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Irish Red Setter |
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FCI standard Nº 120 |
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Origin |
Ireland | |
Group |
Group 7 Pointing Dogs | |
Section |
Section 2 British and Irish Pointers and Setters | |
Working |
With working trial | |
Acceptance on a definitive basis by the FCI |
Wednesday 22 December 1954 | |
Publication of the official valid standard |
Tuesday 13 March 2001 | |
Last update |
Monday 02 April 2001 | |
En français, cette race se dit |
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Setter irlandais rouge |
Diese Norm ist in deutscher Sprache sichtbar |
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Irischer Roter Setter |
En español, esta raza se dice |
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Setter irlandés rojo |
In het Nederlands, wordt dit ras gezegd |
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Ierse Setter |
Usage |
| Gun dog and family dog. |
Brief historical summary |
| The Irish Red Setter was developed in Ireland as a working dog for hunting game. The breed is derived from the Irish Red and White Setter and an unknown solid red coloured dog. It was a clearly identifiable type in the 18 th century. The Irish Red Setter Club was established in 1882 to promote the Breed. The club issued the Breed Standard in 1886, and has organised field trials and shows to set the Standard for the Breed since that time. In 1998 the club published the working style for the breed. The standard and working style together describes the physical form and working ability of the breed. The Irish Red Setter has evolved down the years into a hardy, healthy, intelligent dog, possessed of excellent working ability and great stamina. |
General appearance |
| Racy and athletic full of quality, kindly in expression. Balanced and in proportion. |
Behaviour / temperament |
| Keen, intelligent, energetic, affectionate and loyal. |
Head |
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Cranial region |
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Head |
Long and lean, and not coarse at the ears. Muzzle and skull of equal length and on parallel lines. | |
Skull |
Oval (from ear to ear), having plenty of brain room, and with well defined occipital protuberance. Brows raised. | |
Stop |
Well defined. | |
Facial region |
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Nose |
The colour of the nose is dark mahogany, or dark walnut or black, the nostrils wide. | |
Muzzle |
Moderately deep and fairly square at the end. From the stop to point of nose, long, flews not pendulous. | |
Jaws and teeth |
Jaws of nearly equal length. Scissors bite. | |
Eyes |
Dark hazel or dark brown ought not to be too large. | |
Ears |
Of moderate size, fine in texture, set low and well back, hanging in a neat fold close to head. | |
Neck |
| Moderately long, very muscular, not too thick, slightly arched, no tendency to throatiness. |
Body |
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Body |
Proportionate to size of dog. | |
Loin |
Muscular and slightly arched. | |
Chest |
Deep chest, rather narrow in front, ribs well sprung, leaving plenty of lung room. | |
Tail |
| Moderate length, proportionate to size of body, set on rather low, strong at root, tapering to fine point. Carried level with or below back. |
Limbs |
Forequarters |
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Shoulders |
Fine at the point, deep and sloping well back. | |
Elbows |
Free and well let down, not turned in or out. | |
Forearm |
Straight and sinewy, well boned. | |
Hindquarters |
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Generality |
Wide and powerful. | |
Lower thigh |
Long and muscular from hip to hock; from hock to heel short and strong. | |
Stifle |
Well bent | |
Hock |
Turned neither in or out. | |
Feet |
| Small, very firm, toes strong, arched and close together. |
Gait and movement |
| Free flowing, driving movement; head held high. Forelegs reaching well ahead but carried low. Hindquarters drive smoothly with great power. Crossing or weaving of legs unacceptable. |
Coat |
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Hair |
On head, front of legs, and tips of ears, short and fine; on other parts of body and legs moderate length, flat and as free as possible from curl or wave. Feather on upper portion of ears long and silky; on back of fore and hind legs long and fine; fair amount of hair on belly, forming fringe which may extend onto chest and throat. Feet well feathered between toes. Tail having fringe of moderately long hair, decreasing in length as it approaches the point. All feathering straight and flat. | |
Colour |
Rich chestnut with no trace of black; white on chest, throat, and toes; or small star on forehead or narrow streak or blaze on nose or face not to disqualify. | |
Size and weight |
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Height at withers |
