Irish Setter

An Irish Setter is the solid-red setter developed in Ireland for locating game birds before the gun. The breed is built for speed and range rather than close, slow work: long legs, a deep chest, a narrow head, and a flowing chestnut to mahogany coat are its main visual signatures. Feathering on the ears, legs, belly, and tail gives show dogs their polished outline, but the ancestry is still that of an athletic field dog. It is sometimes called the Irish red setter, especially when distinguishing it from the Irish Red and White Setter.

The glamour coat can hide a demanding athlete. Most Irish Setters need more than casual walks, and many do best with safe off-leash running, scent games, hunting work, or active sports. Training is easier when it starts early and stays upbeat, since young dogs can be distractible and slow to settle. Coat care means brushing feathering, removing seeds after country walks, and watching the hanging ears for irritation. Breeding programs commonly screen for hip, eye, thyroid, and breed-linked genetic problems; deep-chested adults also deserve sensible feeding routines to reduce bloat risk.

Colors: Apricot, Bicolor, Black, Black and Tan, Black and White, Black Mask, Blue, Blue and Tan, Blue Merle, Blue Roan, Blue Tick, Brindle, Brown, Brown and Tan, Brown and White, Chestnut Red, Chocolate, Cream, Dapple, Domino, Fawn, Fawn and White, Gold, Gray, Harlequin, Irish Marked, Liver, Liver Mask, Mahogany Red, Mantle, Mask, Merle, Mottled, Parti-Color, Piebald, Red, Red and White, Red Merle, Red Roan, Red Tick, Reverse Brindle, Roan, Sable, Saddle, Silver, Speckled, Spotted, Tan, Ticked, Tricolor, Tuxedo, White, Yellow