Dog breed profile
Irish setter
A detailed profile covering characteristics, everyday care and linked health conditions.
Quick facts
Typical guide only; individual needs vary.
Profile description
The Irish Setter is a large, elegant sporting breed developed in Ireland to locate and point game birds. Most adults stand around 55 to 67 centimetres tall and weigh approximately 24 to 32 kilograms. The breed has a lean, athletic body, long ears and a glossy chestnut or mahogany coat with feathering on the chest, legs and tail.
Irish Setters are typically energetic, affectionate, sociable and playful. They often enjoy children, visitors, other dogs and active family life. Their hunting ancestry gives them considerable stamina, a strong interest in birds and scent and a tendency to range widely. A functionally built Irish setter should show balance and comfortable movement rather than an exaggerated interpretation of the physical features for which the breed is known.
They mature slowly and may remain exuberant, excitable and physically demanding for several years. Irish Setters are intelligent but can become distracted, particularly outdoors. They respond best to patient, positive training and regular companionship. The Irish setter's typical affectionate, athletic, energetic qualities are most constructive when household rules are predictable and desirable behaviour receives regular reinforcement. Because movement can trigger the Irish setter's chase response, calm exposure and physical management around wildlife and smaller pets remain important even after good training.
When assessing an Irish setter, owners should look beyond puppy appeal and consider the mature dog's requirements. A prospective Irish setter owner should plan for a high activity commitment and routine maintenance, while allowing for the breed's affectionate and athletic manner. Living space alone does not determine suitability for an Irish setter; access to companionship, purposeful activity, rest and consistent handling is more important than the size of the property.
First-time dog owner tips
Practical preparation for welcoming this breed into your home.
Care requirements
For the Irish setter, care involves at least one to two hours of daily exercise, including long walks, secure running, hiking, retrieving, scent work and field activities.
Puppies should avoid forced running and repetitive impact while their joints develop. Training should begin early and focus on recall, lead manners, calm greetings and impulse control around wildlife.
The feathered coat should be brushed several times a week and checked after outdoor activity for grass seeds, burrs and tangles. Long ears should be inspected frequently for moisture, wax or infection. Teeth should be brushed regularly and nails kept short. A monthly weight or body-condition record makes gradual change in an Irish setter easier to detect than appearance alone, particularly when day-to-day familiarity masks a slow trend.
A complete diet should maintain a lean, athletic body condition. Meals should be divided, and vigorous activity avoided immediately before and after eating because the breed is deep-chested and vulnerable to bloat. Regular veterinary examinations should monitor hips, eyes, thyroid health, epilepsy risk and general mobility. Preventive planning for the Irish setter should reflect family history and give particular attention to mobility and joint comfort, eye comfort and vision, heart function and exercise tolerance, without assuming that a breed association means an individual dog is affected. Owners should establish the Irish setter's normal appetite, breathing, movement, sleep and social behaviour so a persistent departure from that baseline can be investigated promptly. Care requirements for a senior Irish setter should be reviewed as mobility, senses and recovery change; shorter sessions, better footing and easier access can preserve independence without removing enrichment. Seek veterinary advice promptly if an Irish setter develops breathing difficulty, collapse, severe pain, repeated vomiting, inability to urinate, sudden weakness or a rapidly worsening change in behaviour.
Conditions linked to this breed
Atopy, Allergic and Autoimmune Diseases
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Cataract [Cloudiness of the Lens of the Eye]
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Cerebellar Abiotrophy [Cerebellar Ataxia]
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Cervical Spondylomyelopathy [CSM, Canine Wobbler Syndrome]
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Cherry Eye [Prolapsed Gland of the Nictitans]
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Colour Dilution Alopecia
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Craniomandibular Osteopathy
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Cutaneous Asthenia [Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome]
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Degenerative Myelopathy
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Dysphagia [Swallowing Problems]
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Ectropion and Entropion
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Elbow Dysplasia
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Epilepsy (Idiopathic, Primary or Inherited Seizures)
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Gastric Dilatation and Volvulus (GDV, or “Bloat”)
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Globoid Cell Leukodystrophy (Krabbe Disease)
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Haemophilia A (Factor VIII Deficiency)
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Hip Dysplasia
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Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy HOD
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Hypothyroidism
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Ichthyosis
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Osteochondrodysplasia (Chondrodysplasia)
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Osteochondrosis
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Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA)
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Persistent Pupillary Membrane & Persistent Hyaloid Remnants
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Progressive Retinal Atrophy Generalised
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Central Progressive Retinal Atrophy (CPRA)
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General dog health conditions
These conditions can affect dogs generally and are not presented as conditions specifically associated with this breed.
Diabetes Mellitus
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Otitis Externa (Ear Infections)
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Pancreatitis
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