Males 23 ins (58 cm) to 26.5 ins (67 cm). Female 21.5 ins (55 cm) to 24.5 ins (62 cm). | |
Faults |
| • Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog and its ability to perform its traditional work. • Faults listed should be in degree of seriousness. |
Disqualifying faults |
 Aggressive or overly shy dogs. |
NB : |
| • Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified. • The above mentioned faults when occurring to a highly marked degree or frequently are disqualifying. • Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum. • Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation should be used for breeding. |
Bibliography |
| https://www.fci.be/ |
Detailed history |
| Certain races have the undeniable advantage of presenting to their amateurs clear and almost clear origins and history. Any self-respecting cynophile attributes the German Shepherd to von Stephanitz, the Malinois to Huyghebaert, the Leonberg to Heissig and the Dobermann to the German municipal employee of the same name. On the other hand, when one comes to talk about the Setters, the long-haired British sting dogs, the wisest ones prefer to keep quiet. Indeed, the past of these dogs today so listed, we know nothing, or not much. In fact, opinions diverge on this subject. The Setters, the Spaniels and the Spaniels (non-continental Spaniels), this is commonly admitted, would all have for grandfather the Quail Braque, or Dog of Oysel, who was a dog lying, that is to say a dog of stop, itself descended from the ancient Canis familiaris intermedius. One school, among the cynologists, argues that the dog in question is from Spain, which would explain nicely the still used name of Spaniel (or Spaniel). One of the few testimonies in favor of this thesis is that which Gaston de Foix would have brought, says Phoebus, in his Treatise on the hunt, where he would have spoken of the dogs of birds as being Spanish. According to another school, the name of the Spaniels and Spaniels would have a very different etymology (from the old French "to be spared", to lie down). Moreover, these dogs do not come originally from Spain. This is the opinion of Strebel, for example: this specialist quotes a jewel that belonged to Philip II of Macedonia, the father of Alexander the Great, on which would be represented an ancestor of the famous Braque aux Quails, who would have lived at 4th century BC. Be that as it may, since the Middle Ages and up to a relatively little time in relation to the duration of history, these dogs would have spread in the Netherlands, France, Germany, England. In each of these countries, crosses with local dogs would have taken place, eventually creating different national Spaniels. The Comte de Foix, to come back to him, also quotes the hunting technique used with this type of dog. They were taught to lie down in front of the game, which made it possible to cover the dog and the birds with a net, hence their name of Oyster Dogs. This very particular form of arrest was also worth to their descendants, on the other side of the Channel, to be called soon "Setters", of the English verb to set, which can mean to be put in place, in the occurrence to lie down. It is not known when and by what route the Setters were imported into the British Isles. In any case, it is probably in Ireland that the use of sodding dogs began to spread, making our Irish Setter the elder of his family. We know that the Setters met with great success with the first fighter jets, whose very long stop allowed to support their arquebus. To find precise traces of the Irish Setter, one must then place around 1810, at which time fans of this beautiful race imagined nothing better than to quarrel for stories of dress. Indeed, there was not one, but two Irish Setters, the one-colored (red) and the two-colored (white and red). This second variety was the most common, and was said to be better than the first. Breeders began to discuss the visibility of the different dresses, then the hunting qualities inherent to each "model". Some claimed the training of "all red" easier. The first dog shows arrived (1859), and the public decided: the Irish Setter would be red, say red, like his compatriots. This controversy about colors may seem trivial, but it did determine the future of this dog. Who knows what the Setter would be today if we had selected it with two-color breeders? Better, less good? Nobody can tell. One thing is certain, white is an integral part of the characters of this race, as evidenced by the white marks sometimes appearing on the chest, legs or heads of the current "red devils" and that amateurs call " the Irish star ". While dog show enthusiasts seek to eliminate them, hunters are proud to own dogs that have them. Whether or not he wears Erin's star, the Irish Setter is one of the most beautiful dogs ever. Let's listen to an excerpt from Cajelli's praise: "Guided by his powerful flair, he