Irish Setter

Quick Facts:
Group Classification<: Gun Dog, AKC Sporting
Country of Origin<: United States
Date of Origin: 1800's
Weight M: 65-75 pounds
Height M: 26-28 inches
Weight F: 55-65 pounds
Height F: 24-26 inches
Life Expectancy 11 to15 years

History

The first Irish Setters (Irish Red Setters) were red and white in color with shorter legs than they have at the present time. Through selective breeding, which was prevalent in the 19th century, pure chestnut and lustrous red setters came out to win prizes and touch people’s hearts. The Irish Setter is a retriever as well as a Pointer and is predominantly excellent in hunting game birds.

General Description

Irish Setters have silky coats which vary in color from mahogany to chestnut; some have splashes of white on the feet and chest while other young Irish Setters have gray or silvery hair behind their legs and ears that might disappear as they get older. The breed’s coat is silky and fairly long except on the head where it is fine and short. The dog is rather long than tall, and its feet are also covered with hair. The ears of the Irish Setter are soft, thin and triangular in shape, low set, and long. The muzzle is approximately half the length of the head and it also has a straight nasal canal and brown or black nose. The dogs have a narrow chest and a streamlined deep thorax. The tail is fringed and carried horizontally.

Temperament

Generally, Irish Setters are intelligent, energetic, affectionate, and high-spirited. They are poor guard dogs and are friendly with other animals as well as children and strangers. Irish Setters may be receptive yet sensitive. This dog breed can be scatterbrained and easily upset if they fail to the get proper amount of physical and mental exercise. The dog is impulsive, lovable, and with an autonomous spirit but needs an owner who exhibits natural authority. The owner should be firm, calm, consistent, and confident when giving commands to the dog and should ensure that the dog follows and sticks to the rules. These dogs require a lot of exercise and without this, the dogs become hard to train. Training of the dog is best done when the dog is still in its tender age. This helps the dog to have good habits as it tends to pick up bad habits very fast. Irish Setters have an outstanding sense of smell and are exceedingly fast. They can cope well in harsh weather and hardy terrain, which makes them very good hunting dogs even in wetlands.

Health and Care

This dog breed has the tendency to gain weight rather fast. It may perhaps be prudent to feed the dog in two or three small meals per day rather than one big meal. There are some diseases that affect the Irish Setter such as epilepsy and several harsh skin allergies. They are also known to suffer from eye complications and hip and elbow dysplasia. The Irish Setter is also prone to hypothyroidism, PRA and auto-immune disease. It may also suffer from ear inflammations, so it is advisable to pay attention to its ears. Otitis ear operations often end up making the dog irritable afterwords.

Pets4You offers listings of Irish Setter breeders with puppies for sale.