Thinking of getting an irish setter - am I mad?

[Feathered]

Hi -
I grew up with an English Setter and LOVED him - however we got him when he was four so I didnt experience the puppy stage. I've loved setters ever since.
I now have 3 children - a seven year old and five year old twins. They're all pretty sensible and would love a pet - and I would like them to experience owning a dog.
We're planning on moving fairly soon to a property with a large garden so the house wouldn't be a problem. I've just had a few people saying that Setters are too difficult. Any thoughts? Also does anybody know any good, reliable breeders?
Many thanks,
Robyn

I loves 'em too.
We don't have one but my db & family have had to Irish and currently have to English. They're fab...and I'm slightly envious !

two
Brain of a setter!

Hello Feathered, have you considered a Gordon Setter? They are a bit more robust and less highly strung than the other setters. I had my doubts after a life time of golden retrievers but our lovely gordon is the gentlest and most loveing and loyal pet we have had (and I've had a few!). Not the brightest in the litter box, though - but you can't have everything!

We have an 8 year old Irish setter, and she is great. We had never had a dog before, but we have managed ok.

Did puppy training classes, as we realised that we would end up with a big dog who we needed to be able to control.

She is very reliable, well behaved, will always come when called in the park, and will walk to heel. My DD2 can get her to do tricks, she lies down and plays dead! The dog that is, not my DD2.

My DC were 12, 8 and 4, when we got her. I think they are very like retrievers, need a similar amount of exercise and attention.

We got her via the Irish Setter website. The breeder was doing it as a one off though, as far as I know she didn't do it again, so can't recommend anyone.

Oh thanks. That's really helpful. I have thought about Gordon Setters. Apparently they moult a bit more than Irish setters. Is that true? My husband is an architect and one of his (many) objections is moulting. I'm working hard on him. He's never had a dog and I know he'll fall head over heels once we get one.
I'd make sure I did training too, sugarplumfairy. I want to get it right from the start so I want to do plenty of research. Did you read any books? Can you recommend any?

Oh . . . another couple of questions.

How did your youngest child cope with the puppy sugarplumfairy?

Would you recommend getting a dog or a bitch?

What's your opinion on the "slightly neurotic" reputation that irish setters have?

It might be worth getting in touch with www.facebook.com/BlackRetrieverXRescue They often have setters/Gordon setters as well as retrievers so I'm sure they'd be able to give you honest advice about the breed

Talk to Irish setter breeders club. I have grown up with them since I was a baby. I adore them. Would love another but work means I can't. Sigh.

We have a 6 month old male. He is fantastic. Not as switched on as our goldie but you can actually see the moment the penny finally drops and he gets all pleased with himself.
They are similar in that they are gun dogs except whereas a goldie is a good all rounder, setters were bred with a specific purpose so they don't have the attentiveness and same level of desire to please as a goldie but that just means training takes a bit longer, quite a bit longer. They are also really easily distracted.

He has been nowhere near the amount of work our goldie was as a puppy for biting, she was a complete land shark as a puppy, he seems to register it hurts and gets a bit upset.

He isn't as tolerant of having his walks skimped on as our goldie is. If he doesn't get enough exercise he will be bouncing off the walls and won't listen to anyone.

He is a thief and will actually steal the food out of your hand if it is at his eye level. He has learnt that tables are out of bounds but the food in hand thing is taking longer as its just too tempting.

He is gangly, ungainly, eats his own shit but we love him to bits.
His bark is hilarious.

They do need calm, firm, consistent training from day one as they are much harder to train out of bad habits they pick up. It does take quite a while for them to get the message but once they do its in. They are overall gentler than goldies (if handled correctly), not as in your face I LOVE YOU as they can be (goldies have been described as brash). Ours bowls him round the park on walks as he just can't keep up.

Thanks for all your comments. I'm quite surprised by the positive response (and pleased)
I was expecting people to be much more negative - so whoopee! Can't wait to move now!

