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The Irish Setter (Irish Red Setter) is a hunter and intellectual prone to extroversion and an adherent of an active lifestyle with luxurious brown hair.
For this reason, in the dog57 57 article, we will learn about the Irish Red Setter.
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The Irishman is an intelligent, charming woman with a positive attitude toward life and others. Sometimes overconfident, but able to insist on his own, this cute chestnut is the kind of pet that never gets tired of discovering unexpected traits. Fishing with an Irish setter is a topic worthy of a separate article. It is possible to return from the field without prey in only one case - if there was not a single feathered creature on .this field initially
History of the Irish Setter Breed
The Irish Red Setter is one of the most "secret" hunting breeds, and the first written mention of it dates back to the 15th century. Initially, the term "setter" did not refer to a specific type of dog, but to entire groups of animals, whose primary qualification was to work with a wild bird. In particular, the settlers were often engaged in fishing with a net for partridges. Possessing a very acute sense of taste, dogs always unmistakably determine the location of prey and indicate the direction to it, performing the function of a living navigator.
Not much is known about the Irish settlers' closest relatives. There is an assumption that in the veins of modern representatives of the breed, the blood of several types of spaniels, blood, pointers, and even wolfhounds flows. However, it has not yet been possible to confirm the guesses. Purposeful breeding of reddish-brown hounds began in Ireland at the end of the 18th century, as evidenced by the stud books of those years. However, until the middle of the 19th century, the breed was not considered a problem, so in episodes, the animals acted in groups with other types of settlers. The official starting point for the history of the breed is the year 1860 when it was decided to allocate Irish settlers to a separate type. In 1882, the first club for lovers of the "Irish Red" opened in Dublin, and three years later the first breed standard was issued by the same organization.
An interesting fact: at the junction of the 19th and 20th centuries. In Europe, they practiced crossing the gallery and hunting varieties of the Irish setter. Such experiments entailed several problems, including the degeneration of the traits of the animal breed, because of which interbreeding between workers and latitudes had to be stopped. Conversely, American breeders were fond of improving mainly show individuals, so today's "Irish" made in the USA are somewhat different from their fellow tribesmen abroad.
Irish Setter breed standard
If the tops of the most developed individuals of hounds were grouped, the Irish settlers awarded them the first places. These self-sufficient, high-legged "gentlemen", with a proud posture, and smooth and quick movements, are an example of restrained wit and charm. By the way, this is the advantage of the breed that marketers and creators of commercials love to exploit. Remember the face, or rather the happy "face" of the trademark "Chappie"?
There is a strong influence on the appearance of the Irish setters by sexual dimorphism, thanks to which the males not only outnumber the females in size but also look more colorful in general. Unique in color and structure, the coat also plays an important role in shaping the breed's image. Satin, shimmering with all shades of a reddish-red dog, looks like a magnificent outfit, changing tone depending on the type and intensity of lighting. The richness of the coat depends on the breed line. The setters of the work are usually "dressed" more modestly than the individuals who appear, and they do not have such lush eyes on their ears and a less expressive fringe on their bellies.
As for the height and weight of the Irish setters, the height in males is 58-67 cm, and in females - 55-62 cm; Dogs must weigh between 27 and 32 kg.
head
Representatives of the breed have a narrow, strongly elongated head, with a good balance between the muzzle and the skull. The superciliary arches and occipital tubercle are distinctly prominent, and the snout is moderately flush, almost square at the end.
jaws and bite
The upper and lower jaws of the Irish setter are of the same length and closed in a classic "scissors".
nose
The lobe is medium in size, the nostrils are wide open. Typical colors for lobe are dark walnut, black charcoal, and a dark shade of mahogany.
the eyes
The shallowly planted, oval eyes of the Irish Setter feature a slightly beveled incision. The standard colors of the iris are dark brown and dark walnut.
Azan
Small, low-set, soft to the touch. The ear cloth has a rounded tip and hangs along the cheekbones.
neck
Slightly curved, of good length, quite muscular, but not thick at all.
corps
The Irish Red Setter's body is of good proportions, with a deep, if somewhat narrow chest, an even back, and a long, sloping croup. The abdominal and groin areas are very tight.
the parties
The forelimbs are bony, venous, and parallel to each other. The shoulder blades are deep, and the elbows are free, with no apparent reflex in either direction. The hind limbs are of impressive length, and well amused. The angles of the joints are regular, and the area from the hock joint to the claw is massive and short. The paws of the dog are small, and the fingers are strong, and tightly brought together. The Irish red striker moves with a classic gallop, proudly throwing his head back. The elevation of the forelimbs of the animal is very high, but without excessive repulsion of the legs upwards, the thrust of the hind legs is strong and soft.
