Irish Setter

The Irish Setter is a tall, racy gundog with a silky coat of deep chestnut red. It is exuberant, affectionate and energetic, and needs a great deal of exercise.

Origin

Setters were bred in Ireland in the eighteenth century to find game birds by scent and to crouch, or "set", to show the hunter where they lay. The early dogs were red and white. A fashion for solid red took hold in the nineteenth century, and the red dog became a separate breed from the Irish Red and White Setter, which survives in small numbers.

Appearance

Irish Setters stand roughly 58 to 67 cm at the shoulder. The outline is elegant and athletic, with a long, lean head, a deep chest and a level back. The coat is flat and glossy, with long feathering on the ears, chest, belly, legs and tail, and is a rich chestnut with no black.

Temperament and exercise

The breed is outgoing, playful and good-natured with people and other dogs. It is slow to mature and can be scatterbrained for its first two or three years. Training needs patience, short sessions and reward. An adult needs two hours or more of exercise a day, with the chance to run freely in a safe place; recall takes time to establish.

Care and health

The coat needs brushing several times a week, and the ears are checked regularly.

• Bloat, in which the stomach fills with gas and twists, is a particular risk in this deep-chested breed and is an emergency.
• Inherited diseases controlled by DNA testing: two forms of progressive retinal atrophy and a fatal immune deficiency of puppies. The Kennel Club registers only puppies from tested parents.
• Epilepsy, hip dysplasia and an inflammatory bowel condition also occur.

The typical lifespan is twelve to thirteen years.

In Britain

The Irish Setter is in the Kennel Club's Gundog group. It was very fashionable in the 1970s and is now much less common.