Ive made an appointment to visit a breeder next week. I feel a bit squeaky with excitement. She actually has a one year old puppy available that she's trained so I'm going to meet him as well as some new puppies. All in the spirit of research. I can't bring one home - although I am seriously considering asking her to keep the one year old for me until we've moved if he's lovely. Any opinions on this? Obviously I'd need to know why she's decided against keeping him. I think he's not quite good enough for showing. Breeder sounded lovely on the phone.

I don't want to sound the bell of doom but do be cautious about a show dog kept behind.

My mum's lab was exactly that, and he is much harder work than mine, I think because he lived in kennels rather than a house and had to compete with other dogs for food/attention.

I do love him, but he makes me roll my eyes in exasperation in a way that none of the other dogs I have owned / looked after do.

We adopted our dog at 7 months (not a setter) - great from the point of him being toilet trained, and had lost all his baby teeth, knew not to bite, and not to chew.
But we knew that he had lived in a family home, with children as a pet.
Downside he had walked with other dogs and had no idea about how to walk on a lead.

I would also be very careful, and want to know where he has lived, what his experience and socialisation has been. Look at - I think it is viva beavers posts about her podengo, to see how different the experience can be.

I think they are gorgeous dogs and the best looking of setter types IMO. Please reseach gastric torsion (bloat) as I think they are quite prone to it?? As someone with a deep chested GSD it is always a concern of mine.

I would also be a bit wary of a 1 year old "left behind". I could imagine that the dog hasn't had the best socialisation in a breeding environment - he might have met loads of dogs but I would wonder if he has been taken out of that environment into a home, met lots of different people, seen cars/buses, heard a hoover/tv, all those kinds of things... Has he been housetrained properly? All questions worth asking, I think. Also, can you resist this one? www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=591335190888139&set=a.591334847554840.1073741909.395268360494824&type=1&theater

Hi, my youngest got on fine with her. Never left them on their own, but the dog was always very tolerant of her.

We have a bitch, and had her spayed at about 6 months, before the first season. This has meant that she never got her full coat, which means less fur to moult, plus less grooming!

My opinion on the neurotic reputation is that it doesn't apply to my dog. Yes she is fairly daft, though is very well trained and she's not completely stupid. She is always pleased to see you, very good natured, and so long as she has had enough exercise will sleep most of the time.

Can't remember what books we had, sorry, did have one on Irish setters it was an American one. There is a lovely film called Big Red, that will make you definitely get one.

I also second Canidae, with regards to bloat. Am paranoid about this, the rule I follow is not to feed at least one hour either side of exercise. So far no problems.

We have greyhounds, another deep chested breed. Yes - to being very careful to avoid feeding before exercise. Latest I've seen is that you don't have to use raised feeders - floor level are fine. Also, that it is better to split food into multiple meals rather than one big one. We feed twice a day. Like Sugar above, we are really careful about this.

Thanks everyone. Loads of amazing advice. I think I won't go for the older puppy. My 7 year old has his heart set on a 'proper puppy'. I really can't do anything until we move, anyway. I think thats a good thing as I can go and see the breeder next week and have a chat with her and then have a cooling off period to mull it over. Moving house is pretty stressful . . . I've become a bit fixated on this to take my mind off it, I think.

Have you looked at LadyTurmoils facebook link? they are lovely! I must say though my experience of setters though is that they are not the brightest of dogs. I grew up with a collie/setter cross and she was as neurotic as they come and was often scared of her own shadow. My neighbour has a setter as well and he isn't particularly bright either BUT we all have dogs for different reasons and I did adore the setter x we grew up with, so who cares what other people think? people will always have an opinion on any kind of dog you choose or have

wrt bloat, we have been told to leave 2 hours between feeding and exercise (I don't think border collies are prone to it, but the vet still mentioned it)

Yes - my English Setter was super thick - but super loving too.
I'd hope the irish setter had a little more intelligence, just a little!