Irish Red Setter

Certainly an affectionate dog, very outgoing and people-loving. Although the breed isn’t known as a guard dog, he will step up and protect his owner if needed.

The Irish Setter is a very playful and fun-loving breed. He is always ready for a prank, and can be quite mischievous at times, usually when you are least expecting it.

A very active dog, who is usually looking for fun. This breed is generally quite slow to mature, so will keep their puppy playfulness often throughout their adulthood.

This Irish Setter is a very sensitive dog, but also certainly very intelligent. Because of their sensitivity, they don’t respond too well to being corrected, or to harsh training schedules.

With his hunting dog heritage, he is certainly capable of seeking out and hunting down a game bird. With a strong hunting instinct, once he is trained in this routine, he won’t ever forget and need re-training.

Usually happy to greet visitors or strangers with a nuzzle and a wag of the tail. This dog is generally a people-person, and loves nothing better than socialising with adults and children.

Look no further than the Irish Setter for an independent pet, with a great personality. A very smart dog, but also a very independent thinker. Training can often take a sense of humour and lots of patience. He still may resist what you ask him to do, as he can be quite stubborn too.

These are certainly people pets, loving nothing more than to be in your company and be entertained by you. He is also an animal with high energy levels, and won’t take too well being left home alone for long periods of time.

Certainly, Irish Setters are very responsive to training, however, often quite mischievous. As he loves to spend time around people, he will enjoy the extra time you spend on training sessions. Very capable of learning many skills including complex and advanced ones, especially if you begin these routines from puppyhood.

Providing your Irish Setter receives sufficient physical and mental stimulation, barking won’t be too much of an issue. However, some dogs from this breed do tend to bark, particularly when they discover new sounds or sights, or when they need to command your attention.

On a routine dog walk, your pet will stay close to you and be happy to do so. However, as he has hunting dog heritage in his blood, should he spot a rabbit scurrying in the distance, he might just run off after it, giving chase.

Provided your Irish Setter is kept occupied and very busy with many tasks and activities, he won’t be destructive at all. However, when left alone for long periods throughout the day, boredom will soon set in and you might just find the table legs or the rug have been chewed.

Not necessarily a greedy dog, but because of his high metabolism, he will certainly need an adequate amount of food, more than a medium sized dog of a breed that is less active.

This breed of canines love people and are quite outgoing. They aren’t guard dogs, although in certain situations will protect their owners if needed. However, they are certainly brilliant watchdogs, who will bark to alert you to any intruders or strangers in the home.

These large dogs are best suited to larger homes, rather than a flat. They also need sufficient outside space to allow them to run around to burn off their endless energy.

As a hunting dog, it’s no surprise, that in order to stay healthy and happy, the Irish Setter needs lots of exercise. Your dog will require a minimum of around 2 hours exercise each day, even more if your schedule allows for this. In addition, lots of games and mental stimulation to expand his abundant energy levels.

As quite a large breed, rather more difficult to transport in the boot of your car. They do, however, love being around people, so occasional outings on public transport will be fine, although he will probably want to greet all the other passengers.

Irish Setters can be fine with cats if they have been introduced to each other as small puppies and kittens. Certainly keep in mind that these dogs have hunting in their ancestry, so may not be good to keep around small pets.

If the dogs are reared together, there shouldn’t be any problems with them getting along. Sometimes same sex dogs can be quite boisterous together, but generally they won’t fight aggressively.

Irish Setters make wonderful friends for older children, but they may be too high-spirited for toddlers. Likewise, with his exuberant demeanour, it will be all too easy for him to knock a small child over. While they aren’t usually aggressive, keep in mind that he won’t enjoy being teased or handled roughly, so it’s a good idea to teach all children, regardless of their age, how to interact and handle dogs.

This breed of dog is probably not a suitable companion for an elderly person. This is due to the dog’s lively and boisterous character. In addition, his need for lots of daily exercise could eliminate his from this age group.

Yes of course, this intelligent dog is an ideal choice for a first dog. Very intelligent, curious yet playful, they make fantastic companions too.