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Irish Setter breed guide
AKC calls the Irish Setter a high-spirited hunting dog known for grace, swiftness and a flashy red coat and famously good with family: sweet-tempered companions for the folks and rollicking playmates for the children.
Admirers have described it as the most handsome of dog breeds and long, sinewy legs and powerful rear drive place it among the swiftest of sporting dogs.
- Height
- 27 inches male, 25 inches female
- Weight
- 70 pounds male, 60 pounds female
- AKC group
- Sporting Group
Irish Setter temperament
The Irish Setter's lovable personality has endeared it to sportsmen and pet owners for more than 200 years. Irish are outgoing dogs who enjoy making friends.
AKC calls the breed happy, affectionate and eager to please, full of energy and glad to have a job. It responds best to positive, reward-based methods and sessions kept fun so the dog does not get bored.
Irish Setter lifespan
Irish Setters live 12 to 15 years. Responsible breeders screen for hip dysplasia and eye disorders.
Like other large, deep-chested breeds, Irish Setters may get bloat, a sudden life-threatening swelling of the abdomen and owners should learn its symptoms and what to do.
Irish Setter care
The rich-red coat needs moderate grooming: brush at least twice a week with a pin brush or soft bristle brush and use a long-toothed metal comb to work out tangles or mats that are starting. Trim the nails once a month.
Like most sporting breeds, Irish Setters need plenty of daily exercise, through long daily walks and play with their owners. The breed also exercises mind and body in obedience, tracking, agility and rally.
Irish Setter history
A setter is a dog bred to locate gamebirds by scent, then show the hunter by setting down on its belly. Before firearms, setters worked in tandem with trained falcons and hunters using nets.
Irish huntsmen of the 1800s bred their sleek, long-limbed Red Setters to move freely and swiftly over the wide, flat countryside of Ireland.
AKC trait ratings
| Trait | AKC rating | Scale |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Level | 5 of 5 | Couch Potato to High Energy |
| Trainability Level | 4 of 5 | Self-Willed to Eager to Please |
| Shedding Level | 3 of 5 | No Shedding to Hair Everywhere |
| Barking Level | 3 of 5 | Only To Alert to Very Vocal |
| Adaptability Level | 4 of 5 | Lives For Routine to Highly Adaptable |
| Good With Young Children | 5 of 5 | Not Recommended to Good With Children |
| Good With Other Dogs | 5 of 5 | Not Recommended to Good With Other Dogs |
| Watchdog/Protective Nature | 3 of 5 | What's Mine Is Yours to Vigilant |
More Sporting Group guides
Sources
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Irish Setter by Zeynel Cebeci, CC BY-SA 4.0
