Many of our readers will be familiar with Ranger. The black and white dog with the two distinctive black eye masks, as of this writing he is the dog on the cover banner for Southwest English Setter Rescue’s (SWESR) Facebook page. Anyone with SWESR calendars from years past will have seen Ranger gracing a monthly page. His markings are naturally stunning, and, let’s be honest, it helps to have parents who know their way around a camera.

Born on Groundhog’s Day in 2012, rescued by SWESR on Valentine’s Day 2013, and adopted on St. Patrick’s Day that same year, Ranger and his people have treated every day since as a holiday.

Ranger was abandoned at a young age because he was “a wild pony”. He was extremely active, robust, prey driven, and had no discipline. A purebred English Setter puppy, active and prey driven? Disobedient due to no training? Tell me it isn’t so! Why, that’s shocking and totally unexpected news. (Insert eye roll here). There is a reason SWESR ensures adopters are aware of our special breed’s characteristics. None of those traits would have surprised an experienced Setter owner.

Ranger’s parents wanted him to have the best possible start to life with them. He was trained by a rock star of a trainer who’s work with Ranger was transformational. And every day since that training, EVERY day, Ranger’s dad Hank has reinforced training commands so Ranger’s obedience never lags.

Because of his training, Ranger was and is able to live a life that many of us dream for our Setters. Ranger has gotten to run free for many years in the San Francisco Bay Area and in the Teton Valley, which abounds with wildlife. His life has been spent freely engaging in the beautiful outdoors in all seasons: running in open fields, swimming in natural ponds, riding in a canoe, playing in the snow, ending some evenings snoozing by a warm fireplace, his beloved dad Hank by his side. Without consistent and loving reinforcement of skills to “come around”, “heel”, “stay”, and more, Ranger would not have been able to run beside his dad off leash during wilderness hikes or mountain bike rides. Many of these outdoor play sessions were memorialized by stunning photographs his parents took of him. One of the most widely distributed of these was Ranger on the cover of Orvis: The Dog Book in 2014.

Ranger is a true ambassador for rescue. Everywhere he goes he gets smiles and comments. His dad makes sure people know Ranger is a rescued dog and talks about the rewards of rescuing dogs in need, including the importance of providing these dogs with training so that they can succeed in being re-homed. Many of Hank’s friends adopted Setters and other dogs after meeting Ranger in their home.

Ranger is now 13. His famous black eye patches have distinctive gray eyebrows. He is experiencing aging as many humans do. He has arthritis. He is deaf, which seems to puzzle him. And he has severe canine cognitive decline, which is the medical way of saying he has advanced dementia. He has forgotten words he used to know. He has exhibited behaviors he never had in the past, such as chewing. There are supplements and medications that can help lessen some symptoms, and Hank is proactive in researching and providing the most efficacious of these for Ranger.

In April 2025, Hank and Ranger went through a terrifying experience together. Ranger went off his food, had some vomiting, seemed better, and then suddenly a trip to the emergency vet was in order. During a midnight emergency surgery, the vet pulled out two large pieces of a tennis ball from Ranger’s intestine. Hank doesn’t know where that tennis ball came from, but every toy of possible ingestion size was removed from the house that day. The surgery unquestionably saved Ranger’s life, but as can happen with the elderly, having to receive anesthesia hastened the progression of his cognitive decline. However, a positive consequence of the surgery was the discovery of two nodules on Ranger’s spleen which were in danger of bursting, so a splenectomy was performed at the same time.

Ranger is making the life transition from smart and active to a different chapter—“elder”. He still enjoys playing keep away, being outside, smelling and observing his world. He has a great deal of stimulation. Hank has found that long hikes energize Ranger’s brain, and he returns from each better, if only for a short while. He was trained with an e-collar on vibe mode, and he will routinely turn around to be sure Hank is still with him. When it is needed, Hank will walk Ranger on leash in areas where they travel and live part time, but the outdoors is Ranger’s happy place. Ranger’s greatest pleasure is companionship. While he’s still friendly with other dogs, his world is Hank, and Ranger primarily wants to be with him.

Fortunately, Hank is devoted to his best friend. Not his “dog” best friend, his best friend, ever and always. Hank is going to keep doing everything he can to ensure Ranger’s final days, weeks, months will be dignified, respectful, supportive, pain-free, stimulating, and surrounded by love.

For Hank and Ranger, for all of us Setter parents, may it ever be so.