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About Irish Setters

General Appearance
The Irish Setter is an active, aristocratic bird dog, rich red in color, substantial yet elegant in build. Standing over two feet tall at the shoulder, the dog has a straight, fine, glossy coat, longer on ears, chest, tail and back of legs. Afield, the Irish Setter is a swift-moving hunter; at home, a sweet natured, trainable companion.
At their best, the lines of the Irish Setter so satisfy in overall balance that artists have termed it the most beautiful of all dogs. The correct specimen always exhibits balance, whether standing or in motion. Each part of the dog flows and fits smoothly into its neighboring parts without calling attention to itself.

Breed History (Information courtesy of The Comprehensive Irish Setter)

With dashing good looks the Irish Setter captures the imagination of all who see him. This red dog of the Emerald Isle is recognized throughout the world for his silky crimson coat and rollicking personality. The red setter from Ireland was originally a red and white dog, and it was only in the early 19th century that the solid red dog caught the eyes of the Irish breeders.

The Irish Setter was a popular gun dog not only in his native Ireland, but in England and America as well. While his origins are lost in the mists of time, a spaniel-pointer-English and Gordon setter combination is commonly thought to be the correct mix in the Irish Setter's ancestry. In the earlier part of the 19th century they were commonly referred to as "Red Spaniels," thus giving additional clues to his origins. Also called "Modder Rhu," Gaelic for "red dogs," the Irish Setter prospered under the favorable conditions of 18th and 19th century rural Ireland.

The solid red setter first appeared in Ireland in the early 19th century. The red setter separate from the red and white found a few followers who had a preference for the whole reds. Among those were Sir St. George Gore, Mr. Jason Hazzard, and the Earl of Enniskillen. The Earl of Enniskillen felt so strong about this as to refuse to have any dogs other than the solid red in his kennels. The solid red setter's popularity increased dramatically with his show debut in the mid 19th century. The late 19th century saw the breed move to America, where it was received with open arms by American breeders. Breeders such as Mr. Charles H. Turner, who imported the great Elcho in 1875, did much to further the breed in America. As one of the most popular breeds in the late 19th century, the Irish Setter was one of the first breeds to be registered in America.

The 1890's brought about a great change in the Irish Setter; this outstanding hunting dog was taken out of the fields and into the show ring. Breeders who were not interested in working them in the field, began to breed Irish Setters for the ring. An increase in size, coat and showiness would be the result.

With the close of World War I, serious competition in the show ring attracted new fanciers to the breed. With the emphasis now on the show dog rather than the bird dog, fewer Irish Setters were found at field trials. This decrease in the hunting stock and increase in showing lines can quite clearly be seen up to the present day. While a few Irish Setters can be found a field trials, they are outnumbered by the various pointers, English and Gordon Setters. In America, with the advent of the AKC Hunt Tests we begin to see more breeders showing interest in the field abilities of their show stock.

Today for all intents and purposes we have two very different types of Irish Setters. The field type which is a smaller, lighter boned dog while his show counterpart is larger, heavier boned and carries much more coat. Here in America, where this split is most obvious, we begin to see a real interest in producing a show type dog which can work well in the field. Controversy continues to rage over the correct size of the Irish Setter. The field fanciers maintain that the increased size found in the show setter reduces his ability to work swiftly and efficiently in the field. Show breeders on the other hand, maintain that correct structure will assure the Irish Setter is able to do what is necessary in the field regardless of size.

AKC Irish Setter Breed Standard

Article Balance in the Irish Setter

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