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 Irish setter (Irish Red Setter) was bred from a variety of dog breeds such as Setters, Spaniels and Pointers. The bred was red and white in color and with shorter legs than they have at present. Through selective breeding, which was prevalent in the 19th century, pure chestnut and lustrous red setter came out to win prizes and touch people’s hearts. The English setter is an ancestor of the Spanish Pointer. 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 with others having splashes of white on the feet and chest. Some young Irish Setters have grey 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 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 2 or 3 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 afterwards.

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