I've heard that some of our Field-Bred Springer lines were crossed with Llwellin Setters in Great Britain years ago to "give them more leg and improve their noses". Is this true?
Nope. The springer and brittany and what we know today as the setter derived from a spaniel long ago. The setter and brittany carry somewhat closer roots around the 1500's. The history is not very well known because dogsthen where referred to the place they originated (like the Northcumberland spaniel) and owners did not keep strict records. It was not until the mid-1800s when registries started recording pedigrees and when they started labelling specific breeds.
But on another note: the springer is traditionally a flushing dog whereas the setter is a pointing dog.
As to Llewellins, when I say known history, I mean specific pedigreehas been recorded in the FDSB registry since 1880s. I could order the actual blueprint of my dog's sire and dam, grandsire and granddam, etc. all the way back to Count Noble who was the first Grand National Champion and who is now 'resting' in the National Bird Dog Museum. Llewellin's are also DNA tested prior to giving birth or they can't be registered. (They also have Count Noble DNA signature to compare it too.)
Personally, I only hunt upland birds. I don't hunt deer, waterfowl, etc. anymore so, when choosing a dog, I choose one with a longhistory. Partlybecause of nostalgia, partly because I grew up with setters and that's why I love them so much.