Dog Breeds > Irish Setter

The Irish Setter

The Irish setter is an active and intelligent pet. They make a good companion for those people who have loving and gentle temperament. They are great hunters and swimmers and every day would be worthwhile with this fun loving dog.

Energy Playfulness Intelligence Grooming Popularity

Fascinating Facts

In the United States, the Irish setter was originally called the Red Setter after carefully combining Irish Water Spaniel, Irish terrier, Gordon setter, English setter and Pointer. Compared with today’s Irish setter, the original Irish setter has shorter legs to make it easy for them to set upon the prey so that the hunters could quickly throw a net over the prey and the dog.

The Irish setter was used to develop the Spanish Pointer. The Irish setter has an excellent sense of smell and it can be both retriever and setter in all kinds of terrain. This breed was primarily used to hunt for birds.

Physical Appearance

The standard height and weight of the Irish setter is 26 – 28 inches and 65 – 75 pounds respectively. Its head is wider than it is longer; it looks oval when viewed in front but it looks domed when viewed sideways. This breed’s body is longer instead of being taller. The nose has wide nostrils with either black or brown color. The thin ears are somewhat triangular in shape and are hanging low on both sides of the head.

The texture of the Irish setter’s coat is medium length, flat, soft and shiny. The color of the coat ranges from rich chestnut red to mahogany. The puppies can have silver gray on their coat but it eventually disappears as they grow older.

Grooming

Grooming an Irish setter is easy; daily brushing of its smooth and shiny coat is what it takes to make it look good. Regularly check for burrs or ticks under the ears, under the feet and even the body.

Mood

The Irish setter is known for its great attachment to their masters. They are sweet tempered, intelligent, proud and very active breed. They are very sensitive to the tone of their master’s voice and they could become upset if they are scolded or reprimanded. This breed shows impulsive, destructive and sometimes independent behavior if they feel that they lack exercise.

With Children

The Irish setter makes a good companion and also a playmate. They could run and play for long hours with active and high spirited children.

Training & Exercise

Because of their great mood swings if they did not have enough exercise, 2 – 3 hours of brisk to long walking, jogging or even swimming (if possible) is highly recommended in order to make them satisfied. There are owners/trainers/handlers that put heavy pack bags on the dogs back so that their energy is easily depleted.
When training an Irish setter, the owner/trainer/handler must be aware on the tone of their voice otherwise this breed would not listen in any of your orders. They are very intelligent that’s why training would not be a problem. They respond well to food-reward training methods and other gentle techniques.

Health & Life Expectancy

The normal longevity of the Irish setter is about 11 – 15 years depending on how they receive nourishment. This breed has a big appetite and therefore prone to bloat if they are given with bulky amounts of food per serving. It is good to give them small amounts of food three times a day than a great amount once a day. This breed is also known to have epilepsy, hip and elbow dysplasia, eye problems and thyroid problems.

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