The Irish Setter
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For many, the Irish setter is the epitome of elegance, beauty and nobility, there is no more beautiful sight than seeing an Irish setter running across the heath with its waving coat.
Although it is emphatically present, an Irish setter should never be nervous or skittish, an Irish setter is certainly not interested in aggressiveness.
Always ready for action, we call it, many call them half devil half angel. Whenever there is fun to be had, the Irishman is always at the front, in fact, he is probably the one who came up with it... Due to their enormous affection, an Irish person prefers to be cuddled up against you on the couch in the evening, in a deep sleep, already dreaming of the adventures he will experience the next day. A wonderful breed, but... think before you start! |
An Irish setter is certainly not the right choice for everyone, although it is very easy to train, it does require the right approach, a portion of patience and not to mention a good dose of humor. In addition, it is a hunting dog by nature, and this requires a sporting attitude from the owner together with the willingness to continue to stimulate his dog mentally.
Below you can read the official breed standard. or in other words, how an Irish setter should appear according to official reading, note that this is the perfect picture of the Irish setter and is interpreted differently by many people, as there is room for interpretation "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" certainly applies here. This does not alter the fact that a properly bred Irish setter, in addition to good health, should ultimately meet this breed standard as much as possible.
The difference between male and female in this breed is clearly visible and is something that we personally like very much. For someone who has nothing to do with dogs and has never even seen an Irish setter in real life, it should be possible to see at a glance whether this is a "male" or a "female". A bitch should be feminine, more refined, sweet and of lighter build. A male is male, has more fur, sturdier bones and looks bigger. This does not mean that he should be much larger! An Irish setter is an elegant, balanced hunting dog, not a Shetland pony...
Apart from all this, the character, in addition to the health of the dogs, is still the most important thing! No one wants a nervous spinning top or a snappy alligator, a dog may be beautiful, but if he/she has a nasty or unreliable character, he/she is ultimately not suitable for breeding, let alone as a house dog. The health of the Irish setter is our top priority, as it should be for everyone! This means that all our animals have undergone all necessary health tests and more! When we look for a suitable lover for one of our ladies, his health has the highest priority. We are ultimately responsible for this combination, not the dogs themselves.
Below you can read the official breed standard. or in other words, how an Irish setter should appear according to official reading, note that this is the perfect picture of the Irish setter and is interpreted differently by many people, as there is room for interpretation "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" certainly applies here. This does not alter the fact that a properly bred Irish setter, in addition to good health, should ultimately meet this breed standard as much as possible.
The difference between male and female in this breed is clearly visible and is something that we personally like very much. For someone who has nothing to do with dogs and has never even seen an Irish setter in real life, it should be possible to see at a glance whether this is a "male" or a "female". A bitch should be feminine, more refined, sweet and of lighter build. A male is male, has more fur, sturdier bones and looks bigger. This does not mean that he should be much larger! An Irish setter is an elegant, balanced hunting dog, not a Shetland pony...
Apart from all this, the character, in addition to the health of the dogs, is still the most important thing! No one wants a nervous spinning top or a snappy alligator, a dog may be beautiful, but if he/she has a nasty or unreliable character, he/she is ultimately not suitable for breeding, let alone as a house dog. The health of the Irish setter is our top priority, as it should be for everyone! This means that all our animals have undergone all necessary health tests and more! When we look for a suitable lover for one of our ladies, his health has the highest priority. We are ultimately responsible for this combination, not the dogs themselves.
Breedstandard Irish Setter
General Appearance
Must be racy, balanced and full of quality. In conformation, proportionate.
Characteristics
Most handsome, and refined in looks, tremendously active with untiring readiness to range and hunt under any conditions.
Temperament
Demonstrably affectionate.
Head and Skull
Head long and lean, not narrow or snipy, not coarse at the ears. Skull oval (from ear to ear) having plenty of brain room and well-defined occipital protuberance. From occiput to stop and from stop to tip of nose to be parallel and of equal length, brows raised showing stop. Muzzle moderately deep, fairly square at end. Jaws of nearly equal length, flews not pendulous, nostrils wide. Colour of nose dark mahogany, dark walnut or black.
Eyes
Dark hazel to dark brown, not too large, preferably like an unshelled almond in shape, set level (not obliquely), under brows showing kind, intelligent expression.
Ears
Of moderate size, fine in texture, set on low, well back and hanging in a neat fold close to head.
