A noble handsome man with a royal article, clever and penetrating eyes - this dog fascinates even those people who have never experienced sympathy and love for a person’s friend. The Irish Setter is a dog that combines aristocracy, elegance, independence and an unusually friendly and cheerful disposition.
From the history of the breed
The origin of the name of this breed comes from the English word "set". In the language of hunters, it means "make a stand, stand still." The dog, the Irish Setter, or, as it is also called, the Irish Red Setter, appeared, as already understood, in Ireland. As an independent breed was formed at the beginning of the 19th century.
The setter was introduced to Russia quite quickly, but did not become popular. All the fault is a rather complex character. Unlike other hunting dogs, he was difficult to train, and besides, he was very naughty.
Little time passed, and Russian dog handlers drew attention to this dog and tried to improve its quality. Their work was successful, and we can see its result today.
Hunting qualities
Dog breed Irish Setter bred to hunt game birds. The animal is very energetic, with a pronounced hunting instinct. His manner of searching is a quick gallop. Excellent plasticity and an unrivaled flair allow you to use the dog in different hunting areas. The setter with equal pleasure spoils the game not only on land but also in water.
Character
This is an affectionate and funny dog, loving people - adults and especially children. Communicates well with other pets. The setter is smart and insightful. Extremely attached to his master and to everyone who lives in the house. Sometimes it is wayward, but at the same time obedient and friendly. Completely devoid of aggressiveness. On a walk is very active, curious, playful.
The Irish Setter (photo you see in this article) barks a little. It has a great sense of smell. It is ideal to keep such a pet in a country house, but it will easily adapt to life in the city if the dog regularly receives the necessary physical activity and the ability to freely run without a leash. The Irish Setter will not be able to live normally in a small city apartment - he is too active.
Exterior
The Irish Setter, whose photo is often adorned with the covers of special dog breeding publications, is a graceful and beautiful large-sized dog. It is proportionately folded, has a high stance. Male growth is within 67 cm, bitches are slightly smaller - up to 62 cm. Weight can range from 27 to 32 kg.
The Irish Setter dog has a small head. Eyes close set. The ears are soft, large, hanging. The body is elongated, strong long legs, when moving develops high speed.
The coat is thick, stiff, long. No undercoat. Color is most often dark or light red with a red tint, chestnut. The standard allows white spots on the throat, chest or fingers. In addition, a small asterisk is allowed on the forehead or face.
Training and education
The Irish Setter needs constant, persistent, but gentle training. This work is difficult not only for the owner of the dog, but also for his pet. As noted earlier, these are super active creatures. Often it is difficult for them even to just sit there and listen to the owner. In order for the training to be successful, learn to clearly articulate your teams without raising your voice for your favorite, and in case of disobedience not to punish him. Only then will your efforts succeed.
Setter will begin to carry out all commands carefully if the training will be phased and consistent. You need to start teaching a dog with simple commands: “sit,” “to me,” “walk.” Each of them should be taught separately until the dog has learned it. After the team is mastered, you can begin to study the next one, complicate classes, combining already known tasks and adding something new. Setters are happy to carry out commands that require them to actively run, speed, movement. The dog, which trained a lot of time, becomes a hardy and hardworking hunting companion. It is distinguished by a quick search, though not as fast as the English setter.
Nutrition
The Irish Setter eats little, but his diet must be varied and balanced. An adult animal eats cereals, vegetables, and meat with pleasure. In winter, a little fish oil should be included in the dog’s diet.
In his culinary preferences, he is not much different from other dogs - he loves meat, but at the same time he will not refuse pasta. Boiled fish (preferably marine) is quite happy with the Irish red setter, but be sure to check that there are no bones in it. They can cause serious injury to the esophagus, and in this case can not do without the help of a veterinarian. The Irish Setter is unpretentious to feed, but all owners of these dogs must remember that they absolutely can not be overfed. In addition, it is necessary to provide the animal with free access to water.
Setter is susceptible to intestinal diseases and disorders, therefore, fatty, fried and spicy foods should be excluded from its diet.
