Talk to me about Red Setters

[Lulutheboss]

Hello,
A friend of my husband is having to rehome his one year old red (Irish) setter following a relationship break down. I can’t stand the thought of the poor little soul being taken to Battersea so we’re thinking about taking him.
We already have two labradors. Is this total madness? I have read around the internet for some information about the breed. I am not too familiar.
Looking for real life experiences please and an idea of costs.
Thanks.

Keep! Keep! Keep! Someone tell my DH please! I’m loving all the gorgeous doggy pictures too. Thank you all so much.

I’m also quite surprised that the pet insurance doesn’t seem to be as much as for my labradors. I’m insured with pet plan and am paying about £70 and £50 per month respectively for a nine year old and a four year old. Maybe labs have more health problems?

I realise I am going to voice an unpopular opinion but I genuinely don't understand why red setter owners would chose not to have their dog neutured purely for aesthetic reasons.

@UrsulaPandress there are lots of reasons for and against neutering. It’s not advisable before a certain age due to hormones and growth anyway. Those who show don’t neuter generally as they may well wish to breed too.

My childhood dog was a red setter. She was as daft as a brush - completely mad, but patient, soppy, loyal, and had a way of looking at you while you were eating that made you part with your food - she wouldn't beg, or stare, but she would sort of put her head to the side and glance at the food and you, then look down, then look back up. She was a lovely pet. Ours was a pedigree and my parents entered her for dog shows to give her something to do.

I can understand the wanting to breed. That was not my point. Several people on here and a couple of owners I have met specifically said they would not neuter because of the coat.

Re: neutering -You generally can't show a neutered dog, it's part of the KC breed standard that they have 2 properly descended testicles. Setters aren't an aggressive breed and you need to wait until they are fully grown to do it otherwise it affects the bone growth. It's quite unusual to meet a setter that has been neutered for non medical reasons.

Ursula I don’t have one so can’t explain that! It could be because the dramatic change in coat makes them harder to groom? I doubt it is the only reason. Many people choose not to neuter for a variety of reasons. It’s not like cats that are out and roaming and MUST be done!

I grew up with an English Setter.
Completely insane, very high maintenance, lots, and lots, and lots of energy, but the most loyal, and loving, and gorgeous family dog.
Setters are brilliant dogs, but only for active families with lots of time and space.

I want a setter

I knew one as a child. Beautiful dog but did that thing where they shove their nose into your crotch.

So friendly and fun though.

UrsulaPandress there is a general rethink now in the veterinary profession wrt routine neutering of dogs. There are several good reasons to leave (especially male) Irish setters intact, one being a significantly increased risk of hypothyroidism in neutered dogs, to which the breed is prone. Incidence of hip dysplasia, cruciate ligament rupture, osteosarcoma, haemangiosarcoma, dementia and a number of other conditions are all increased in neutered animals, and interestingly the oft-mentioned risk of prostate cancer is also actually increased. Decreased risk of testicular tumours which are a) rare b) readily detectable and c) relatively curable and decreased risk of benign prostate enlargement does not outweigh the above. Setters are entirely non-aggressive and unlikely to be roaming and generating unwanted offspring. So all of that, plus the destruction of a beautiful coat...

Thanks villain. Very informative. Especially as I've just paid a ruinous amount of money to have BastardSpaniel's cruciate ligament repaired.

I suppose you could say we have dogs neutered for our own convenience.

I wonder if there is any increases risks with castrating horses? Off to Google.

UrsulaPandress sorry to hear about the cruciate ligament. It is definitely multi-factoial and has a lot to do with the angle and alignment of the hindlimb which is where (early) neutering and its effect on long bone lengthening comes in. I'm sure I'm not the first to tell you that the cruciate ligament in the other stifle are equally prone to rupture. Fingers firmly crossed that Bastardspaniel avoids that.

I don't know that there is the same weight of evidence wrt cons of castration in the horse; horses very rarely develop cruciate ligament issues or indeed any of the list of conditions I mentioned in dogs.

I think it's very much a management issue; certainly there is a very big difference in the temperament and behaviour of even the best-schooled stallion vs a gelding. I have a fair bit of experience in this as I'm an equine stud vet (who owns a setter).

I would say that virtually all male horses not specifically intended for breeding should be castrated between one and two years of age. Leaving them to two is ideal imo but entirely depends on temperament and management. A 500kg stallion has frightening power and drive.

Going back to the dogs, I think that a lot of very early neutering, as practiced by many "rescues", is being shown to be harmful though well-intentioned. Hormones have systemic effects on the brain and body which are not entirely understood and whipping out gonads is not just like clipping toenails.

It's interesting to look at practices in Norway and Sweden, where neutering of dogs is uncommon but responsible dog ownership is taken far more seriously.

Well, that's that thread nicely derailed! Sorry OP!

I read all the way to the end in one go hoping you'd have uploaded a photo of setter and labs playing together OP!!

I'm hoping his cruciate ligament was more compromised due to mild hip displasia in that leg and subsequent muscle wastage. He's 11 and is going to have to accept a slower pace of life.

A stud vet you say. How is the flu outbreak going? 😷

Haha sett! There’s nothing i’d love more. However, I’m still pretty undecided mainly because of cost and space. We don’t live in the biggest of houses. Just a regular end of terrace in the suburbs.
In actual fact, there’s no mega rush. DH’s friend still hasn’t put his house on the market. If we can’t take the dog, I will help him rehome somewhere other than Battersea, with a breed specific rescue.

very bouncy! lots of fun, high energy, lovely dogs. one of ours was a bit shy (rescue), the other one over friendly, (sometimes naughty). they are brilliant dogs.