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Irish Setters were originally bred to hunt upland game, and they are still proficient hunters. The breed today is essentially split into two varieties: the larger, darker, more heavily-coated dogs who come from conformation bloodlines, and the much smaller, lighter dogs descended from field trial lines, often called "Red Setters." With the institution of AKC Hunting Tests and the Irish Setter Club of America's Versatility Certificate program, many owners of non-field-bred Irish Setters in the United States have been delighted to learn that their dogs still possess a strong hunting instinct.
Irish Setters are among the largest of the sporting breeds, with males ideally measuring 27 inches at the withers and weighing about 70 pounds, and females measuring 25 inches at the withers and weighing about 60 pounds. The Irish Setter is characterized by its "brick-on-brick" head and its silky coat, which is short on the body and longer on the chest, ears, backs of legs, tail, and undercarriage, and which ranges in color from chestnut to mahogany.
Although its potential is often not fully developed, the Irish Setter is a very versatile breed. Not only are Irish Setters beautiful companions and able hunters, they also possess the ability to excel at competitive obedience, tracking, and agility. There are several Irish Setters with advanced obedience degrees, and many Irish Setters are now pursuing agility titles.
Irish Setters are extremely active, energetic dogs, as are most sporting breeds. If they do not get adequate exercise and training, they can be difficult to live with. Their reputation as "hyper" dogs seems to have emerged when Irish Setters became extremely popular in the 1970s. The combination of irresponsible breeding without selection for sound temperaments and placement in homes which were not up to the demands of an active, sporting breed undoubtedly contributed to the perception that Irish Setters are "hyper." With the decreased popularity of the breed in the 1980s and 1990s, the quality of the Irish Setter temperaments being produced is uniformly much higher."Are Irish Setters stupider than most other breeds?"
Anyone who has lived with them knows that these dogs are experts at getting their way! Irish Setters present a training challenge because they are stubborn, easily distracted, and quick to bore, but most of them are quite intelligent. It takes a great deal of patience and commitment to train an Irish Setter; however, such training is an absolute necessity, and it usually proves to be fun and rewarding for both dog and owner. Training must start early, and the trainer should keep in mind that most Irish Setters aren't mentally mature until they are at least 2 years old."How much grooming does an Irish Setter need?"
Their long feathering requires quite a bit of attention, otherwise it will quickly become matted. Daily brushing is the MINIMUM Irish Setter grooming requirement."Would an Irish Setter make a good guard dog?"
No. Many Irish Setters will alert you to the presence of strangers on your property, but for the most part they are more likely to happily greet intruders (or to hide behind the sofa) than wrestle the family silver from burglars."Are Irish Setters good with children?"
Yes, though since both Irish Setters and children often have a tendency to play rough, interactions between them should be supervised."Since Irish Setters are no longer near the top of the AKC popularity list, are they hard to find?"
Quality Irish Setters from reputable breeders can be hard to find, so there is usually a wait for a puppy. Also, in some places the demand for older rescue dogs is far greater than the supply. Whether you are dealing with a breeder or a rescue representative, expect to be questioned thoroughly about your expectations and your ability to cope with the breed's maintenance demands.
Among setters in Ireland, red and white coloring was dominant well into the nineteenth century; even today many Irish Setters are marked with small areas of white on the chest, neck, or between the toes despite the long-standing official division of Irish Setters and Irish Red and White Setters (not AKC-recognized) into separate breeds. Nineteenth century descriptions of Irish Setters with black or, more rarely, orange coloring or markings point to the probability of cross-breeding with English and Gordon Setters.
Modern Irish Setter type can be traced to a British dog of the 1870s named Ch. Palmerston. Palmerston has been described as large for his time -- he weighed 64 pounds and measured 23.5 inches at the shoulder -- with an unusually long and narrow head, heavy bone, and dark red coloring. Because of the impact of the few of Palmerston's daughters who were imported to the United States, there is little doubt that all American Irish Setters can trace their ancestry to Palmerston.
During the first half of the twentieth century, there was very little difference in "type" between Irish Setters who competed in field trials and Irish Setters who competed in conformation competition. In recent decades, however, as field trial competitors sought to breed dogs that were competitive against other pointing breeds in field trials, and as conformation-minded breeders produced larger, heavily-coated dogs that were more competitive in the show ring, the breed has split into two distinct types.
Precautions should be taken by Irish Setter owners to lessen the likelihood that their dogs develop this acute and life-threatening condition. These precautions include 1) feeding two or more smaller meals per day rather than one large meal, 2) wetting dry food and allowing it to soak before feeding, 3) not allowing vigorous exercise for one hour before and two hours after feeding, 4) elevating food dishes, and 5) using a high quality food that doesn't contain soy.
GDV can be quickly fatal, but if caught in time a prodedure called gastropexy, in which the stomach is surgically tacked to the abdominal wall, can be performed. This surgery radically decreases the possibilty of GDV recurrence. Extensive information about GDV can be found on the homepage of Purdue University's College of Veterinary Medicine at http://www.vet.purdue.edu/depts/vad/cae/cgdvweb.htm.
Luz Holvenstot, Irish Setters, T.F.H. Publications, 1979. (In print)
William C. Thompson, The New Irish Setter, Howell Book House, 1968. (Out of print)
Patricia Gallagher, Irish Setters Today, 1977. (Out of print)
Joan McDonald Brearley, This is the Irish Setter, T.F.H. Publications, 1975. (Out of print)
Walter Hutchinson, Hutchinson on Setters, Donald R. Hoflin Publishing, 1980 (Out of print)
Rowland Johns, Our Friend the Irish Setter, E. P. Dutton & Co., 1933. (Out of print)
Irish Setter Club of America Memo to Members. Bi-monthly magazine available to ISCA members. For membership application, contact:
Karen Holmes
969 Randy Way
Brentwood, CA 94513
510/634-4541
Sam MacDonald
10901 Ives
Fort Worth, TX 76108
817/246-4342
Marilee Larson 27371 Whitmor Pioneer, CA 209/295-1666 Fax: 209/295-1656
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