Irish Setter

Origin & history

The Irish Setter was developed in Ireland over the 1700s and 1800s as a bird dog, used to range across open ground, find game birds by scent and freeze on point so the hunter could move in. Early Irish setters were often red and white, and the solid red dog that we know today was refined later in the 19th century, becoming fashionable partly for its striking looks. The breed was among the early registrations when formal stud books began, and it spread quickly through Britain, North America and beyond. A split gradually opened between the heavily coated show type and the lighter, harder-running field type still used for hunting. In Australia the Irish Setter has long been a familiar show and companion breed, recognised by the ANKC, though it is less often worked here than in its homeland.

Temperament

Irish Setters are friendly, exuberant and deeply attached to their families, and they tend to stay playful and adolescent in outlook for several years, longer than most breeds. They are typically excellent with children, happy in the noise and bustle of family life, though a boisterous young Setter can knock over a toddler simply through enthusiasm. They are sociable with other dogs and, with early exposure, usually fine with cats and other pets, although the bird-finding instinct means some interest in smaller animals. With strangers they are welcoming rather than wary, which makes them friendly faces but unreliable guards. They are intelligent and eager to please, yet easily distracted, so training needs to be upbeat, consistent and patient. The core need is plenty of exercise and company, a bored, under-exercised Setter becomes destructive and noisy.

Appearance

This is a substantial, racy gundog. Males generally stand about 58 to 67 cm at the shoulder with females a little smaller, and weight sits roughly in the 25 to 32 kg range depending on type and sex. The build is athletic and balanced, longer in leg and lighter in frame than many gundogs, built for galloping. The coat is the signature, moderately long, flat and silky, with generous feathering on the ears, chest, legs, underline and tail. Colour is a rich chestnut or mahogany red, sometimes with small white marks on the chest or toes. The head is long and lean, the eyes dark and kind, and the long ears hang low and close to the head.

Suitability

This breed wants a house with a decent securely fenced yard and, more importantly, an owner committed to real daily exercise and ongoing training. It suits active people and families who enjoy the outdoors and want a dog to come running, walking or to a dog sport. It is not a good match for apartment life, for a sedentary household, or for an owner away long hours, as Setters fret and act up when left alone too much. First-time owners can manage one if they go in clear-eyed about the energy and the slow road to maturity. In the Australian heat the long red coat means exercising in the cool of the morning or evening through summer, with shade and water always on hand, and care taken on hot pavement.

Health

Irish Setters usually live around 12 to 14 years. The breed has a few well-documented predispositions. Hip dysplasia occurs and breeding dogs should be hip-scored. Eye disease is a real concern, including progressive retinal atrophy, which has a DNA test in this breed, so insist on parents being tested. Two further inherited conditions have DNA tests available, canine leucocyte adhesion deficiency (CLAD) and gluten-sensitive enteropathy, and reputable breeders screen for both. Like many deep-chested dogs, the Irish Setter is at risk of gastric dilatation-volvulus (bloat), a sudden, life-threatening twisting of the stomach, so feed measured meals and avoid hard exercise right after eating. Buy from a breeder who hip-scores, eye-tests and uses the available DNA panels, and ask to see the certificates rather than taking their word for it.