Irish Setter Care

The Irish Setter is a medium- to large-sized, energetic breed that's beloved by owners around the world. These dogs are incredibly friendly and enthusiastic--but they're also quite sensitive, and will need plenty of TLC. Overall Irish Setter care will require a moderate amount of work, and will consist of lots of outdoor exercise and even more love and affection.

Below you'll find plenty of details on caring for an Irish Setter: puppy care and development, exercise requirements, diet and nutrition, and more are covered here. For answers to your questions about raising this active, loving breed, read on!

Like other Sporting breeds, Irish Setter exercise requirements are pretty extensive. Since these dogs were originally developed to be a hunting breed, they'll need daily opportunities to stretch their legs--preferably in a large, fenced outdoor space. And since they suffer separation anxiety rather easily, they'll need to exercise with their people. They make good jogging and bicycling companions as well.

The typical adult Irish Setter, depending on its age and overall activity level, will need 60 minutes of proper exercise per day at the very least--which you can accomplish with a couple of long walks, jogs or bike rides and a good period of play. You can start exercising your Irish puppy at three months of age by taking it on short (5- to 7-minute) walks, then you can increase the walks' length and frequency as the puppy grows. And these early walks are a good opportunity to start teaching the pup obedience through leash training: have the puppy walk beside or behind you on the leash instead of being allowed to lead or "tug" on it. This, in the puppy's mind, establishes you as the leader, and should make training easier as the dog matures.

A few things to consider when exercising your Irish Setter: first, puppies younger than nine months old shouldn't participate in activities that include a lot of jumping, running on hard surfaces, or navigating of stairs, as doing so can injure their still-developing joints and bones. And regardless of age, all Irish Setters will probably need to be leashed when in public. These dogs are intelligent, energetic, friendly, and curious--a combination which makes them likely to run off if allowed. A leash will help you control your Irish if the dog tries to go where it shouldn't. Even when exercising in your own yard (which is hopefully large!), the area will need to be securely fenced to keep the dog from running away. And finally: as previously stated, Irish Setters will respond much better to activities in which one or more of their human family members also participate.

Precautions aside, it's important to exercise your Irish every single day. These dogs are lively and energetic, and without consistent physical activity they'll turn incredibly destructive! Regular exercise will be great for the dog's peace of mind--and your own sanity as well. A few exercise ideas:

• Walking/Jogging/Bicycling: Two 30-minute walks (or 20-minute jogs or bike rides) per day is a good target
• Fetch/Frisbee: These dogs will chase a ball, stick, or Frisbee for hours
• Hide-and-Seek: Good indoor, rainy-day activity; give the dog a treat when it finds you
• Canine Sports: Irish Setters make fantastic competitors in obedience and agility trials, flyball, and other events
• Dog Park: If properly socialized, Irish Setters enjoy the company of other dogs
• Hiking: Excellent bonding activity

When indoors, it's a good idea to give your Irish Setter access to one or more balls or chew-toys that will allow the dog to burn all that excess energy. It's also recommended that you establish a regular exercise schedule for the dog, such as walks, jogs, or bike rides after breakfast and dinner and a play period in the afternoon.

In terms of shedding and drooling, these dogs need moderate care overall. Irish Setter shedding is fair, but drooling isn't much of an issue.

Irish Setters' copper-red, double-layered, medium- to long-haired coats--one of their signature features--shed moderately for most of the year, but more profusely during the spring and fall shedding seasons. Owners will need to brush their Irish dogs frequently (4-5 times per week) to keep the shedding to a minimum and to keep those beautiful coats tangle-free. Hair cleanup--vacuuming the floors and lint rollers on clothes and furniture--will be necessary fairly regularly. (Brushing and cleanup will obviously be needed more often during shedding season.)

An Irish may drool occasionally in anticipation of food, after drinking water, or when especially excited or nervous, but the drooling definitely isn't constant like that of a Saint Bernard or Bloodhound. If your Irish Setter is drooling excessively, it might be a sign of a medical issue, in which case a veterinarian's care is needed.

Like that of all breeds--and maybe even more so than most for these athletic dogs--the Irish Setter diet will need to include plenty of animal proteins and carbohydrates for energy, vitamins and minerals for digestive and immune health, and omega fatty acids for coat and skin wellness. This means the best Irish Setter food type is premium dry kibble, particularly the kind made for active breeds. This high-quality food, while more expensive and difficult to obtain, has balanced portions of the above-listed nutrients that will maintain the dog's health in the long term. Cheap, generic food is not recommended for this breed, because it usually consists of mostly empty "filler" ingredients that are unhealthy, are harder for the dog to digest, and may even shorten its lifespan if eaten on a consistent basis.

Merrick, Royal Canin, and Taste of the Wild are three recommended brands that carry excellent lines of premium dry food for active breeds.

And how much will an Irish Setter eat each day? The typical adult, depending on its age, size, and activity level, will need about three cups of premium food per day, divided into two meals. Irish Setter puppies will eat less: again depending on age, they'll need about two cups per day, divided into three meals (not two) until six months old. For more info on feeding an Irish Setter from puppyhood through maturity, see this feeding chart:

*--Around this time, transition to adult food by first mixing in a bit of adult formula with the puppy formula. Over the course of a week, with each meal add a bit more adult food to the mixture, until the dog is eating it entirely.

If possible, try and stick to the above-listed portions. If constantly overfed (and under-exercised), these dogs might become overweight--and a fat Irish Setter will have joint, breathing, and digestive problems, not to mention a potentially shortened lifespan. You can help control your Irish's weight by establishing consistent feeding and exercise schedules, by not feeding the dog table scraps, and by not leaving food in the dog's bowl all the time, thereby allowing it to eat anytime it wants. It's better to put the dog's bowl down only at mealtimes, then pick it up a few minutes after the dog begins eating.

If you're worried your Irish Setter is overweight, give the dog this simple test: run a hand along its side, and if you can't feel any ribs, it's diet time. Reduce the dog's daily food consumption by one-fourth, and add an extra walk, jog, bike ride, or play period to its daily exercise schedule.

Technically speaking, this is both an inside and outside dog breed. Irish Setters need a good bit of outdoor exercise--but they're also pretty sensitive and needy, so they'll require living inside with their people. And for the Irish Setter, apartment living is not recommended, as these dogs are just too energetic and active for confined spaces.

In regards to climate, Irish Setters fare equally well in hot and cold weather. While they won't be able to handle the Alaskan Tundra or the Sahara Desert, they'll be fine in both warm and cool temperatures.