Irish Setter

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Irish Setter

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Here comes Irish Setter, energetic and smart. They’re always high-spirited so owners need to offer them time and place to run off their energy. Appropriate measures should be taken to train Irish Setters, they may ignore owners directions if there’re no fun or reward.

Other Names Irish Red and White Setter, Irish Red Setter
Color red
Height Males: 23-27 inches. Females: 21-25 inches.
Weight Males: 70-75 pounds. Females: 50-65 pounds.
Life Span 12-15 years
Personality Active, Outgoing, Sweet-Natured
Exercise Needs Lots of Activity
Origin
Popularity #79
Groom Needs 2-3 Times a Week Brushing/ Infrequent Shedding
Kids Friendly Yes
Dog Friendly Yes
Watch Dog
Family Dog Yes
Litter Size 3-5 puppies

Irish Setter Pictures

Irish Setter Video

Introduction

The Irish setter is a versatile, energetic, outgoing hunting dog and a wonderful companion to the family he joins. He reaches about 27 inches at the shoulders and weighs about 70 pounds. His body is longer than how tall he is, with a long thick tail, coming in colors from mahogany to rich chestnut red – sometimes you might see patches of white. His coat is soft and flat. His hair needs daily brushing to maintain his coat and prevent matting. He is active, outgoing, and full of energy. Because of their high energy levels, they need a lot of training and exercises; exercises should be at least twice a day. They are especially sensitive to voice tones, and will not respond if you shout at them or are harsh with them. They aren’t really guard dogs, although they’ve been known to step in and protect their people as needed. They are, however, excellent watchdogs and will bark to let you know of visitors or intruders. Irish Setters are slow to mature and will retain their puppy enthusiasm for several years and often throughout their life.

Living with Irish Setter

Twice a week grooming is enough for Irish Setter, as it’s hard for their coat to get mats or tangles. Long-toothed metal comb, soft bristle brush or a pin brush can be suitable to Irish Setters. Moderate grooming is enough for their rich-red coat. Have their nails trimmed can keep them in tidiess, usually every week or two. To keep them overall clean, bath should be of great importance. Use vet-approved pet toothpaste to brush their teeth. Check eyes and ears to avoid health troubles, such as infections, irritations and wax build up. Owners should keep ears dry, so that any bacteria or yeast will hardly exist. 

It’s of great importance for Irish Setters to exercise every day. Irish Setters are instinct to enjoy outdoor exercise. This is a breed of high agility, perfect for walking, running, swimming, etc. Some obedience, tracking, agility, rally activities are also applicable to Irish Setters, as both dog and owner can be enjoyed during these period. Owners should try to make Irish Setters feel like a member of a team, adding more cooperative consciousness will add pet-onwer emotional connection and interactions. An open area or playground in lawn, yard or garden can be suitable for Irish Setters. Out door exercise offers them opportunities to run off their energy, as they will easily get bored indoor. 

Owners should feed Irish Setter with premium dog food. Owners should pay attention that any food should be applicable to puppy, adult, or senior dog. Some human foods are safe for them, while some are dangerous. Owners should not feed them with food without careful thinking. Irish Setters are prone to suffer from bloat, owners need to learn some informoation about the symptoms and measures of bloat when it occurs. Experts have some suggestion that prevent bloating from occurring. Feed them small meals each time while adding feeding times. Owners should also prevent dogs from doing any vigorous exercise after dogs’ mealtime.

Irish Setters are generally in good health, but Irish Setter puppies are prone to suffer from genetic disorder which might lead to malnutrition and diarrhea if feed them gluten diet. This genetic disorder is called gluten intolerance, and the symptoms usually manifest themselves at around six months of age. Genetic tests have been developed to detect the presence of both CLAD and PRA, Irish Setters are now one of the few breeds that can be tested. It’s also likely for this breed to experience bloat, which seems a small problems. However, this symptoms can lead to uncomforable feelings. Multiple meals and mild exercise around mealtime should be helpful.

Total Annual Cost: $3886

Cost is estimated for the first year and may vary depending on many factors, such as dog food, health care, leash, collar, licensing, possible fencing, crates, training and obedience classes, dog-walking, grooming, treats, toys, flea, tick, and heart-worm meds, microchips, etc.

Irish Setter is always energetic. Interesting training process will bring attractions to Irish Setter. Harsh training directions will bring bad response. Reward-based dock diving, rally, tracking, flyball will bring not only appeal but a sense of accomplishment. As Irish Setters have deep connections with their human friends, they can be easily trained if there’re lots of pet-owner interactions. Early socialization is important to puppies, they will gradually develop into a well-behaved dog after obeying some simple directions. If well trained, Irish Setters are likely to work as therapy dogs or assistance dogs. In California, some Irish Setters are developed with excellent field abilities.

History

These dogs originated from Ireland and rose in popularity in the 1700s. They were bred to be hunters.

People say the Irish setter was developing by mixing the Irish water spaniel, the English setter, the Irish terrier, the spaniel, Gordon setter, and the pointer. But anyway, the first Irish setters were sometimes called red spaniels – and that is a good clue to their heritage. They were also called modder rhu, which in Gaelic means “red dog.”

The original Irish setters used to be red and white, but the white color was bred out of the dog – the first Irish setter that was all-red appeared in 1812. 

In the 19th century, the Irish setter was imported to America and eventually split into 2 breeding lines, one was for fieldwork and the other was for conformation. The name of the first Irish setter to be imported to the United States was called Elcho. 

Around 1878, the American Kennel Club (AKC) recognized this dog and Admiral was the first Irish Setter to be registered by the AKC. 

The Irish Setter quickly became one of the most popular breeds in America and a favorite in the show ring. Their popularity soared to new heights in the 1960s and 1970s, thanks to books and a movie featuring an Irish setter named Big Red. 

Helpful Information

Breed Club: IRISH SETTER CLUB of AMERICA, INC.

Breed Club Link: https://www.irishsetterclub.org/

Breed Club Rescue: The lrish Setter Rescue

Breed Club Rescue Link: https://irishsetterclub.org/rescue/rescue-information/