Advice on Irish Setters?

wynterarcher

Hi there, new user here!

I'm not going to be getting a dog for a few years yet (current lifestyle and schedule doesn't allow for it), but I figured to deal with my impatience I'd start doing some research into breeds that I'm interested in.

I've taken quite an interest in Irish Setters, and think they might be a suitable breed for the future. Just wondering if anyone who has owned them has any advice or experiences to share? Cautionary tales?

Two very important questions:
How are they with cats? (I'm aware that this depends hugely on training, just looking for a general gist of what they tend to be like).
And also, can anyone recommend any breeders, or do you know where I can find a list of registered breeders?

Thanks in advance!
-Wynter

borderlinemeath

OK, I am biased towards the breed and haven't got a bad word to say about them as I have 3 of them:).

Firstly, they are full of energy, and love to run. They are gundogs after all. An off lead run is far preferable to an on lead trot, so training a good recall is essential, but easily done. Contrary to popular belief they aren't always daft or flighty, I find them very easy to train.

Secondly there's a distinct difference between the show lines and the working lines. The show dog is taller, with longer feathering on the coat and the ears can be lower on the head. Lovely looking but can be more prone to hip dysplasia and ear problems. And of course matting if you don't keep up a good grooming schedule on the coat.

The working lines are very common in Ireland, they are smaller, and can be stockier built, the ears aren't quite as low and you won't get the full long setter coat that the show dogs can grow. There's also more of a chance of white markings through the coat - not a fault, but the Irish or Red Setter originally descended from the Red and White Setter. The full coated reds were deemed better for camouflage in the field, so they were deliberately bred as a separate strain but you'll sometimes find a throwback to the original lines. White dots on the chest are common, and some dogs have a prominent white chest, along with white markings on the nose, and even the paws.

2 out of my 3 did live with cats before they came to me, our eldest as a puppy came from a breeder with cats. Our rescue boy came from a rescue that had cats and my younger boy was given to me to be rehomed but we kept him so I'm not certain if he ever did. However, these days, thanks to being teased mercilessly by neighbouring cats who sit tantalizingly out of reach, they all dislike cats that stray onto their territory! It's not possible for us to have a cat so I can't say for certain but with the majority of breeds it is down to training and socialisation.

As far as breeders go, you'll need to see whether you want a working line dog or a show dog. What you will find is, most of the working dogs are bred outdoors, so you'll need to find a breeder that socialises their dogs indoors and with all sorts of people including children. My rescue boy used to bark at children a lot, he's got much better but still has his moments, particularly if they run towards him. But he can be quite vocal and territorial even with some adults that come into his house. We have a 17 month old daughter who he adores though, he was the dog we were most worried about when we had the baby but he's by far the most attached to her.

mistybluehills

wynterarcher wrote: »

Hi there, new user here!

I'm not going to be getting a dog for a few years yet (current lifestyle and schedule doesn't allow for it), but I figured to deal with my impatience I'd start doing some research into breeds that I'm interested in.

I've taken quite an interest in Irish Setters, and think they might be a suitable breed for the future. Just wondering if anyone who has owned them has any advice or experiences to share? Cautionary tales?

Two very important questions:
How are they with cats? (I'm aware that this depends hugely on training, just looking for a general gist of what they tend to be like).
And also, can anyone recommend any breeders, or do you know where I can find a list of registered breeders?

Thanks in advance!
-Wynter

Daft lunatics that are best left painted on bus eireann buses.
Wouldn't go near them in a month of Sunday's.
What's a breeder going to say only they're great,
Red setter owners are like people who bought Ladas, they'll tell everyone how great the dog's are in the hope that other folks will make the same mistake they did.
Just my humble opinion, don't mean to offend anyone

Stheno

mistybluehills wrote: »

Daft lunatics that are best left painted on bus eireann buses.
Wouldn't go near them in a month of Sunday's.
What's a breeder going to say only they're great,
Red setter owners are like people who bought Ladas, they'll tell everyone how great the dog's are in the hope that other folks will make the same mistake they did.
Just my humble opinion, don't mean to offend anyone

That's a bit harsh, I had one, very very gentle soul who was always being bullied by the other dogs (he lived in a pack of ten)

Very biddable dog, and very obedient unless he was on a scent off lead, in which case he went tone deaf, I trained my GSD at the time to fetch him.

He was also an excellent thief, he used sleep in the living room and one year we put up a Christmas tree with chocolate decorations wrapped in foil, came down next morning and he had sneakily purloined all of the chocolate and left the wrappers.

They are clever dogs and need to be kept occupied.

Mine was a very very loving soul with lots of unique characteristics.

I still smile when I think of him years later.

Harry Palmr

If buying avoid a pure bred example - they are quite highly strung by nature and a bit of something else in their genes is a good idea.