gallops quickly, head outstretched. In the undergrowth, he slows down his pace and never loses sight of the one he accompanies. He works both in the mountains and in the water, deploying everywhere the same ardor. He does not suffer from cold or heat, he ignores fatigue. There is no other dog whose sense of smell is so fine, and we are sometimes astonished by the results he gets thanks to his extraordinary flair. When he is in the presence of the game, he slows down his pace, redoubles precautions to not lose the odor trail left behind him by the fugitive. Instinctively, his body falls to the ground; at the same time, he raises his head and his chamfer remains perfectly horizontal while his hind end flexes and his stretched tail comes to rest a little below the line of the kidneys. As if petrified, he remains stuck in front of the hiding place of the game he has just spotted. And the author adds: "Unfortunately, in the past as nowadays, many breeders have been and still are attracted by the aesthetic qualities of this dog. The great beauty of the Irish Setter makes one forget what he is able to do on the ground. " Indeed, this dog is so beautiful that it ended up harming him. To convince oneself of this, it is enough to mention those big doggy dogs that scoured the dog shows not too long ago, scooping up all the prizes, and who would not have known how to make a hare or a woodcock. These "clappers", as the fans of the real Irish Setter called them, narrow waders, were nothing more than the ghosts of what they should have been. And that because of the fashion that stubbornly promoted this Setter as a companion dog while he asked only to remain the faithful auxiliary of the hunter. Fortunately, the Red Club, founded in 1905 by the Marquis de Gantes and since taken over by conscientious successors, has understood that the abyss that had widened between the giants, very beautiful indeed, dog shows and smaller dogs but infinitely better, the good hunter could only harm the race. The trend has therefore reversed, and current job champions are gaining top prizes in the exhibitions. The Irish Setter, a magnificent dog, but also a genius of the hunt, now accumulates the two jobs for which he has the most passion: those of his master hunter and companion of the whole family. It is in these two roles that he blossoms the most. To deprive him of one or the other is to take away a part of himself. A very old breed that has lost none of its nobility, the Irish Setter is a king dog. And having him by his side is a prince's pleasure. Some said crazy, others hypernervous. It has been accused of sensitivity to the skin. Is the Irish Setter really that much distressed that rumors are pleased to paint us? Let's share things. First, nothing is more ambiguous than stating generalities, especially in terms of dog behavior. No, not all the Labradors are bulimic, nor the ferocious Malinois, nor the stupid Greyhounds, nor the irresistible Irish Setters. Each case is unique: why would not some of these "red devils" spend most of their time sleeping on a cushion? Without falling into excess, we can try to find an intelligent average and give some indications concerning the temperament of this dog. At first sight, we discover a tall, slender, well-made animal with a long, thin, very dry head: nothing in the morphology of the Irish Setter leads to placidity. We can therefore deduce that this is a dog that is usually quite awake. In addition, it is a hunting dog, which many tend to forget: if he fell asleep in full swing, it would be to say the least embarrassing, all things that his detractors did not take into account before treat him a little fast hysterical. However, we must be objective: the Irish Setter has a natural tendency to nervousness, appreciation that will nuance however by specifying "balanced" nervousness, if it is possible, paradoxical quality but no less essential in the good hunting dog. Moreover, in the field, no one would think of criticizing the Irish Setter. He runs too well, his gallop beautiful and light, he looks too well, not losing a square centimeter of land, it stops too well, the whole body strained towards the motionless animal. Finally, it flows too well, bringing out the game under the rifle of the master. No, definitely, there are only those who know him badly to criticize the Irish Setter. And is the report naturally carried? In truth, what races are it? Frankly, it will be said that learning the report is long for the Irishman. His head is too hot to pay much attention to the trainer, and he needs a lot of patience, gentleness and firmness for the red devil to end up accepting the game. More delicate than the others, this phase Dressage may be longer with this passionate Irishman. For it must be known that this Setter is not lacking in stubbornness. This is also what makes his value on the ground, because, if he turns his master into jail because of his obstinacy, he puts