Health
In general, it is a fairly healthy and strong breed. But, like all other setters, the Irish have their own "weaknesses." In this regard, it should highlight the sensitivity of his liver to cholesterol and various toxins. In addition, it is necessary to note the predisposition of setters to ear diseases, which is associated with their fold.
More often than other dogs, setters have bowel obstruction. Therefore, after feeding they should not be given great physical exertion. Owners of setters need to know well the methods of first aid for this disease, as well as the address of a nearby veterinary clinic, where you can get round-the-clock professional help.
When purchasing a puppy, pay attention to the availability of vaccinations necessary for the age of the animal.
Care and maintenance
For the setter, outdoor walks are very important. He needs active games, freedom of movement. Walking your pet is necessary at least twice a day, and walks should last at least 1.5 hours.
The hair should be combed out twice a week, in order to avoid the appearance of lumps that will interfere with the dog, moreover, this greatly spoils its appearance.
The setter needs regular, but not very frequent bathing. Ideally, this is once a month. An exception can be made in rainy weather when it is dirty on the street. In this case, the dogs require washing after each walk. In order for your pet to bring less dirt into the house, he needs to shorten the fur between his paws from time to time. It is necessary to carefully monitor the cleanliness of the place for sleeping, the dishes of the animal. Consult your veterinarian for vaccinations. He will advise you which vitamins your pet needs.
Do not forget about regular visits to the clinic for preventive examinations. An inexperienced owner may not notice any change in the condition of his pet, so he may miss the onset of a serious illness.
Irish Red and White Setter
An affectionate and cheerful dog with a catchy color, shiny luxurious coat and attentive gaze of smart eyes. A great hunter, very clean at home. Along with the advantages, which can be talked about endlessly, the setter also has small flaws. These are very emotional dogs. They are extremely painful to endure loneliness. They do not like to "communicate" with large and aggressive dogs. If most of the day you are not at home, do not start the setter. He will suffer very much, maybe even get sick because of this.
Buy an Irish Setter puppy
When making such an important decision, the future owner must remember that life within the four walls is detrimental to the physical and psychological health of such a dog. The Irish Setter does not need complicated care and does not cause serious problems to its owner. If you want to make a four-legged friend, an Irish, then do not buy a puppy in the market or from random people. It is much more correct to contact a reliable nursery or large breeders.
For example, the well-known Moscow Kennel Kennel "Irish Setter MOOiR" has been breeding dogs of this breed loved by many for over 50 years. The “pupils” of the nursery are the champions of numerous exhibitions and field competitions. All manufacturers are checked at the MOOir testing station and are recorded in the Russian Stud Book. The famous Irish Setter Nursery holds regular exhibitions and field trials.
Puppies from MOOiR have a pedigree RKF and RORS. They have a great exterior. In addition, they are well-mannered, neat, asking for the street. Puppies have all the vaccinations necessary for their age, brand, veterinary passport.
Irish Setter - Owner Reviews
There are a great many eulogies addressed to these animals. Most owners (not hunters) note the rapid learning of their pets, their friendliness and extraordinary affection for the owner, as well as for all the inhabitants of the house. Particularly necessary to dwell on the attitude of setters to children. It can be called quivering and gentle. Just look at their game with very young children. The setter can endlessly run, jump, but never, even by accident, will not harm the child, will not drop him.
The setter is loving - these dogs are very fond of being patted, they just require attention. Many owners are delighted with the incredible cleanliness of this dog - he will not eat from dirty dishes or sleep on a dirty rug.
The setter also earned no less rave reviews from hunters. He easily learns all the tricks. Good game, has a real passion for hunting.
Some owners attribute the restless character to the negative qualities of this breed. However, we talked about this in our article. The dog needs space and physical activity, then its energy will be directed in the right direction.
The Irish Setter is a wonderful hunting dog that does its job efficiently. True, today her abilities are not used very often, and the setter today is turning into a companion dog. And in this capacity, it is just perfect for single people, and for families with children. This is explained not only by his stable psyche, but also by kindness and sensitivity, which do not allow him to harm a person. For the same reason, he cannot be used as a guard.