frequently intruded ~ John still worked diligently in protecting, perfecting and improving upon the George Ryman-based lines the Fetters Family had become known for.
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As John has stated before on our pages here, there are no "short cuts" to breeding quality shooting dogs in a consistent manner ~ and once achieved, the lines must be protected and improved upon with the introduction of the occasional "right type" of blood.
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One of the results of John's endeavors are shown in the photo above in the bottom photo, Fetters-bred "Grouse Greta," at 16-months old in 2009 ~ along with a comparison photo of Ryman's Racket Boy, a setter bred by George H. Ryman himself.
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Though female and male, they are near mirror images in conformation ~ and the other standards George H. Ryman set and which the Fetters Family has maintained ~ are present as well.
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To learn more, see John's most recent piece, "Breeding the Lines, a Successful Long-term Strategy" on our "Fetters Setters ~ History and Heritage" page, easily accessed by clicking here.
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New Additions to the Fetters Setters ~ History and Heritage Page

We have finally been able to make available here a small portion of the Fetters English Setters History and Heritage, which can easily be accessed by clicking here.

In the on-going unpacking, sorting and re-organizing of the massive Fetters Family English Setters histories mentioned here earlier, we found several photos of early English Setters bred and owned by the Fetters Family which we are sharing with you now.

Included in this initial collection is a photo of John's Great-Grandmother, Mary B. Fetters, posing with a female Orange Belton. We will be sharing more of the Fetters Family English Setter histories with you on the Fetters Setters ~ History and Heritage page in the near future.

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Latest Additions to Fetters Setters ~ Antiques and Collectibles Page

Safely packed away and stored for sometime due to our extensive travels, many of the pieces in our personal collection of English Setter and Gun Dog pieces require the same time and care in the unpacking as they required when initially packed.

We recently had an opportunity to unpack even more of these pieces ~ again with a number of them being Fetters Family heirlooms, handed down to John by his father, grandfather and great-grandfather.

We have shared more of these pieces with our interested readers on the Fetters Setters ~ Antiques and Collectibles page, which can be easily accessed by clicking here.

Recent pieces which were just posted there today span a time period from the Early 1900s to the 1950s and include relatively rare pieces which were lovingly cared for and preserved by John's family. We hope you enjoy the latest additions.

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A Lively New Addition to the Fetters Setters Web Site/Blog: Fetters Setters ~ Training Tips

Typical eight-month old Female English Setter

by Roscoe Gladstone and Irene Cooper (circa. Early 1900s)

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One of the newest additions to the Fetters Setters website/blog is a brand new page, "Fetters Setters ~ Training Tips" which can be easily accessed by clicking here.

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As some of you are already aware, the Fetters Setters English Setters bloodlines and upland game hunting traditions have been on-going for no less than five generations.

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The first article, personally written by John Fetters as all of them will be, is only the first of many tips and topics which will be appearing there.

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You will have a rare opportunity to share in some of the vast reserve of knowledge and insights John has acquired through the years ~ much of which has been passed down religously through the Fetters Family.

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If you have any specific topic you would like to see there, just use the "Fetters Setters ~ Contact Us" page, accessed by clicking here, and we will see what we can do to accommodate you.

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John has been encouraged for years and years to put some of this vast knowledge ~ much of which has been passed along by his family through four generations of upland game hunters and English Setter owners and breeders ~ down on paper.

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However now, with The Lady of the House (who is writing this particular piece) having a background in professional publishing, he no longer has a reason not to finally do so.

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As with most of our English Setter and Gun Dog related topics, John does the initial writing ~ which is then edited and formatted by The Lady of the House and published here.

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Anyone who knows John personally is already aware that he has the capability of doing at least a dozen things at one time ~ so The Lady of the House will have her work cut out for her as John already has four more different articles in progress, besides seven or eight (or fifteen or sixteen) other projects going on.

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The Beginning Stages of "Our Favorite Books" and the "Literature Warehouse"

We've begun to add items of interest to two of our Fetters Setters web pages. While we already had several pieces in the "Fetters Setters ~ Literature Warehouse" (which can be found by clicking here, the pieces there had been compiled of the text from Corey Ford's "The Road to Tinkhamtown" from "The Best of Corey Ford" and a dog-and-his-boy story from Louisa May Alcott's classic, "Under the Lilacs."

The "Fetters Setters ~ Literature Warehouse" had been designed primarily to include selected and actual excerpts from some of our favorite books and other readings in our personal library. Earlier, we added the first selection to the "Fetters Setters ~ Our Favorite Books and Other Selected Reading" web page, which can be accessed by clicking here.

Our first selection for this section is a book authored by A. F. Hochwalt, "Bird Dogs ~ Their History and Achievements" published by Sportsman's Digest in 1922. We have given a short description of the book's contents on the "Fetters Setters ~ Our Favorite Books and Other Selected Reading" web page and have direct links to excerpts from two separate chapters of the book, stored in the "Fetters Setters ~ Literature Warehouse."

We plan on including other pieces as time allows, however many of the excerpts have never been published on the Internet before in the depth and accuracy we have tried to attain there and the excerpts must therefore be manually entered (typed in) to the web page content. We hope you enjoy what our beginning efforts have produced and hope you will check back periodically for newer contributions.

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Santa Claus
North Pole

December 14th, 2008

Dear Richard,

After checking my Naughty or Nice List, I see you have indeed been a good boy for a long time now. And since you've been such a good boy, the elves and I have decided you deserve only the very best. I am not only going to bring you an English Setter puppy, I am going to bring you a Fetters Setter, one of the absolute best blood lines around anywhere. I usually don't announce children's Christmas presents beforehand, but am letting you know so you can lay in the proper supplies. To see what you will need, I want you to contact John Fetters who will never steer you wrong anytime an English Setter is concerned. So don't be too surprised when you wake up Christmas morning with a squiggly, squirmy, fluffy English Setter puppy in your bed!

Merry Christmas!
Santa