Tail
The Irishman has a rather long (a few centimeters longer than the male), low-set tail with a massive base and a relatively thin tip. The classic shape of the tail is straight or saber-shaped.
wool
Adults are covered with downy, silky hair of medium length. On the anterior side of the forelegs, head, and tips of the ear cloth, the hair is short and adjacent to the skin. The back side of all four ends and the upper part of the ear cloth is "adorned" with fine hair for decoration. On the tail and abdomen, the abundant plugin turns into a magnificent fringe, often passing into the chest and throat region. Between the fingers, there are bundles of oches.
color
All dogs have a chestnut suit without a hint of black tinge. Acceptable: small white markings on the throat, chest, and forehead or white holes on the muzzle and nose.
Unqualified defects and defects
Irish Red Setters may not meet the requirements of the breed standard for various external indicators. For example, an animal shouldn't have such deficiencies as:
Long or curly hair
unusually broad or short head;
Rolled up / hanging ears.
Bulging, small or too-close eyes, a back with a hump, a flat chest, and a thin sickle-shaped tail would not be evaluated by tribal commissions. As for complete exclusion, it threatens individuals with cryptorchidism, owners of atypical or black coat color, as well as dogs without toilet hair and lips, eyelids, or nasal lobe.
Education and training
The Irish Red Setter is not without ability, although he does have a reputation for being easy to train. The problem lies in the very lively temperament of the breed, which does not allow its representatives to focus on one object or type of activity for a long time. So, if you are planning to seriously engage in training your pet, get ready to rack your brains over drawing up an individual training program that will not cause rejection in the dog.
3.5-8 months is the optimal age for training an Irish Terrier puppy. By this time, the children already know what the collective hierarchy is, so it is important to have time to let them know who is the real boss in the house, and who is the “man on the hook”. Training a pet in the OKD and UGS orders is a mandatory procedure, as the breed is prone to escape. Particular attention is paid to the development of the invitation "To me!". The dog should react to it instantly and unmistakably, although, as practice shows, this skill is given to the most difficult animal.
With the rest of the bands, you don't have to be so zealous. The Irish Setter isn't a shepherd after all. Mechanical and mechanical action on the device is not its forte. Therefore, if the pet did not immediately fulfill the requirements or changed them a little, this is already a reason to praise the animal. For such a self-sufficient and stubborn dog, this is a serious achievement.
Settlers depend on the approval of the master, and with this character trait, you can "leave" well in cases where your four-legged pet dodges. Show how annoyed you are that the dog does not want to work with you, and in a couple of minutes the remorseful "Irishman" will pull another trick. Just don't abuse dog docility: there are situations when an Irishman will never make concessions. No, there will be no open protest, because the chestnut fraudster does not like conflicts. But there will be a brilliantly played deafness of the teams and a global misunderstanding in the eyes. It is necessary to treat such attacks with understanding, to postpone the lesson until another time, but in no case to abandon the goal completely. Irish setters are smart guys, they quickly figure out what levers to press to achieve what you want, so if you do not want to raise a lazy and shrewd person, show perseverance and resourcefulness.
Psychologically, the "inhabitants of the leprechaun country" remain dogs for a long time: hooligans, hyperactive, and uncontrollable. This fact must be accepted because punishments and an authoritarian style of communication are unacceptable for the breed and will only aggravate the situation. But adjusting a child's behavior a bit is real. For example, a physical activity well reduces the craving for adventures. Boredom to exhaustion usually does not have the strength of leprosy and there is only one desire - to crouch into a corner.
Fishing with an Irish setter
The main prey of the Irish red setter on the hunt is partridges, quail, corn grouse, ducks, and woodcocks. The breed is adventurous, easy to climb, and relatively manageable, but not as patient as we would like. The dog works, relying mainly on instinct, at least involving hearing and vision. As a result: during long aimless wanderings through the fields, the four-legged miner does not receive enough impressions, so he loses interest in work and switches to another type of activity. Hunting with the Irishman is recommended only in proven places where feathered trophies live. If you need a more consistent and focused search "scout", it is better to pay attention to the English setter.
Maintenance and care
In the past, a purely hunting breed, today the Irish Setter is increasingly being positioned as a companion dog, which did not take long to affect the conditions of detention. The "Irish" no longer spent the night in barns and the open air, and the care of their wool was entrusted to the owners and nannies. The classic type of housing for a modern dog is a private house, preferably a country house, with a fenced yard. A more modest alternative is a comfortable bed in the apartment. Moreover, both options do not exclude intense physical exertion, without which the four-legged "energizers" lose their taste for life and degrade.
