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Irish Setter

active / sweet-natured / outgoing
Sporting Group >>

Average sizes and life
expectancy of the breed.

Height

27 inches (male)

25 inches (female)

Weight

70 pounds (male)

60 pounds (female)

Life Expectancy

12-15 years

Breed Traits & Characteristics

Affectionate With Family
  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%
How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.
Good With Young Children
  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    100% 100%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.
GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS
  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    100% 100%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    60% 60%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    60% 60%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    40% 40%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    100% 100%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    100% 100%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    60% 60%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    80% 80%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    80% 80%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    100% 100%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    60% 60%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    80% 80%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

Affectionate With Family

  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%

How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.

Good With Young Children

  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    100% 100%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.

GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS

  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    100% 100%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    60% 60%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    60% 60%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    40% 40%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    100% 100%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    100% 100%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    60% 60%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    80% 80%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    80% 80%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    100% 100%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    60% 60%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    80% 80%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

About the Breed

The Irish Setter is a passionate gundog with a striking red coat and a reputation for elegance and speed. They are renowned for being excellent family pets, making gentle companions for the elderly, and boisterous playmates and tennis ball retrievers for young children. According to supporters, the Irish Setter is the most attractive dog breed. The Irish are renowned for their magnificent coat of mahogany or chestnut, standing more than two feet at the shoulder and having a strong yet graceful build. The Irish are among the fastest sporting dogs thanks to their long, sinewy legs and strong rear drive. For more than 200 years, pet owners and sportsmen have cherished the Irish Setter breed because of its endearing disposition. Irish are gregarious dogs who love to socialize. These boisterous redheads are really just big kids at heart, but they have a strong desire to please and will learn well from gentle, encouraging instruction. They are reputed to be fearless, tough hunting partners who approach their profession with a devil-may-care mentality.

 

 

 

 

What To Expect When Caring For a Irish Setter

Owning a dog is not just a privilege; it’s a responsibility. They depend on us for, at minimum, food and shelter, and deserve much more. When you take a dog into your life, you need to understand the commitment that dog ownership entails.

Health

Irish Setters are typically healthy dogs, and ethical breeders check the health of their breeding stock for ailments like hip dysplasia and eye problems. Irish Setters can undergo bloat, a sudden and potentially fatal expansion of the abdomen, like other large, deep-chested breeds; owners should become knowledgeable about its signs and what to do in the event that bloat occurs. The teeth of an Irish Setter should be brushed frequently with toothpaste made for dogs, and the ears should be checked frequently for indications of infection.
Recommended Health Tests From the National Breed Club:
  • Hip Evaluation
  • Thyroid Evaluation
  • PRA Optigen DNA Test
         

Grooming

The gorgeous rich-red coat of the Irish Setter needs only minimal maintenance to appear its best. Irish should be groomed with a pin brush or soft bristle brush at least twice a week. To help remove any mats or tangles that may be beginning to form, a long-toothed metal dog comb can also be utilized. Once every month, the nails should be clipped. The coat and skin will stay clean and healthy with the help of the occasional bath with a gentle shampoo made for dogs. Checking the dog during a grooming session is a fantastic opportunity to look for any new lumps or skin issues, as well as to ensure that the eyes and ears are healthy and problem-free.

Exercise

Like most Sporting breeds, Irish Setters need plenty of daily exercise. This can come in the form of long daily walks and play sessions with their owners'¿Irish Setters love to be with their people. The breed also exercises mind and body by participating in canine sports such as obedience, tracking, agility, rally, and other activities that can be enjoyed by both dog and owner.

Training

Irish Setters are cheerful, loving, and eager to please. He has lots of energy and will enjoy having a task to do. To prevent him from getting bored, keep your training approaches consistent while making the sessions enjoyable. He responds better to training techniques that focus on positive reinforcement than on harsh or coercive corrections. It is advised to take puppy training sessions as well as early socializing. Irish Setters are excellent at canine sports like hunting, agility, dock diving, rally, tracking, and flyball. They are also excellent therapy and support dogs due to their sensitive nature.    

Nutrition

The Irish Setter has to eat high-quality dog food that is suitable for its age (puppy, adult, or senior) and degree of activity. Discover which foods fit the bill for canine consumption and which don't. Owners of the breed should become knowledgeable about bloat, a sudden and sometimes fatal swelling of the abdomen, as well as its signs and treatment options. Although the exact reasons for bloat are unknown, experts concur that eating several small meals throughout the day and avoiding strenuous exercise right before or after meals may help lower the risk of bloating.    

History

A setter is a breed of dog that was developed to use its excellent sense of scent to find game birds. By “setting” down on his belly, the setter informs the hunter that he has located birds. Prior to the development of weapons, setters collaborated with trained falcons and net-based hunters. Today’s setters operate beside a hunter carrying a rifle as gundogs.

To better travel over the open, flat terrain of the Emerald Isle, Irish huntsmen of the 1800s developed their sleek, rangy “Red Setters” to move freely and quickly. The Gordon Setter, an Irish Setter’s Scottish cousin, has a larger build and runs at a slower pace because it was developed to flush and retrieve game on difficult terrain. In the bird fields, the Irish Setter developed a reputation as a hard-working but effective worker. Since the sport’s inception in the 1870s, the breed has also enjoyed great success in the show ring because of its alluring appearance and graceful movement. Over the years, the Westminster Kennel Club show’s Sporting Group class has been won by eleven Irish dogs. President Richard Nixon’s Irish Setter, King Timahoe, was named for a small hamlet in Ireland that was the homeland of the president’s ancestors; nevertheless, the most renowned Irish Setter of all time was fictitious, the title character of Jim Kjelgaard’s 1945 novel “Big Red.”