The Irish Setter is a friendly, energetic dog that loves affection and being a part of the family. They’ve got lush coats with recognizable reddish color. Irish Setter was bred in the early 18th century as a gundog, but today, they thrive as family dogs.

They go well with other dogs too, always ready to play. However, they can have higher prey drive. It comes from their hunting nature, and it’s something we have to work with and refocus their instincts on something else. Early socialization helps.

1. Size

The Irish Setter is a medium-sized dog. The AKC standards for the breed are:

• Male height: 23 to 26.5 inches (58 to 67 cm)
• Male weight: 65 to 75 lb (29 to 34 kg)
• Female height: 21.5 to 24.5 inches (55 to 62 cm)
• Female weight:  55 to 65 lb (25 to 29 kg)

The Irish Setter has an aristocratic look, muscular but elegant that swiftly moves in search of game – birds. They got their name after the fact they “set down” when they spot a bird. And, they use their keen sense of smell to locate games.

2. Color 

There is only one coat color for the Irish Setter dog breed – red. However, it’s not just plain red. You can find Irish Setters in all shades of red from mahogany red to darker reddish-brown. But, it’s never black. It always has a reddish hue.

There are no markings, but a white patch on the chest, throat, or paws is allowed. When I say allowed, it is not going to be penalized if you want to register and show your dog. These are all standards taken from the official American Kennel Club. But, the same rules apply for the Royal Kennel Club, as well.

3. Social Traits

The Irish Setter is a good dog for families with children. They are gentle, playful, and loyal dogs that will make great companions for you and your children. Of course, it is important to socialize a dog from an early age, no matter if they are naturally friendly dogs or not.

Good with other dogs: yes

Good with children: yes

Good with other animals: yes, but needs proper socialization

The Irish Setter has very little guarding instincts which makes them great dogs for families or people who live in a densely populated area or have a lot of visitors. Of course, you can make any dog aggressive or highly-reactive if you don’t treat them well or if you encourage bad behavior.

So, no matter the breed, we have to start with early socialization to achieve the best results when the dog becomes an adult. 

4. Trainability

No matter who you ask, every owner will tell you the Irish Setter is a smart dog. They are intelligent and easy to train, but…They can be willful. They are also dogs that “mature” later. Mentally at least. They keep their puppy-like behavior for more than 2 years.

This means you have to be consistent and keep it interesting. And, more importantly, you have to give him enough daily exercise.  An energetic dog that doesn’t have enough daily physical stimulation will turn into a destructive and misbehaving dog.

The owners also say that leash walking is the biggest problem. This is because of their “puppy” nature. They have higher reactivity to the outer world and they really want to explore it. It goes hand in hand with their gundog nature.

But, bottom line, yes Irish Setter is easy to train as long as you keep him active. They are usually food motivated, but if not, you can find something else they like and makes them excited. It can be a game or a toy they love.

5. Activity Needs

Irish Setter is an active dog. They need long daily walks and playtime. You cannot have an Irish Setter and take it for a quick walk thinking that’s it. They need at least one hour of good exercise every day combined with some playtime at home. Another option is a yard properly fenced, where a dog can run around.

The ideal option is two hours of daily exercise. They can go on a hike with you, a long walk, a dog park (if properly socialized and know the dog park etiquette), a game of tag in the park, etc. Whatever you come up with, they’ll love it.

6. Feeding

The average amount of kibble food every day an adult Irish Setter needs is 2 to 3 cups divided into two meals, one in the morning and one in the evening. This can change of course. Every dog is unique and we need to pay attention to factors such as age, health, activity levels, and individual habits.

When choosing kibble (dry food) the important thing is to find a high-quality brand of food, not the most expensive. What does that mean? It means food that has a high percentage of proteins and low percentage of carbohydrates.

You can also use the Body Condition Scores to quickly determine if your dog is of normal weight or not. It’s easy to use and it can give you a general overview. And, if in doubt – you can always consult your vet.

7. Grooming

The Irish Setter has a silky and medium coat. They do shed, but they are not the biggest shedders in the dog world. They require an occasional bath and you will need to trim the nails once a month.

The brushing part is more frequent. If we want to keep that coat as beautiful looking as it is, we need to brush the Irish Setter once a week. There are many types of dog brushes on the market, but the one that will help you with your Irish Setter is a combination of a pin brush and a slicker brush. The first one is there to untangle tangled hair and the second one as a final touch and to more thoroughly go through the silky fur. 

If you plan on doing everything at home on your own, then you will need to trim the hair around the paw pads and the rectal area. This is essential for keeping the dog clean and to prevent infections of that region. You can do the trimming part once a month or once in two months.

8. Possible Problems

Irish Setter is generally a healthy dog breed. However, like any other dogs they can have some health issues. The most common health issue of Irish Setters is ear infection. Because they have long hairy ears, you have to check and clean their ears regularly. 

It is very important to thoroughly dry ears after every check and make sure there are no foreign objects stuck, such as grass, twigs, etc. You can also look for signs of infections. Some of the signs are swollen ear, redness, discharge from the ear, pain, etc.

Other problems they can have are:

• Bloat or GDV
• Hip dysplasia
• Progressive retinal atrophy
• Cancer (especially hemangiosarcoma)
• Autoimmune diseases 

Responsible breeding is the best solution to prevent some of these diseases. By responsible, we mean not breeding dogs that already have some of the diseases that are hereditary. That’s why the National Breed Club of America recommends these tests on breeding pairs:

• Thyroid evaluation
• Hip evaluation
• Progressive Retinal Atrophy, (PRA-rcd1) – DNA Test

Summary

Irish Setter is a great companion dog. If you are looking for a dog for you and your children, this is one of the dogs that go great with children. They are playful, loving, loyal, and big enough to withstand a bit more rough playtime with the kids. We do need to teach the children how to play with a dog too.

And, if you get your Irish Setter as a puppy, then start with the socialization and obedience training right away. You will need patience, but there are good-natured dogs and even if they misbehave it’s not aggressive. They are looking for ways to play. Because of this, don’t forget they need lots of daily exercise.

And, finally, grooming an Irish Setter is a bit trickier than grooming a sleek short-haired American Foxhound. You will need to brush them at least once a week and trim the hair and nails once a month to keep the whole dog’s body healthy.

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