Irish setter - Gun Dog

Ecotone

I am interested in getting a setter in the near future .

The Irish setter is the breed that I have in mind for their looks, the way they hunt, and the fact they are our native breed. I also like the English setter but have never hunted over one.

Correct me if I am wrong but the English or Llewellin setters seem to be more popular as hunting dogs in Ireland at the moment and I'm just wondering before I make my decision on which breed to choose what are the main differences in general between the breeds in terms of ability to train, hunting style, Maturity, pointing, etc?

Hope to see a few working this season.

Tommyaya4

Irish red setter is a slow dog to mature I have a seven year old fantastic dog to hunt over but he was 3 before we saw what he could do, they are very good natured breed easy to train as long as they are not rushed uncle hunted with his last one till he was 13

Liam_D

Good points - you have a puppy for a long time
Bad points - you have a puppy for a long time

I have a 7 year old dog and as the above poster said he was 3 before anything started to stick in his head. Great addition to the family though and has been an absolute gent to my daughter since she was born really gentle & tactile dog.

Ecotone

Thanks for the reply lads. I've heard that they were slow to mature compared to the English setters alright and that the Reds can be more headstrong. But I also heard that reds are less likely to be over sticky on birds i.e a cleaner point. Obviously dogs are individuals and there are good and bad in all breeds but would the above description of general traits be accurate?

Tommyaya4

Ecotone wrote: »

Thanks for the reply lads. I've heard that they were slow to mature compared to the English setters alright and that the Reds can be more headstrong. But I also heard that reds are less likely to be over sticky on birds i.e a cleaner point. Obviously dogs are individuals and there are good and bad in all breeds but would the above description of general traits be accurate?

I never found red setters headstrong but as said you have to take your time with them but they are a loyal dog and beautiful to watch a good one work and set

blackpearl

I have had red setters for 35years would not look at any other setter or pointer because other people had told me the bad faults of English pointers and setters ,it is right reds take about 3 years to mature no problem when you have older dogs in the kennel,but along time when it is your only dog could be a few years of madness ahead of you.Now only in the last 3 years I have only English setters and belive me I will not be going back to reds I was shooting pheasants over these dogs at 9 months retrieving land and water and good in cover rock steady on birds and no stickeyness that every one had told me about .A mate of mine got a English pointer it was only 13 months old at the start of the pheasant season last year he is over the moon how good this dog turned out in such a short time ,he also was a red setter man for years.All I can say to you don't listen to people finding faults with the other breeds But one thing I will say is buy your setters or pointer from a trialing man these dogs will not have the faults that you here about .

Ecotone

Thanks for the replies. It's great to hear from lads with years of experience with breeds. In what way do you think the English setters you have are better than the reds you had for years? Other than the maturing earlier. With regard to buying from trialing stock, is it not true that Reds are dominating the setter/pointer trials these days? I wouldn't be opposed to buying a trained trial dog that didn't make the cut but would still be a very useful rough shooting dog.

blackpearl

A lot of the trialing men have a good idea at 5 to6 months if the dog would be good enough for trials if not they make good rough shooting dogs buying a trained trial dog would not be a good idea they are trained to range the mountains with speed you are better buying a dog between 4 to 6 months and train him to suit the land you are hunting.

blackpearl

Ecotone wrote: »

Thanks for the replies. It's great to hear from lads with years of experience with breeds. In what way do you think the English setters you have are better than the reds you had for years? Other than the maturing earlier. With regard to buying from trialing stock, is it not true that Reds are dominating the setter/pointer trials these days? I wouldn't be opposed to buying a trained trial dog that didn't make the cut but would still be a very useful rough shooting dog.

Reds are dominating in numbers at trials but the dog of the year this year was a English setter and the dog that won the irish champ was a English pointer they are even as far as winning trials are concerned reds ,red and white,english setters and pointers not much between them, I go to a fair number of these trials but the English setters mature very early if you have time to wait a couple of years by all means go for the red,but I have 2 English in a row 1 at 3 and the other a 15 months can not get over how quick they have come on ,their behaving like 6 or 7 yearolds brains ,nose and drive.Look your the man what ever you want just giving you my opinion have shot a lot of birds in my time but nothing like the last 2 years over English dogs

Liam_D

http://www.tg4.ie/en/player/home/?pid=5226866215001&teideal=Madraí na nGael&series=Madraí na nGael

Ecotone

Liam_D wrote: »

http://www.tg4.ie/en/player/home/?pid=5226866215001&teideal=Madraí na nGael&series=Madraí na nGael

I watched this Lastnight. A very good programme. Fair play to Jim Sheridan for his contribution to the red and white setter breed. And what excellent words from Eric Lynch:
"The magic of their gait remains an important part of their charm. When I see one of the dogs making its way like a ghost over the bogs or the mountains, it lifts my spirits like no other."

Liam_D

You could watch them hunt a hill all day, great sight.