They'll outwalk you every day of the week - be ready for 2 hour constitutionals on a regular basis and certainly a decent run out every day regardless of the weather or season.

mistybluehills

Stheno wrote: »

That's a bit harsh, I had one, very very gentle soul who was always being bullied by the other dogs (he lived in a pack of ten)

Very biddable dog, and very obedient unless he was on a scent off lead, in which case he went tone deaf, I trained my GSD at the time to fetch him.

He was also an excellent thief, he used sleep in the living room and one year we put up a Christmas tree with chocolate decorations wrapped in foil, came down next morning and he had sneakily purloined all of the chocolate and left the wrappers.

They are clever dogs and need to be kept occupied.

Mine was a very very loving soul with lots of unique characteristics.

I still smile when I think of him years later.

I'm glad he was a nice pet for you. Not my cup of team but someone else's perhaps

borderlinemeath

mistybluehills wrote: »

Daft lunatics that are best left painted on bus eireann buses.
Wouldn't go near them in a month of Sunday's.
What's a breeder going to say only they're great,
Red setter owners are like people who bought Ladas, they'll tell everyone how great the dog's are in the hope that other folks will make the same mistake they did.
Just my humble opinion, don't mean to offend anyone

Well I'm offended. Not just at your portrayal of dogs, but their owners too:rolleyes:
As stated above, I have 3 very easily trained, well behaved dogs of varying ages so my experience is completely at odds with your opinion.

FYI, any decent breeder will vet an owner for suitability, and they won't tell everybody that they're the best dog in the world for them if they think they're not the right fit for a setter.

tk123

My friend has the show type one and I've never seen another setter as big and fancy as him lol! He's very very cleaver which is waste because they'd never dream of training him - not that's he's crazy just that I do lots of training with my two and anything I've taught him he caught on quick so there's wasted potential imo. He can be quite aloof at times - like when my friends visit every few months my retrievers are delighted to see them will race across the park to see them - Reb on the other hand mightn't even acknowledge them or me - unless he wants a treat off me lol! He can be bold as brass but he's very very gentle and sensitive. He loves to run around and stretch his legs. He's a robber too - among other things he once pulled a pizza off the counter and ate it just leaving a perfect circle of crust lol! He does have a sensitive tummy and itchy skin/ears but I think that's down to diet more than anything else(!)

DBB

mistybluehills wrote: »

I'm glad he was a nice pet for you. Not my cup of team but someone else's perhaps

Not your cup of tea, but no need to lambast them quite as bluntly as you have here. Each to their own.
I had one that I grew up with. A gentler, more biddable creature you'd struggle to meet. Lots of very happy memories of her.

mistybluehills

DBB wrote: »

Not your cup of tea, but no need to lambast them quite as bluntly as you have here. Each to their own.
I had one that I grew up with. A gentler, more biddable creature you'd struggle to meet. Lots of very happy memories of her.

And I'm glad again you had a nice experience with a setter.
I think they're daft idiots. I don't believe in beating around the Bush. I find it hard to believe anybody could be offended by one person's opinion on this.
I do see that some people might like them, and good luck to them. Pet ownership is a good thing. But in the same way that I would not buy a Renault I accept there are many happy Renault drivers out there.

650Ginge

mistybluehills wrote: »

And I'm glad again you had a nice experience with a setter.
I think they're daft idiots. I don't believe in beating around the Bush. I find it hard to believe anybody could be offended by one person's opinion on this.
I do see that some people might like them, and good luck to them. Pet ownership is a good thing. But in the same way that I would not buy a Renault I accept there are many happy Renault drivers out there.

So you know nothing about cars or dogs, yet that is the unfortunate thing about the internet you can troll away quite happily and never even know just how ignorant you are.

Renault had probably the biggest and most comprehensive quality program of any car manufacturer. That program started in 2008 and ended in 2010, I doubt you knew about that.

I also don't think you have had much contact with red setters either, cause they are nothing like how you portray them.

Any opinion is something formed on knowledge? We have clearly established you have no knowledge on either subject, so maybe quit ranting and raving about stuff you know nothing about.

borderlinemeath

mistybluehills wrote: »

And I'm glad again you had a nice experience with a setter.
I think they're daft idiots. I don't believe in beating around the Bush. I find it hard to believe anybody could be offended by one person's opinion on this.
I do see that some people might like them, and good luck to them. Pet ownership is a good thing. But in the same way that I would not buy a Renault I accept there are many hap6py Renault drivers out there.

I'm offended at the complete generalisation of an entire breed. They are not daft idiots, far from it. They are one of the softest most gentle breeds of dog you'll ever meet. But I doubt you've met that many and are basing your opinion on hearsay or meeting one dog, probably hyper from lack of exercise.

