Irish Setter
| Size at withers | 63–71 cm |
|---|---|
| Weight range | 27–32 kg |
| Life expectancy | 11–15 years |
| Size class | Large (25–40 kg) |
| Normal resting vitals | Heart rate 60–110 bpm · Respiration 10–30/min · Temperature 38.3–39.2 °C |
| Coat | Long, silky, feathered coat |
| Temperament | Outgoing, enthusiastic, slow to mature; playful into adulthood |
| Common health issues | Hip dysplasia; gastric torsion; epilepsy; progressive retinal atrophy; hypothyroidism; osteosarcoma |
| Exercise needs | Very high — 90+ min/day |
| Climate & housing suitability | Moderate heat tolerance; grooming is intensive, especially in hot, humid climates. |
| Owner notes | The iconic mahogany coat requires committed grooming, which is more demanding in humidity. |
Origin and purpose
Sporting (AKC). Origin: Ireland.
The iconic mahogany coat requires committed grooming, which is more demanding in humidity.
What a breed was built to do explains most of what it will do in your home. A dog selected for hundreds of years to run, guard, herd, or hunt does not stop wanting to because it now lives in an apartment — the drive is the breed, and the owner's job is to give it somewhere to go.
Temperament and training
Stated temperament: Outgoing, enthusiastic, slow to mature; playful into adulthood
Reward-based training from the day the puppy arrives, with the socialisation window (roughly three to sixteen weeks) treated as the priority it is — what happens in those weeks shapes the adult dog more than anything you do later. Short, frequent, positive sessions. See Parts IV and IX.
Conditions this breed is predisposed to
Gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV, 'bloat')
Idiopathic epilepsy
Osteosarcoma
Hip dysplasia
Hypothyroidism
Progressive retinal atrophy
Health screening — what to test, and when
| Screen for | Test | When |
|---|---|---|
| Gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV, 'bloat') | No screening test. Discuss preventive gastropexy with your vet in deep-chested breeds | At neutering, if the vet agrees it is indicated |
| Hip dysplasia | Radiographic hip evaluation (hip scoring) | Once at 12–24 months; earlier if lame |
| Hypothyroidism | Thyroid blood panel | On unexplained weight gain, coat loss, or lethargy; annually in predisposed breeds |
| Idiopathic epilepsy | No screening test. Diagnosis is by exclusion, after blood work and imaging | Investigate the first seizure; do not breed from affected dogs |
| Osteosarcoma | No screening test. Radiographs on any persistent limb lameness in a large breed | Do not dismiss lameness in a giant-breed dog |
| Progressive retinal atrophy | Ophthalmologist eye examination, plus DNA test where one exists for the breed | DNA once; eye examination annually |
Every dog, every breed: an annual health examination (twice yearly from seven years), body-condition scoring at each visit, dental assessment, year-round parasite control, and the core vaccinations.
For breeders — test before you mate
- Gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV, 'bloat') — No screening test. Discuss preventive gastropexy with your vet in deep-chested breeds
- Hip dysplasia — Radiographic hip evaluation (hip scoring)
- Hypothyroidism — Thyroid blood panel
- Idiopathic epilepsy — No screening test. Diagnosis is by exclusion, after blood work and imaging
- Osteosarcoma — No screening test. Radiographs on any persistent limb lameness in a large breed
- Progressive retinal atrophy — Ophthalmologist eye examination, plus DNA test where one exists for the breed
Feeding
Growth is the thing that matters. Large-breed puppies must be fed a diet formulated for large-breed growth and must NOT be overfed or supplemented with calcium — growing too fast is a direct route to the joint disease this size of dog is already prone to. A lean puppy is a healthy puppy. As an adult, two measured meals a day, and keep the dog lean for life: excess weight is the single biggest accelerator of hip and elbow disease and arthritis.
Exercise and enrichment
Stated requirement: Very high — 90+ min/day
This is a genuinely high-energy dog and the commonest reason such dogs are rehomed is that their owners underestimated this. It needs hard daily physical exercise AND a job to think about; a walk around the block is not exercise for this breed. An under-exercised dog of this type becomes destructive, noisy, and anxious — behaviour problems that are, correctly understood, an exercise deficit.
Coat and grooming
Long, silky, feathered coat. Brush every other day — it mats readily, and humidity makes it worse.
Climate and living conditions
Stated suitability: Moderate heat tolerance; grooming is intensive, especially in hot, humid climates.
Ageing and senior care
Life expectancy: 11–15 years. This dog is a senior from around 7 years, at which point wellness examinations should move to twice a year and senior blood and urine screening begins. Large dogs age faster than small ones. Arthritis and cancer are the dominant concerns; do not dismiss a limp in an older large dog as 'just age' — bone cancer presents exactly that way. Senior care →
Before you take one home
- Ask the breeder for the health-test results listed above — for BOTH parents, on paper, before you pay a deposit. A breeder who has done the tests will be proud to show you; one who deflects, or who tells you the tests are unnecessary in this line, is telling you what you need to know.
- Consider adoption. Shelters and rescues have dogs of every kind, including purebreds, and the local native or landrace dog is often healthier, better adapted to its climate, and more in need of a home than almost anything you can buy. See Part XII.
