The Irish Setter, or Red Setter, is a large breed of gundog and family dog that is great with kids and very cat friendly.
Origin
First references to the breed can be traced all the way back to 1570 when the word “Setter” or “Setting Dog” was first used in Caius’s book “De Canibus Britannicus”. However, the Breed standard for the modern Irish Setter was first drawn up in Ireland (by the Irish Red Setter Club in Dublin) and approved on 29 March 1886.
Description
As for their height and weight, Irish Setters range from 25 to 27 inches (64 to 69 cm) in height, and the weight goes from 60 to 70 lb (27 to 32 kg) for males, and 53 to 64 lb (24 to 29 kg) for the ladies.
Irish Setters are kind and get along really well with the little ones, other dogs, and any other household pets. However, some may have problems with cats in the household as they are a hunting breed.
They will enthusiastically greet visitors will be “Demonstrably affectionate,” which makes them excellent companion animals and family pets.
Their life expectancy tends to be around 11 to 12 years.
Pros
- extremely friendly
- great with kids
- adaptable
- trainable
- healthy breed
Cons
- require much grooming
- in rare cases prone to hip dysplasia, cancer, progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), epilepsy
Should I adopt/buy an Irish Setter?
If you are in the search of an excellent family dog that will be great with your kids, friends and other pets, this fuzzy pooch is definitely the breed for you.