the same perseverance to hunt down his game mercilessly. The defects of the Irish Setter are his qualities. What about the Irish Setter pet dog? The same as the Irish Setter hunting dog. He is sometimes independent, deaf to orders, but on the other hand full of loyalty and affection. This Irishman is a permanent contrast. Living with him is not necessarily relaxing, but one is sure to never be bored. If you want to have a companion, not a cannonball, one solution to it: tenacity. Since this dog closes in front of coercion like a snail returning to its shell, his master will do well to leave the whip in the locker room and appeal to his intelligence (he is very cunning) and his love for him (because, deep down, he has a heart of gold). So he will have to play on the complicity, the long walks with two, the small hugs, the games and the caresses, to ask in return for his dog a minimum of savoir-vivre. Attention, to be loved does not mean to sell, and some demonstrations of firmness and will will only bring up the master in the esteem of the Irish Setter. Make him participate in your activities as often as possible, and then he will take the trouble to please you. In this respect, he lives badly in an apartment and, in this case, demands from his master incessant and very long walks in exchange for his respect for the furniture. With such a dog, living in the countryside or in the suburbs is certainly easier, provided that the place abounds with large green spaces where he will be able to frolic all his drunk. For this, it is important to have previously prepared for the recall, otherwise he was quick to take the wheel. One can start when he is any puppy, by calling him frequently, fondling him for support. If it does not come back, the use of the light loin is recommended. Small shakes will return the young rebel, who will quickly realize that he can not avoid orders (a caress will welcome course on each return, even after forcefully jerks on the loin). Once trained to return to you in all circumstances, the Irish Setter will make the best of the companions of walk, because he is never tired and is always very friendly during the outings (normal, they make him so much pleasure). Unless you are particularly dominant, it will behave well with dogs and people you can meet on the way, because it is quite sociable, which is good for a hunting dog, often brought to rub shoulders with many congeners. With the children, no problem, provided that they are up to the task and know not to bother him, in which case His Majesty the Irishman is likely to show his disapproval with a significant groan. At the limit, he will always flee rather than bite children, of which he is the friend by nature. He willingly participates in all their games, not missing such a good opportunity to spend. Other animals; of the cat, rabbit, hen or hamster type; In order to live harmoniously with the Irish Setter, he must remember that he is above all a hunting dog with the corresponding instincts. So beware of imprudences, and place an early education of all parties. Thus, the puppy must learn at a very young age to respect pets, and they must know how to be discreet at times. In these conditions, the Setter can very well become the cat's friend of the house and know placidly look at the turtles. On the other hand, game-like animals, such as rabbits and birds, should rather avoid the Irish Setter in general, and if he is a keen hunter in particular. So that's a dog that is often wrongly faked. It is true that some individuals selected solely on physical criteria sometimes lacked balance. This situation, however, belongs to the past, and with the return of character as a factor of selection, the Irish Setter is once again the balanced dog he should never have ceased to be. It is true that he is not one of those who stand up in a jiffy, but does not the skill of the educator also measure up to the will of the trained animal? Whoever gets good results with an Irish Setter can boast of having a soft, firm hand that is ideal for any training. The temper of the Irish Setter does not belie his origins. Proud and rebellious, but also good and loyal, such is this Setter, and such he must remain. An incomparable hunting dog, a genius nose, a feline appearance, a statue stop, but also an inseparable friend of his master, watching over his children, accompanying him everywhere, the Irish Setter has not finished talking about him. A probable ancestor of the English Setter, certain of Setter Gordon, the Irishman is the very soul of these dogs. These Setters, so admirable by the lines of their body and the kindness of their temperament, have become auxiliaries to hunters all over the world. And, more than any other of them, the Irish Setter represents the Dog. Hard and strong, but pure and faithful. Like a real Irishman. And a real friend of the man. |
English (United Kingdom) 
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