Irish Red and White Setter

In my own words

 

Oh, hello there! What’s your name? Do you want to be friends? I love making new friends – it’s just such good fun meeting new people! Not just people, actually. Other dogs, cats and even smaller pets can all be fun companions for me. You don’t need to worry about me being shy when you have visitors, I’ll welcome them with open paws! Just don’t expect me to be very good at watching over you and your home – I’m afraid I find it a bit hard to tell intruders apart from potential new playmates!

One of my favourite things to do with new friends is go out for some exercise in the countryside. Do you fancy it? I can show you how good I am at hunting down birds and chasing the local wildlife! Come on, it’ll be great fun. I’ll get my lead.

 

Information essential about the Irish Red and White Setter

 

Kennel Club Group:

Gundog

Size:

Large: Weight Male 50 – 75 lb (23 – 34 kg) Female 50 – 70 lb (23 – 32 kg)

Height Male 24 – 26” (61 – 66 cm) Female 22.5 – 24” (57 – 61 cm)

 

Popularity:

The Irish Red and White Setter came very close to extinction in the early 1900s. Thanks to enthusiastic and caring breeders, the Irish Red and White Setter had a revival in the 1970s but it is still considered to be a rare breed and is difficult to get hold of. For this reason, the Irish Red and White Setter is generally not considered to be a popular breed

Breed History:

 

The Irish Red and White Setter originates from 17th century Ireland, where the breed was developed to be pointing bird dogs. The original Irish Setter was mostly red or red and white, but towards the end of the 19th Century the solid red setter gained popularity became the preferred colour of the Irish Setters. As a result, the Irish Red and White Setter very nearly became extinct. Thankfully, a Northern Irish clergyman called Noble Huston was enthusiastic about the breed and saved it from the brink of extinction in the 1920s, although only a small number of Irish Red and White Setters remained, despite his efforts.

It wasn’t until 1970 that a full revival of the rare Irish Red and White Setter was planned and their numbers began to slowly but steadily increase. A decade later, the Irish red and White Setter was imported to the United Kingdom, where the breed was developed as a show dog rather than a working dog.

The breed is now recognised by most Kennel Clubs throughout the world and is no longer threatened by extinction.

 

Character:

 

Friendly, affectionate and loving, your Irish Red and White Setter is a sociable dog that gets on well with everyone from children and adults to dogs and other pets. They are truly devoted to their owners and unafraid of strangers. They’ll greet your visitors with a happy and cheerful welcome, so train them from an early age not to jump on people. Your Irish Setter’s lovable and trusting nature means that he isn’t a good watch or guard dog as he has no protection instincts. There are two types of Irish Red and White Setter, so it’s important to pick the right line for you and your lifestyle. The first is the field type – a hard working dog bred for hunting and field trail work, they tend to be smaller and have shorter coats. The bench type was bred for the show ring – they have a longer coat and have a little less energy than the field type dogs. Whether your Irish Red and White Setter is a bench or field type, be prepared to have a swift, high spirited, energetic dog on your hands. They need daily exercise in order to keep them content and to avoid them becoming highly strung or destructive. A natural hunting dog, your Irish Red and White Setter will relish running around open fields and chasing the wildlife, so a country home is well suited to the breed.

 

Temperament:

 

Your Irish Red and White Setter is a highly intelligent dog who loves to keep you happy, making him a fairly easy dog to train. The temperament of the Irish Red and White Setter has been known to vary widely, even within the same litter. When choosing a puppy, make sure you look for characteristics of the type of dog you would like. Meeker owners should choose a submissive dog, while more experienced and confident owners may do well with a more dominant dog, providing they can show them an air of authority. Your Irish Red and White Setter can be sensitive to the tone of your voice, so speak calmly to ensure he doesn’t become agitated or upset during training sessions.

 

Conformation:

 

Whilst being strong and powerful, the Irish Red and White Setter is not a stocky looking dog and has an athletic, elegant look. The head should be broad and in proportion to the body with a good stop, while the skull is slightly dome and the muzzle is square. The ears should be set on a level line with the eyes, which are hazel or dark brown, and lie close the head. The strong jaw forms a scissor bite. A long and muscular neck is slightly arched and meets well laid back shoulders. The chest is deep and the ribs are well sprung. The hindquarters are strong and give the Irish Red and White Setter speed and power. The Irish Red and White Setter has a strong tail at the base, which tapers to a point. The feet should be close knit and well-feathered between the toes. The Irish Red Setter has a fine, soft, slightly wavy coat.

 

Colour:

 

The Irish Red and White Setter’s coat is parti-coloured, meaning it has a white base colour with solid patches of red. Mottling around the face, feet and foreleg may also be present.

 

Training:

 

In order for training your Irish Red and White Setter to go smoothly, it’s is important that your dog is calm and content. Therefore, there are two key factors to implement into your training technique. The first is to ensure your Irish Red and White Setter is well exercised; this will burn up some of his abundant energy and create a calmer, happier dog that is more likely to be easy to work with during a training session. The second point is to show your Irish Red and White Setter that you are in control by giving him firm but fair handling and being consistent and confident around him at all times. If these two requirements are not met, your Irish Red and White setter can become a handful, however, they are intelligent dogs and can be very well trained with the right methods.

 

Care:

 

The Irish Red and White Setter’s long and silky coat doesn’t need a huge amount of grooming. A daily brush and bathing only when necessary is all that is needed to make sure his coat remains healthy and knot free. He sheds an average amount of hair.

 

Health:

 

The Irish Red and White Setter is prone to Von Willebrand’s Disease, a genetic disease which creates a failure of the blood to clot over a wound, meaning that affected dogs can actually bleed to death if badly cut or wounded. In addition, they are susceptible to Posterior Polar cataract, a minor form of cataract that does not usually lead to blindness. The Irish Red and White Setter can also be prone to Canine Leucocyte Adhesion Deficiency; a fatal auto immune disease. Hip dysplasia can also occur and owners should ensure their Irish Red and White Setter is exercised well and fed a healthy diet in order to avoid bloat. The average life expectancy of a healthy Irish Red and White Setter is between 11 and 15 years.

 

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