Mouth
Jaws strong, with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
Neck
Moderately long, very muscular but not too thick, slightly arched and free from all tendency to throatiness, setting cleanly without a break of topline into shoulders.
Forequarters
Shoulders fine at points, deep and sloping well back. Forelegs straight and sinewy having plenty of bone, with elbows free, well let down and not inclined either in or out.
Body
Chest as deep as possible, rather narrow in front. Ribs well sprung leaving plenty of lung room and carried well back to muscular loin, slightly arched. Firm straight topline gently sloping downwards from withers.
Hindquarters
Wide and powerful. Hindlegs from hip to hock long and muscular, from hock to heel short and strong. Stifle and hock joints well bent and not inclined either in or out.
Feet
Small, very firm; toes strong, close together and arched.
Tail
Of moderate length proportionate to size of body, set on just below the level of the back, strong at root tapering to a fine point and carried as nearly as possible on a level with or below the back.
Gait/Movement
Free flowing, driving movement with true action when viewed from front or rear, and in profile, showing perfect co-ordination.
Coat
On head, front of legs and tips of ears, short and fine; on all other parts of body and legs of moderate length, flat and as free as possible from curl or wave. Feathers on upper portion of ears long and silky; on back of fore- and hindlegs long and fine. Fair amount of hair on belly, forming a nice fringe which may extend on to chest and throat. Feet well feathered between toes. Tail to have fringe of moderately long hair decreasing in length as it approaches point. All feathering to be as straight and flat as possible.
Colour
Rich chestnut with no trace of black. White on chest, throat, chin or toes, or small star on forehead or narrow streak or blaze on nose or face not to disqualify.
Faults
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog, and on the dog’s ability to perform its traditional work.
Note
Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
Must be racy, balanced and full of quality. In conformation, proportionate.
Characteristics
Most handsome, and refined in looks, tremendously active with untiring readiness to range and hunt under any conditions.
Temperament
Demonstrably affectionate.
Head and Skull
Head long and lean, not narrow or snipy, not coarse at the ears. Skull oval (from ear to ear) having plenty of brain room and well-defined occipital protuberance. From occiput to stop and from stop to tip of nose to be parallel and of equal length, brows raised showing stop. Muzzle moderately deep, fairly square at end. Jaws of nearly equal length, flews not pendulous, nostrils wide. Colour of nose dark mahogany, dark walnut or black.
Eyes
Dark hazel to dark brown, not too large, preferably like an unshelled almond in shape, set level (not obliquely), under brows showing kind, intelligent expression.
Ears
Of moderate size, fine in texture, set on low, well back and hanging in a neat fold close to head.
Mouth
Jaws strong, with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
Neck
Moderately long, very muscular but not too thick, slightly arched and free from all tendency to throatiness, setting cleanly without a break of topline into shoulders.
Forequarters
Shoulders fine at points, deep and sloping well back. Forelegs straight and sinewy having plenty of bone, with elbows free, well let down and not inclined either in or out.
Body
Chest as deep as possible, rather narrow in front. Ribs well sprung leaving plenty of lung room and carried well back to muscular loin, slightly arched. Firm straight topline gently sloping downwards from withers.
Hindquarters
Wide and powerful. Hindlegs from hip to hock long and muscular, from hock to heel short and strong. Stifle and hock joints well bent and not inclined either in or out.
Feet
Small, very firm; toes strong, close together and arched.
Tail
Of moderate length proportionate to size of body, set on just below the level of the back, strong at root tapering to a fine point and carried as nearly as possible on a level with or below the back.
Gait/Movement
Free flowing, driving movement with true action when viewed from front or rear, and in profile, showing perfect co-ordination.
Coat
On head, front of legs and tips of ears, short and fine; on all other parts of body and legs of moderate length, flat and as free as possible from curl or wave. Feathers on upper portion of ears long and silky; on back of fore- and hindlegs long and fine. Fair amount of hair on belly, forming a nice fringe which may extend on to chest and throat. Feet well feathered between toes. Tail to have fringe of moderately long hair decreasing in length as it approaches point. All feathering to be as straight and flat as possible.
Colour
Rich chestnut with no trace of black. White on chest, throat, chin or toes, or small star on forehead or narrow streak or blaze on nose or face not to disqualify.
Faults
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog, and on the dog’s ability to perform its traditional work.
Note
Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.