You remind me of people like that councillor from Ashbourne, who had an "opinion" on RBs, yet had only met one under exercised akita who . had an owner who hadn't a clue how to train him. His opinion was so far off the mark that it went viral, over a million comments based on his ignorance. He had to go on tv and admit he was wrong, such was the level of vitriol he experienced. So yeah, everyone can have an opinion but don't expect not to be called out on it, or people not to take offence.

mistybluehills

borderlinemeath wrote: »

I'm offended at the complete generalisation of an entire breed. They are not daft idiots, far from it. They are one of the softest most gentle breeds of dog you'll ever meet. But I doubt you've met that many and are basing your opinion on hearsay or meeting one dog, probably hyper from lack of exercise.

You remind me of people like that councillor from Ashbourne, who had an "opinion" on RBs, yet had only met one under exercised akita who . had an owner who hadn't a clue how to train him. His opinion was so far off the mark that it went viral, over a million comments based on his ignorance. He had to go on tv and admit he was wrong, such was the level of vitriol he experienced. So yeah, everyone can have an opinion but don't expect not to be called out on it, or people not to take offence.

Folks, I haven't liked the setters I've met, and I've met a few, a good few.
That's not to say that there not a dog that might suit some people or that people might like.
I'm genuinely pleased people have had positive experiences with setters,
But I would not be doing the OP any favours if I didn't relay my experience (just mine) and view ( just my own) that they are daft and silly.
Again, no intention to offend any setter lovers, or Renault drivers!

borderlinemeath

mistybluehills wrote: »

Folks, I haven't liked the setters I've met, and I've met a few, a good few.
That's not to say that there not a dog that might suit some people or that people might like.
I'm genuinely pleased people have had positive experiences with setters,
But I would not be doing the OP any favours if I didn't relay my experience (just mine) and view ( just my own) that they are daft and silly.
Again, no intention to offend any setter lovers, or Renault drivers!

But you didn't relay your experience! You put up 2 posts of insults of an entire breed and their owners and only in this last post you've stated you met a few dogs that you didn't like. I've met plenty of dogs I didn't like. Some for behavioural reasons, some for lack of training but I don't then go about disparaging the entire breed and their owners in the interests of "not doing the OP any favours".

DBB

Okay folks,
Let's leave this debate here, it's not adding anything to the thread at this stage.
Do not reply to this post on thread.
Thanks,
DBB

Cherry Blossom

Years ago I was given a number for a fella by a man from the gun dog club. I've long since lost the number as I decided to go for a smaller breed instead. The man's name is Marc though and he's Belgian. He field trials his show type setters. I don't recall where in the country he is located as I was willing to travel anywhere in Ireland. This information might be of some help to you or it might not. Some of the breed clubs may be able to identify him from this info.

tk123

My friend's guy is from a breeder in Wexford. I miss him since they moved away - the dog not the breeder lol!

sillysmiles

Growning up I had a "working collie" but I think he was actually a collie crossed with a setter. Incredibly gentle and sweet dog, with a beautiful feathery tail. I think it was the setter in him that was the gentle soul. He study with me through him, junior leaving and college exams!

VonVix

From my experience, I prefer the showline Setters I have met compared to the working line, but my reason for that might be that the working line Setters have the 'wrong' owners.

The showline Setters I have met have been very sweet-natured, gentle dogs, still with lots of energy. While the working type I have met tend to be a bit more... hyperactive and suspicious? Not the most affectionate by comparison. Bundles of energy but not given any outlet. I think it's not so much the dogs fault, but rather the owners underestimating what kind of dog they were getting.

mistybluehills

wynterarcher wrote: »

Hi there, new user here!

I'm not going to be getting a dog for a few years yet (current lifestyle and schedule doesn't allow for it), but I figured to deal with my impatience I'd start doing some research into breeds that I'm interested in.

I've taken quite an interest in Irish Setters, and think they might be a suitable breed for the future. Just wondering if anyone who has owned them has any advice or experiences to share? Cautionary tales?

Two very important questions:
How are they with cats? (I'm aware that this depends hugely on training, just looking for a general gist of what they tend to be like).
And also, can anyone recommend any breeders, or do you know where I can find a list of registered breeders?

Thanks in advance!
-Wynter

They're fairly healthy dogs, as far as p urebreds go.
That's in their favour. They're nice to look at, I think. That's another plus.
As far as cautionary tales, well I suppose that's the point of doing research. I won't labour any points here. There's no question but dog breeds all have their various pros and cons
Best of luck in any case. I hope you find ownership rewarding

wynterarcher

Much appreciation to the owners who've added their opinions (and feel free to add more!). I want to pretty damn sure about this before I go ahead, and your input is incredibly helpful.
Appreciation to DBB also for ending that "debate" before it got any further- I certainly wasn't looking for anyone to start an argument.