Animals are traditionally walked twice a day. Each such promenade lasts at least an hour, preferably one and a half. By the way, the habit of putting up with the toilet before going outside is easy for savvy settlers, but it is better not to go to extremes and additionally take the dog out to relieve the need - 10 minutes spent will save the pet from unnecessary torment.
Hygiene
Get ready, messing with the wool of the Irishman is going to have a lot and often. Firstly, it is relatively long, especially in the abdomen, chest, and tail. Secondly, the soft and silky hair of the settlers is constantly falling out, tied in knots and tangled, simultaneously clinging to the thorns and seeds of plants. It will be especially difficult with representatives of exhibition lines, whose dog is taller than the size of hunting individuals. Show setters comb daily, working meticulously over the strands with a brush of natural bristles.
You need to bathe the dog relatively often: once every 7-10 days. Usually, the washing process is preceded by the purchase of professional shampoos, conditioners, and natural oils to improve the structure of the coat. Without it, it is almost impossible to achieve a charming shimmer on the wool of an Irishman. The pet must be washed after carefully combing the dog, and disassembling the thorns, because after bathing it will be much more difficult to do.
To give a more authentic look, the Irish red settlers are cut with filet shears. This is not a full-fledged haircut, but a slight thinning of textured hair, so do not get carried away, but it is better to entrust the matter to professionals. During the off-season, when there is a lot of dirt and puddles on the street, it is much easier to walk the dog in a protective jumpsuit, which can be ordered in an online store or sewn independently from waterproof fabric.
The ears, eyes, and teeth of the animal are regularly cared for. The hanging ears of the Irish red-setter are poorly ventilated, therefore, in addition to cleaning, they must be artificially ventilated - take ear cloths by the edges and wave them vigorously. Dogs' claws are cut 1-2 times a month: since the breed does not like to run on the asphalt, preferring sandy tracks and paths, it grinds poorly. By the way, it is better to do a “pedicure” for an Irish setter after a bath, when the claw has softened under the influence of steam and warm water. Among the mandatory procedures, it is also worth noting brushing your teeth (at least twice a week) and daily wiping of the mucous membrane of the eyes with herbal infusions (chamomile, tea).
feeding
Start by purchasing a bowl carrier for your pet. The Irish Setter is not a squat breed, and hitting the bows at every meal is simply harmful to him, there is a risk of developing enteritis. Calculating the calorie content of the diet should be taking into account the level of physical activity that the dog receives. For example, athletes and representatives of fishing lines who regularly go to the field need more intense feeding than domestic animals. Plus, Irish setters are mostly little hedgehogs, and that has to be reckoned with. Of course, it is impossible to cram more than the specified norm into the animal, but it is quite possible to make the portion more nutritious or choose the optimal fat content (from 16% and above).
As for the natural menu of the breed, it does not differ in special originality. Substandard meat (an average of 20 grams per kilogram of the animal's body weight), offal, and fish fillets - are the three products that make up its base. Of the porridges, Irish red combinations of buckwheat and oatmeal are useful. By the way, puppies add cereal to the meat or bone broth. Only seasonal vegetables and fruits are given to dogs - not Asian exotics that can trigger an allergy attack. In addition, adults can be treated with an omelet of two chicken eggs, low-fat fermented milk, and vegetable oil (about a teaspoon), as well as vitamin supplements, which are selected and agreed upon with the veterinarian.
Health and Disease of the Irish
The health of the breed depends on how responsible the kennel owner is in breeding. The same genetic diseases may not appear in animals whose breeders do not skimp on genetic testing of litters, meticulously select producers for mating, and do not abuse closely related crosses. Conversely, Irish settlers who are not so lucky with the owner and heredity may suffer from the following ailments:
warp.
knock down;
Thyroid;
malignant tumors (skin cancer);
Entropion.
Hip dysplasia.
Allergic dermatitis.
Inflammatory processes in the uterus.
diseases of the spinal cord (degenerative myelopathy);
congenital enlargement of the esophagus (idiopathic esophageal hypertrophy);
Hypertrophic bone dystrophy.
Laryngeal paralysis.
At the beginning of the 20th century, European breeders exaggerated inbreeding, as a result of which the "Irish" suffered from progressive retinal atrophy for a long time. It was not possible to eliminate the defect only after the development of a system of tests that helped to identify the blindness gene in the early stages. As a result, the defective individuals were no longer allowed to reproduce, which reduced the risk of transmitting the disease genetically.