Honest opinions re Red setters

[ringoutsolsticebells]

Hi, as the title says.
I have 2 golden Retrievers. I would love an Irish Red Setter. However I have heard some negative things about the breed regarding difficulties with training and issues with hyperactivity. Can any one advise??

My brother has one. Absolutely gorgeous dog, very similar in nature to the goldies actually but slightly more highly strung. Training definitely been harder than with the goldies for him, but you’re not talking collie level of needs. She’s still a puppy really, so typical pup hyperactivity but I’m sure someone more knowledgeable will be along soon x

I haven't had a purebreed, but grew up with a red setter/golden retriever cross!
The retriever qualities will be nothing you're not already used to, but the setter elements (at least we believed) meant that she was still puppy hyperactive until she was 7, at which point she settled down. Very vocal, didn't settle easily indoors without having the legs walked off her and even then would be uneasy and quite careless around children - not aggressive in the slightest but would run over them without a second glance. On the whole she was a lovely dog, she just needed a lot of work and training/reinforcement for longer than you'd expect.
I don't know how much of that was unique to our dog and what's more common to the breed, but I'm sure someone will have more info!

Reading the above post I think it’s pretty much like having a goldie but on “hard mode” 😂

I grew up with one
My dad always said you always have them or you never have another
He was brilliant with me, i would toddle holding on to him and he would walk patiently with me. Very gentle, but a complete lunatic

Join some FB groups such as ' Life's better with a setter' for some good insider info.

I am a setter owner. They are super dogs. Recall is generally non existent- they are bred to work independently a long distance from you and will set on birds like they are in a trance. They are very affectionate and quite cuddly indoors but can switch to being quite indifferent outdoors (see my comment about recall!)

They aren't particularly obedient in my experience. Mine has basic commands which go out the window as soon as we are outdoors. They love counter surfing and because their recall isn't great you do need to be prepared for longer lead walks. Mine needs about 4 miles a day or he goes on the rampage and starts assigning himself tasks around the house like emptying the bins and barking at imaginary cats

No personal experience but neighbours of ours years ago had one. They had to keep the upstairs windows closed because he'd throw himself out them to go for a run.

Utterly gorgeous and loving dog, but a total lunatic and a danger to himself.

I forgot about the bins! 😅
That was another one of her foibles - puppy level destruction until she was seven. She never met a skirting board she didn't absolutely hate and have to chew off the wall - and that was even with a lot of walking. I think where we missed a trick was mental challenges for her - even if she was physically exhausted, she possibly needed more mental stimulus, despite being as dumb as a rock.
(All said with great love and affection, she might have been an idiot, but she was OUR idiot!)

I think with 2 already quite large breed dogs you’ll end up regretting the decision. When it comes to setters it’s all hands on deck. You need at least one hand per dog, and you’ve only got two hands!

Some friends of mine have them. Absolutely lovely, beautiful dogs. But omg completely bonkers. They didn't wag their tails, they wagged their entire bag ends. They really helped me get over my fear of dogs.

I grew up with an English Setter, he was just as pps above describe but slightly smaller.
He was a gorgeous dog though, so good natured, also do not underestimate the ampunt of drool, it gets everywhere.

I also forgot to mention the drool. Especially in the show lines it can reach 'Turner and Hooch' levels. I spend Saturdays with a sugar soap spray patrolling the house for slobber stains on the walls. I wouldn't have another breed through - I love them!

Neighbour used to have a couple. Female was bouncy -lovely but bonkers. The other one was an absolute menace to himself. He was rediculously friendly and did on many occasions end up getting out the house, out the 'secure' back garden (6ft fences all around) down the drive and hurdled the front gates like he was a champion steeplechaser. Unfortunately the gates went on to a main road and so he was in and out of traffic constantly and even into people's cars if they opened the car door. He didn't really slow down til he was about ten and my neighbour didn't have another after him.

drool

They are proper bonkers.
I lived next door to one and it was mad as a hatter.

They are beautiful but I knew one who managed to fall off a cliff because he forgot to stop running! He survived with remarkably few injuries but he remained an escapologist with a tiny brain 😂

My neighbours had 2, they walked them miles everyday, so calm and lovely.

Then they got a 3rd red setter and he was a "normal" one, utter lunatic, nearly broke them!

Utterly beautiful dogs, but naughty and complete lunatics. Love them, but wouldn't have one.

Many years ago my mother was struggling to train a Dalmatian so went to a trainer, almost in tears, and the trainer reassured her that Dalmatians were indeed difficult to train, saying "Only thing harder to train is a Red Setter!"

They sound amazing! If one day I live on a remote smallholding with tons of land, I think I will be tempted to get one.

I grew up with an English setter and red setter and they were just gorgeous - so loving and sweet natured. Recall was always hit and miss though, one minute fine then they’d give you a side eye look and just bolt…..

A breed usually best seen in full flight as a streak of joyful blazing light. Followed by the voice of somebody about a mile and a half in the distance shouting FOR FUCK'S SAKE! JASPER!

Where are your pics people?? My df had one when I was a dc . Sadly she developed epilepsy. Medicated for years she coped better than me(witnessing a fit) it seemed . A beautiful ddog.

I think they’re beautiful, but I’m tired out just reading about them here 😂 I certainly wouldn’t have the energy for this level of crazy

We have two working GR girls and a working setter, they are all gundogs and the motivation behind getting the setter was to have more of an HPR dog to range on the moorland days and she’s absolutely brilliant at her job.
As a pet she is a lot more intense and I say that as the owner of the worlds most Velcro goldie. She’s affectionate to the point of being stupid, bulldozing everything in her path to get to you if you have crouched down to tie your laces.
Im not blowing smoke up my own arse but I’ve trained gundogs for the past 15 years and I think I’m quite handy with pointers and retrievers so I’m minded to think it’s the breed rather than my own training, although as I say as a working dog she is brilliant.
She also needs a lot more daily exercise than the goldies, who have always been happy with 3-5 miles a day. My husband always takes the setter out for another two miles in the evening otherwise her overexcitedness just grows.

A setter was the only dog in hundreds I failed to teach agility to 😂 Gorgeous dog. But huge and impossible to motivate. His owners loved him. But not for me.