The chestnut or mahogany colored coat is the pride and joy of the Irish Setter. The large and powerful dog has a long feathering on his legs, but also on the ears and tail. The Irish Setter struts with head held high and appears elegant and harmonious in appearance. An adult male can grow up to 65 inches tall. He brings 30 kilograms on the scale. The female Irish Setter is up to 26 kilograms and 61 centimeters tall.
Where does the Irish Setter come from?
The Irish Setter is older than the English- or the Gordon Setter. It is amed that this dog is the oldest setter breed. Probably this dog breed was developed from the scottish setter. Spaniels with pointing developed. The Irish Setter Club was founded in Dublin as early as 1882. Background of this foundation was the breeding program of the Earl of Enniskillen with the focus on training for the characteristic red coat.
Due to an eye disease called progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), the breed was significantly decimated in the 1940s. Today, carriers of this disease can be identified by DNA testing. This has led to a decrease in PRA.
An affectionate family dog
A well-behaved Irish Setter has an endearing nature and can be an ideal family dog, giving much pleasure even to novice dog owners. However, you should not do without good dog training even with this friendly dog. Irish Setters can also get along well with cats, but contact with cats should be well supervised.
Very playful, but not a guard dog
The Irish Setter can hardly be used as a watchdog. He is just too friendly. These are very playful dogs. This play instinct is still evident in the adult dog.
Possible diseases
Some of these four-legged friends suffer from hip dysplasia, which can limit the dog's mobility. Have the dog's hip examined before using it for breeding. Eye diseases also occur from time to time. Some animals also suffer from gastrointestinal diseases.
Give him exercise
Two hours of exercise is hardly enough for the typical Irish Setter. He was bred for bird hunting. Tends to follow any scent on walks. Therefore, be sure to train the recall.
The coat care of the Irish Setter
The coat is the pride of the big dog. And this coat also wants to be groomed accordingly. Brush his coat so that it keeps its splendor. Your dog will enjoy this regular care. Prevent the knotting of the hair. You can also check the hair behind the ears. Trim between the pads. In this way you prevent matting. You can also have this work done by a professional groomer.
Clean the ears
Also the ear cleaning of the Irish Setter should not be neglected. The dog has floppy ears and the low air circulation in the ear can become a breeding ground for bacteria. This can lead to ear infection.