Setter Dogs, exercise needs ( English Setter / Irish Red & White Setter)

[Chatter101]

Hello All,

Any advice on Setters you have personally owned. We are looking at either an English Setter or Irish red and white setter, and are a little worried about how much exercise they actually need. 😳

There is someone home all day, and we understand they can run and pay for many hours if you have the time. But what about if you have:
A small morning walk,

A garden to play in during the day,

Aound a 45 minute off lead run / games in the evening.

Is this sufficient? Or should we look at another breed?

Thanks 😀

English setters are generally calmer than Reds... Reds are bonkers!! I really wanted one but when I realised how utterly nuts they are..the comedians of the dog world, I went for a more sedate breed My friend's needs a LOT of exercise.
Having said that they are fabulous dogs, but I think you'd find they need more excercise than you have time for!

Friend has an Irish Red and White setter. His exercise needs seem similar to our labs, i.e. a good off lead walk once a day and another sniffy on lead walk is fine as long as they're getting a reasonably amount of interaction/training/games in the day as well, and longer days on the weekends.

So I'd say think about how much time during the day you're prepared to dedicate to training/playing/games etc.

I would say that is a small-moderate amount of exercise for a dog. I don’t have a setter but I have a dog with similar exercise requirements (working spaniel) and he would be really annoying with that level - he needs a lot more to be satisfied. I’d personally look at a different breed. What about a standard poodle?

Red setters are frankly bonkers, an utter joy but bonkers.

My experience is the less exercise they get the higher they go on the bonkers scale. They need at least 2 hours a day

My BF had them when we were teens. I can remember her DPs literally bribing us to take them out for walks across the local fields on a regular basis. They were wonderful dogs though

We have a 5 year old Red Setter. Wow the puppy stage was hard. We were mid twenties when we got him and even though we both did lots of research, the puppy stage was tough and felt like what I imagine having a newborn would be like! I was knackered, he needed constant attention, cleaning up wee/poo/general mess, persevering with training, attending puppy training classes, changing our lifestyle so he wasn't alone for longer than a few hours, can't be left alone out of crate for longer than 5 mins or else it's carnage with destroying anything in sight!!😂 But everything got much easier at the 6 month stage.
He has x2 one hour walks a day (atleast) and atleast one of them is off the lead. He is extremely mischievous at home but nothing bad (in our eyes) - taking the remote out to the garden and taking my DH socks outside etc. He can be stubborn but is extremely clever even though the stereotype for Red Setters is the complete opposite. Not food driven but loves a squeaky toy and a carrot bone and that keeps him quiet for abit.
He still has half an hour most evenings where he gets giddy and likes to hump my husbands leg and play fight on the rug. He needs a lot of grooming but is extremely loyal and loving and likes to be pampered and we wouldn't have him any other way. He is our world and we adore him.
They can be hard work but so can any breed! If you get a Setter you won't regret it. You don't see many about but when we see other Red Setter owners we always go over to say hello and always end up chatting about our dogs.

My red is very sensible BUT needs more than that. He lolls around at home, has never played in a garden as such. But he gets two x 30-60 min a day plus goes to work with my builder husband so gets plenty of entertainment in that respect, plus does a couple of solo walks around the huge wilderness area beside our house. He's 11 and would go out with anyone who's going anywhere, any time.

I'm dubious about garden play - not too many dogs will play on their own. With you, or with a mate, yes.

Fantastic animals though. Best dogs ever.

Bear in mind that they really need plenty of off-lead time; ideally they would love total freedom. Their pattern is to run or trot big sweeping circles ahead of you and check in frequently.

That isn't enough exercise for most working breeds. I get the impression that Gordon setters are much less barmy!

To be honest, that is very little exercise for most dogs and red setters (not familiar with others) need much more than most .

Forget about a garden to play in, unless you are actually going to go out and play with them. Dogs are generally not self-exercising.

For any dog, I would recommend mental as well as physical exercise. We play hide and seek with ours where either we hide or we hide a toy.

Maybe look at some calmer breeds.

I get the impression that Gordon setters are much less barmy!

I met a Gordon a couple of months back on a walk. Beautiful calm dog. I've no idea why you don't see more of them.

I'd say that was nowhere near enough for a Setter - they are bonkers and need tons of exercise, both mental and physical.

I'd say a good two hours a day to be quite honest - so if you could hire a dog walker on top of what you have planed, it could be manageable?

Otherwise I would be looking at a much calmer breed.

my family all have Gordon’s, I believe they are meant to be the calmest and that wouldn’t be anything like enough for them.
Id look at something else other than a working breed personally

What you are suggesting isn't enough exercise for any working breed. I would seriously reconsider your breed choice and go for a non-working breed (ie not spaniel/setter/pointer/retriever). With any working breed you also need to offer breed specific mental stimulation that lets them use their natural instincts in addition to the physical exercise. Dogs quickly become destructive if their mental and physical needs aren't met.

Wow thanks everyone . I can see that this is definitely not the breed for us. They are beatiful dogs though so enjoy them if you have one. We are not able to walk the dog we own more than stated above, so will start researching for a much lazier breed.
Thank you again :-)