Irish Setter: photo and description of the breed

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

A noble handsome man with a royal article, smart and penetrating eyes - this dog fascinates even those people who have never experienced sympathy and love for a man'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 "to make a stand, freeze." The Irish Setter dog, or, as it is also called, the Irish Red Setter, appeared, as is already clear, in Ireland. How an independent breed was formed at the beginning of the 19th century.

The setter was brought to Russia quite quickly, but did not become popular. It's all because of a rather complex character. Unlike other hunting dogs, he was difficult to train, and besides, he was very naughty.

It wasn't long before Russian cynologists noticed this dog and tried to improve its qualities. Their work has been crownedsuccess, and we can see its result today.

Hunting quality

The Irish Setter dog breed was bred for hunting game birds. The animal is very energetic, with a pronounced hunting instinct. His manner of searching is a quick gallop. Excellent plasticity and unsurpassed flair allow the dog to be used in different hunting grounds. The setter with equal pleasure fetches the game not only on land, but also in the water.

Character

This is an affectionate and cheerful dog that loves people - adults and especially children. He 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 he is very active, curious, playful.

The Irish Setter (you see the photo in this article) barks a little. Has an excellent 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 opportunity to run around 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 photos often grace the covers of special dog breeding publications, is a graceful and beautiful dog of large size. It is proportionately folded, has a high stance. The growth of males is within 67 cm, females are somewhat smaller - up to 62see Weight may vary from 27 to 32 kg.

The Irish Setter dog has a small head. The eyes are close set. Ears are soft, large, hanging. The body is elongated, strong long legs, develops high speed when moving.

Wool is thick, hard, long. There is no undercoat. The color is most often dark or light red with a red tint, chestnut. The standard allows for white patches on the throat, chest or fingers. In addition, a small star on the forehead or muzzle is allowed.

Training and education

The Irish Setter needs constant, hard 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 superactive beings. Often it is difficult for them to even just sit still and listen to the owner. In order for the training to be successful, learn to clearly formulate your commands without raising your voice to your pet, and in case of his disobedience, do not punish him. Only then will your efforts be crowned with success.

The setter will execute all commands accurately if training is gradual and consistent. You need to start teaching a dog with simple commands: “sit”, “come”, “walk”. Each of them should be taught separately until the dog learns it. After the team has been mastered, you can begin to study the next one, complicate the classes by combining already known tasks and adding something new. Setters are happy to carry out commands that require them to actively run, speed, and move. A dog that has been traineda lot of time, becomes a hardy and hardworking hunting companion. It has a fast search, though not as fast as the English Setter.

Food

The Irish Setter eats little, but his diet should be varied and balanced. An adult animal enjoys eating cereals, vegetables, meat. 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 either. The Irish Red Setter is quite satisfied with boiled fish (preferably sea), but you should definitely check that there are no bones in it. They can cause serious injury to the esophagus, and in this case, you can not do without the help of a veterinarian. The Irish Setter is undemanding to food, but all owners of these dogs should remember that they should not be overfed. In addition, it is necessary to provide the animal with free access to water.

The Setter is prone to intestinal diseases and disorders, so fatty, fried and spicy foods should be excluded from his diet.

He alth

In general, this is a fairly he althy and strong breed. But, like all other setters, the Irish have their "weaknesses". In this regard, the sensitivity of his liver to cholesterol and various toxins should be highlighted. In addition, it is necessary to note the predisposition of setters to ear diseases, which is associated with their lop-earedness.

More than other dogs in settersbowel obstruction occurs. Therefore, after feeding, they should not be given large physical exertion. Setter owners need to be familiar with first aid for this disease, as well as the address of a nearby veterinary clinic where professional assistance can be obtained around the clock.

When purchasing a puppy, pay attention to the availability of vaccinations necessary for the age of the animal.

Care and maintenance

Outdoor walks are very important for a Setter. He needs active games, freedom of movement. Walk your pet at least twice a day, and walks should last at least 1.5 hours.

Wool should be combed out twice a week to avoid clumps that will interfere with the dog, besides it really spoils his appearance.

The Setter needs regular but not too frequent bathing. Ideally, this is once a month. An exception can be made in rainy weather, when it is dirty outside. 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 coat between his paws from time to time. It is necessary to carefully monitor the cleanliness of the place to sleep, the dishes of the animal. Consult your veterinarian for vaccinations. He will also advise you on which vitamins your pet needs.

Don't forget about regular visits to the clinic for preventive check-ups. An inexperienced owner may not notice any change in their pet's condition and may therefore miss the onset of a serious illness.

Irish Red and White Setter

Affectionate and cheerful dog with a memorable color, shiny luxurious coat and an attentive look of smart eyes. Great hunter, very clean in everyday life. Along with the advantages, which can be talked about endlessly, the setter also has small disadvantages. These are very emotional dogs. They are extremely painful to endure loneliness. They do not like to "communicate" with large and aggressive dogs. If you're away from home most of the day, don't get a setter. He will suffer a lot, 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 four walls is detrimental to the physical and psychological he alth of such a dog. The Irish Setter does not need complex care and does not cause serious problems to its owner. If you dream of having an Irish four-legged friend, then do not buy a puppy in the market or from random people. It is much more correct to contact a reliable cattery or large breeders.

For example, the well-known Moscow cynological kennel "Irish Setter MOOiR" has been breeding dogs of this breed beloved by many for over 50 years. "Pupils" of the kennel are champions of numerous exhibitions and field competitions. All producers are checked at the MOOir testing station and entered in the stud book of Russia. Renowned Irish Setter kennel holds regular shows and field trials.

Puppies from MOOiR have a pedigree of RKF and RORS. They have a great exterior. In addition, they are well-mannered, neat, asking to go outside. Puppies have all the necessary vaccinations for their age, brand, veterinary passport.

Irish Setter - owner reviews

There are a lot of words of praise for these animals. Most owners (not hunters) note the quick learning of their pets, their friendliness and extraordinary affection for the owner, as well as for all the inhabitants of the house. Particular attention should be paid to the attitude of setters towards 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, harm the child, will not drop him.

The Setter is loving - these dogs are very fond of being stroked, they just demand 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 deserves no less rave reviews from hunters. He easily learns all the tricks. Serves game well, has real hunting passion.

Some owners refer to the negative qualities of this breed as its restless disposition. However, we talked about this in our article. The dog needs space and exercise, then its energy will be directed in the right direction.

The Irish Setter is an excellent hunting dog that does a good job. Truth,today, these abilities are not used so often, and the setter is now becoming a companion dog. And in this capacity, it is simply ideal for both single people and families with children. This is due not only to his stable psyche, but also to his kindness and sensitivity, which do not allow him to harm a person. For the same reason, it cannot be used as a guard.