Description

The Irish Setter is a long, lean looking dog that is very athletic and energetic looking without appearing hyperactive or rambunctious. The overall appearance of the breed is one of grace and agility as well as intelligence and excellent disposition.

The head of the Irish Setter is rather long with a definite stop between the eyes and the muzzle. The muzzle is very straight and elongated in shape but not tapered or heavy looking. The nose is always wide and black, with wide and noticable openings on the nostrils. They eyes are well set and almond shaped, usually a chestnut or dark hazel color and they are soft and gentle in expression. The ears are very soft and triangular shaped but carried folded over and rather low on the side of the head. The skull is very rounded on top, giving a soft appearance to the head when viewed from the front or the side. The hair on the face is short and very soft, but feathering is noticeable on the ears.

The neck is somewhat long and graceful looking, sloping into strong and well developed shoulders. The legs are well-boned and muscled but don\'t appear heavy or over-developed. There is noticeable fringing or furnishings on the front and back legs. The chest is rather narrow yet also deep, ideal for moving though brush or water. The body is longer than the height of the dog at the shoulders. The topline is sloping from the withers to the tail, which is usually carried either down when relaxed or horizontally when the dog is working, happy or moving about. Typically Irish Setters will be very active tail wagers, and their beautiful tail really is a highlight of the breed.

The coat may be somewhat longer or shorter depending on the breeding and line. Overall field lines or working dogs will have a shorter coat and will be more energetic and athletic than the show lines which are heavier and have a the longer showier coat style. The longer coat is very silky and long with natural waves that add to the depth of the body of the dog. The shorter coat has the same fringes and furnishings as well as the beautiful sheen and wavy, distinctive coat. The hair around the neck, underbelly and chest is slightly longer than the rest of the hair on the body.

Coat Description

The coat is medium long, thick and flat and soft to the touch. The reddish brown coat can be wavy or straight but is never curly. The breed has distinctive furnishing on the legs, tail and underbelly that are more pronounced on the longer coated show lines. Field lines may have a much shorter coat but will always have the same coloration.

History

The Irish Setter was first developed as a color variation on the original Red and White Setter breed in the 1700\'s in Ireland and other areas in the United Kingdom. In the 1800\'s breeders started to select the more solid colored dogs in the Red and White Setter group to develop the all red, solid Irish Setter we know today. Originally the Irish Setter was known as the Irish Red Setter, but this name is no longer used in registries.

The Irish Setter, prior to 1862, was used strictly as a hunting dog. They have a unique tendency to run in a zigzag pattern in front of the hunter, scanning the area for scents. The Irish Setter was trained to be both a scent dog, a pointing dog and a retriever. This all round hunting combination was extremely popular especially with hunters than were hunting on their own or only had the ability to have one dog with them.

In 1862 an Irish Red Setter was born that set the standards for the current breed. It was longer, more angular, faster and had a more distinctive face and coat than the other dogs in the breed at the time. This dog, named Champion Palmerston. Almost all Irish Setters can trace their lineage back to Champion Palmerston and his features are still evident in the breed standards used today. It is interesting to note that the original owner of Champion Palmerston did not like his looks and actually ordered the puppy to be killed, but it was given to another dog breeder that began showing the dog and started winning competitions.

Temperament

The temperament of the Irish Setter is gentle, kind and very even mannered. They are somewhat energetic dogs that need to have a place to run and romp as well as regular interaction with their family. The Irish Setter is a very people oriented dog and would prefer to be with then family rather than alone. They do not do well in kennels or small confined spaces although they will easily adjust to living indoors with lots of opportunity for regular walks and time outdoors.

As puppies many Irish Setters are rather impulsive and clownish and love to play and spend time with people. They will almost housetrain themselves given the chance to get outside after meals and activity times. They are a very intelligent breed that does have natural tendencies to be somewhat independent. The Irish Setter is not a dominant breed nor is it dog aggressive unless provoked. They are ideal companion dogs for almost any type or breed of dog and have the energy to play all day if allowed. The Irish Setter will get along very well with other non-canine pets and is usually very fond of cats if properly socialized. Some Irish Setters are more prone to chasing so raising them as puppies with cats will help prevent this from becoming a problem.

Irish Setters are ideal family dogs and love to spend time with children. They are excellent even with very small children and are often found simply walking around young kids out playing in the yard, staying active in what the kids are doing. When properly trained the will respond to even a very young child\'s command which makes them ideal dogs for families. The Irish Setter has unlimited patience with children and is not aggressive in any way towards family children or guests.

The Irish Setter is not a guard or watch dog and will often greet total strangers with a happy expression and a wag of the tail. Often the Irish Setter will bark a greeting to family before they will bark to notify the family that people are arriving.

The Irish Setter makes a great traveling, jogging, hiking or walking companion. They are naturally energetic and athletic and are always interested in doing whatever the family is involved in.

Thyroid Disease - High Risk

The Irish Setter ranks #23 among all breeds for autoimmune thyroiditis prevalence. There is a high risk of obtaining a dog that will develop thyroid disease. For this reason you should make sure you, or your breeder, are testing all dogs before breeding.  It may even be a good idea to test dogs that you don't plan on breeding so that any instance of disease can be traced back to breeding pairs and eliminated.

You can download the full report (on all breeds) by the Michigan State University Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health. Here

Other Health Problems

The Irish Setter has the same health problems and genetic concerns that most of the large breeds of dogs have. These include canine hip dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy and gastric torsion, a bloating problem that can be controlled by feeding several small meals a day and limiting exercise after meals.

In addition some occasionally seen health conditions include growth problems (OCD) in puppies, megaesophagus, epilepsy, hemophilia A and Hypertrophic osteodystrophy (HOD) which causes lameness in young dogs. Typically checking DNA of breeding pairs will reduce the likeliness of any of these conditions. A reputable breeder will always perform these tests before breeding the dogs, and purchasing a puppy from an established breeder is the best way to avoid these conditions.