IRISH SETTERS

THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE FUNNY

The Irish Setter has three acceptable coat colors: red, mahogany, and chestnut.

This breed should have an outgoing and loving temperament. The Irish Setter is NOT aggressive or timid. He is a fun loving, active animal and is quite intelligent. A well-bred and trained Irish Setter is anything but the hyperactive airhead that is so often portrayed.

The Irish Setter is NOT for everyone. He needs a lot of exercise and prefers to get that exercise while in the company of his humans. Just putting an Irish Setter outside in a large fenced yard may result in him getting into all sorts of trouble. This is a dog that does best if it is a member of the family and a housedog.

HEALTH PROBLEMS:

This breed is prone to hip dysplasia, PRA (an inherited eye disease that causes blindness), epilepsy, thyroid problems, allergy problems, and bloat.

Reputable breeders will have obtained an OFA number and rating on both the sire and dam before breeding a litter of puppies. OFA (Orthopedic Foundation For Animals) examines the hip x-rays of dogs over the age of 2 years and grants a registration number only to those animals free of the disease.

The Canine Eye Registry Foundation (CERF) also issues certificates for dogs that have been examined and determined to be free of PRA at the time of the examination. A blood test is now available to prove that a dog is genetically free of PRA and this test is much more accurate than the CERF examination but is also quite expensive at this time. In the past, responsible breeders were forced to do test breeding to make sure their animals were not carriers of this awful disease. CERF and the genetic blood test are great improvements.

Most veterinarians do thyroid tests.

Unfortunately, there is no test for epilepsy.

Always ask the breeder questions when you are considering a pup.

Irish setters have a wonderful sense of humor. Just when you begin to relax and feel proud of your ability to train your dog, they will put you in your place and pop your bubble. My "high in trial" obedience Irish Setter decided to just lay down and take a nap during the off leash heeling part of an obedience test. Another one of my Irish decided to run between the judges legs and take her for a ride on his back many years ago. Kachina once stole the Best In Show rosette off the trophy table as we walked past it! Our dogs are constantly making us laugh, or embarrassing us, so if you don't have a sense of humor, take life very seriously, or demand perfection in any way, an Irish Setter IS NOT THE DOG FOR YOU.