I'll reiterate my original post, I am looking for the opinions of owners, former owners, or people who have a lot of experience with this breed to give advice. I've already formed my opinion about the breed based on experience and research, I am only looking to find out if I would make a suitable owner for one.

Knine

I probably meet & see more Irish Setters then most people on this thread. I am an FCI Group 7 judge & will be judging them later this year.

They are a lovely breed, very pleasant, gentle, lively & beautiful. I don't find them daft at all. They are are an active working breed & contary to popular belief, there are Show Setters that also work. My friends top winning bitch has just also completed her working qualification. I think cats were mentioned. Another breeder I know also keeps pedigree cats with no issues.

As already mentioned there are differences between show lines & working Setters. At shows however you will often see working Setters shown at the same time.

Maybe go along to one of the major IKC shows & you can meet some dogs & owners after they are finished showing.

tk123

For cats my friend didn't have cats but family members they stayed with did - he got on fine with the cats.. He did try and chase the chickens a few times lol but not the cats

Nekarsulm

They at late maturing, take a LOT of training, and are quite silly and headstrong untill 3 or 4.
They will run all day, collapse at the fire iin the evening, and do it all again the next day.
The one I had would easily run ten miles a day, when cutting silage he would race the tractor out from the yard to the fields, hunt the hedges till the trailer was filled and then race you back to the yard. Twenty to thirty times in a row. They require serious commitment. Lovely dogs and very loyal. Definitely not a lap dog..

coolvale

we always had irish setters.
they make very good pets, very friendly & good with children.
they need space as they are full of energy & are generally healthy.
they are good travellers, our last setter came to scotland several times in the camper, she loved it.
they are very trusting but if they were ever abused it is hard to get them to trust again.
i would never think of owning any other breed.
take your time & look around.
we got ours from a rescue centre.she was a pure bred.
alas she is no longer with us. R I P.

tony

Nekarsulm

My lad came from the Pound as well. Didn't like gunshots, which was probably why he was in the Pound to begin with.

borderlinemeath

Nekarsulm wrote: »

My lad came from the Pound as well. Didn't like gunshots, which was probably why he was in the Pound to begin with.

One of mine came from rescue. While he'd perk up at the sound of shooting, at the start he was terrified of long handled things such as shovels and sweeping brushes, like he might have got a wallop from something. But his real achilles heel is his voice, he tells the birds he's coming in a high pitched screech bark. The other pair would be setting and stalking birds and he bulldozes in screeching at the top of his voice:D.

This is him being let off lead, the older lady doesn't go too far, the young boy runs with him, but Benson does his signature screeching. Every.Walk.Every.Day. When he does it in front of people we have to warn them that he's really loud and we swear we walk him regularly. We call it launch control:p

https://youtu.be/Dj3d1jR1Ifg

borderlinemeath

borderlinemeath wrote: »

One of mine came from rescue. While he'd perk up at the sound of shooting, at the start he was terrified of long handled things such as shovels and sweeping brushes, like he might have got a wallop from something. But his real achilles heel is his voice, he tells the birds he's coming in a high pitched screech bark. The other pair would be setting and stalking birds and he bulldozes in screeching at the top of his voice:D.

This is him being let off lead, the older lady doesn't go too far, the young boy runs with him, but Benson does his signature screeching. Every.Walk.Every.Day. When he does it in front of people we have to warn them that he's really loud and we swear we walk him regularly. We call it launch control:p

https://youtu.be/Dj3d1jR1Ifg

That's hilarious borderline! Totally freaked my dogs out hearing him!

borderlinemeath

Deleted User wrote: »

That's hilarious borderline! Totally freaked my dogs out hearing him!

God love him, you would swear we never walk him! In fairness it only happens for about 10 seconds after we let him out of the van or let him off the lead. It can be embarrassing when we go for coffee on the busy end of the beach, when we come out and let him off lead again and he does it in front of people. His chasing birds bark is similar but more of a high pitch bark rather than a scream - the scream is specifically for the walk start.

FrostyJack

I have a springer/Irish setter cross, she is anything but daft. When focused she can probably do anything she is taught. There are a couple of pure breeds that do be up in DSPCA doggy day care time to time and they are beautiful. All seem very relaxed. I wouldn't recommend them to everyone though as they need plenty of exercise and are quite sensitive. I wouldn't lock one out the back and leave it there for example. Mine does not like cats but then again she wasn't raised with them. If brought up from pup and socialised I am sure they could get on (possibly).

borderlinemeath wrote:

the scream is specifically for the walk start.

That is nothing, when mine gets in the car I get to listen to that for as long as the journey along with a number of different sounds. When I collect her from daycare she goes twice as loud going out the door, everyone looks like I am torturing her, she is just so excited to get out for a run.