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The Irish Setter is an island type gundog. If we consider the number of livestock, then it is the leader among this species. The dog is a popular hunter in the world. The CIS countries are no exception. This representative has an organic combination of working qualities with the beauty that these dogs possess. When it "works" it looks just fine on any swamp. Even the most prestigious exhibition has never seen such beauty. In Ireland, the red setter is regarded as a national treasure and is carefully guarded by the state.
Dogs of this breed are very smart and can be trained well. The five-plus setter has a positive attitude towards children. A child will easily find a true friend in his face. Very good, such dogs exhibit watchdog qualities, to some extent they are guards.
A bit of history
The print media on their pages first mentioned the name of this breed in the second half of the 16th century. Dr. Keyus in one of his books tried to classify British dogs. In it, he gives a description of cases when such dogs provided assistance to people. The concept of “setter” implies the presence of a whole group of dogs that are used to hunt game. The dog was searching for game and attracted its owner to this place. This group was distinguished by the composition of various rocks, but later a homogeneous type formed. They have their ancestors in the person of a spaniel, wolfhound, poynter and bloodhound. But this circumstance has no exact confirmation.
On the hunt, the setter is extraordinarily beautiful. Especially great looks their signature stand. When the dog feels the game, hiding in the dense thickets, he, frozen, stretches forward. He is all waiting, experiencing a lot of tension. In the past, hunting was distinguished by a slightly different technology. The dog, finding the game, lay right in front of her. Catching of birds was carried out using nets. The dog was given the command "Lie!". This was done so that the dog could not scratch itself on the sinker, which is located on the nets. It is with the command "Lie!" and the name of the dogs is connected.
Freaks of wealthy gentlemen
1805 was marked by the advent of the British Cynological Encyclopedia. In this book, for the first time, one could see the ancestors from whom many breeds of Great Britain originated. The book was a well-illustrated edition, and in one of the pictures one could see dogs characterized by signs of three different stripes. In one of them, you can guess the signs inherent in the typical characteristics inherent in modern setters.
The 17th century is marked by the proliferation of popularity associated with sport hunting for bird representatives. On the rise of general interest were dogs of hunting breeds, which received special attention. But interest in them was shown only by wealthy people. After all, the poor simply did not have money to support them and engage in livestock breeding. It was the Irish gentlemen who turned the setters into true four-legged professional hunters. But the foreground among wealthy people was not external data, but a description of the working qualities of the dog. They made a certain contribution to the distribution of this breed. The hunters kept diaries, which recorded all the data regarding representatives of this breed. The records described activities related to the training of dogs, their feeding, and behavior.The year 1973 was marked by the advent of traditional stud books, which included information about the pedigree, mating, and other points.
Neck scarf
Almost every lord had his own kennel. In many of them there were breeds associated with uniqueness and originality, which the rich owner was very proud of. In addition to this, the wealthy gentleman was the owner of personal hunting grounds. On them, dogs were engaged in honing their skills. If any dog could not master the tasks assigned to it, it was subject to culling.
All pets were different in color. Particularly popular were those setters that had a red-white color. But it was not exhibition criteria that determined such widespread popularity. The fact is that dogs with this color were clearly visible against the background of thickets at the time when hunting was carried out. But this is not typical for a solid red setter. In order to make them more visible, a white scarf was tied to their neck. Another reason was that the red setter with the white pay was easy to confuse with the fox.
The meaning of the word "setter"
In English, the term Set means fading, performing a rack. Of course, this involves hunting slang. Therefore, all long-haired cops in the UK were ranked as setters.
Breed division
The distribution of the breed began to be clearly observed from the moment when dog owners began to take part in exhibitions. Despite the fact that game became much smaller, and hunting for it did not bring past joy, the red setter as an object of adoration did not fall out of sight. At the shows, such dogs looked spectacular and significantly differed from other representatives. The reason for the completion of the formation of the breed was an intense craving for fashion trends. This formed the basis for the fact that the breed received the completion of its formation.
The venue for the first exhibition was Newcastle. It happened in 1859. Then various representatives of the British setters were included in one class. Almost 60 dogs took part in the exhibition. Subsequently, separation occurred according to color. The name began to be present small dog homeland. A little later, one of the lawyers who were involved in the breeding of setters, created a real dog club, which included dogs of this breed.
The story contains information relating to the famous setter Palmerston. He appeared in one of the nurseries. Growing up, the dog did not want to show hunting working qualities. It was decided to drown the dog. But this did not happen, because the dog for a mere trifle was bought by one of the breeders. Two years passed, and this dog won the title of breed champion. The ideal type was characteristic of the dog, which many breeders have long shown their desire for. The dog was a regular participant in exhibition events and gave rise to the appearance of several pedigree lines.
Thanks to the efforts of the son of the breeder, this breed has gained worldwide fame. The setter has become a real service breed. Their breeding went in two directions. Some were used for hunting, while others were intended only for exhibition events. But since 1910 access to dog shows without a working diploma has been banned. The setter standard is still tied to hunting.
A mistake that has become fatal in nature
In the first half of the last century, the fact became known that when the setters were bred, they made a terrible mistake. Many representatives began to show signs of progressive retinal atrophy. This caused the dog to see poorly at dusk. Then vision was completely lost. These signs began to appear when the puppy was 12 weeks old. The cause of the development of the disease is considered to be the presence of a recessive gene.It took decades to fix the error. That is how much time it took to identify all such representatives and exclude them from the breeding process.
Dog Healer
The Irish Setter is deservedly considered one of the most beautiful breeds among hunting dogs. Dark brown eyes, clever expressive look deserve the highest ratings. Excellent build with long legs allow him to carry out fast movement. He has a fairly large supply of energy, and on the hunt is characterized by free behavior. The stance of the dog is expressive, without the slightest sign of tension.
A representative of this breed is covered with thick red hair, which literally sparkles under the rays of sunlight. The standard does not allow the presence of black patches, but the presence of small white spots on the chest area, head, and other places is allowed.
Anthropometric data
At the withers, the Irish setter can reach a height of 57-66 cm. Bitches differ in somewhat more modest sizes. The body weight of males can reach 32 kg, knots are slightly less weight, which can reach up to 27 kg.
How long does the setter live?
The average life expectancy is 11-16 years. But dogs of this breed are susceptible to many diseases, as a result of which these indicators can be reduced. They may develop epilepsy, eye diseases, and other problems.
Character Features
The content of the setter is fraught with certain difficulties. This is due to the presence of hunting passion in him. To those who love a measured and calm life, this energetic dog is clearly not suitable. The dog has a pronounced courage. The dog is in great need of jogging, games, long walks. He simply adores when, when he goes into nature, he is taken with him. It is worth a lot of work to curb the independent disposition of the Irish.
In the case of properly organized training, the pet will show good nature, obedience, affection, is able to take part in anything. When the owner comes home from work, he is immensely happy with this event, and the arrival of guests will only be welcome, he will get along with everyone without exception. If you take him on any trip, he will show calm and prudence. The breed is distinguished by pronounced sociability, due to which it easily gets along with children. Unfamiliar dogs will not interfere with him.
All this is one of the reasons that the setter will never become a good guard. If someone appears in his field of vision, he will perceive it exclusively as friends. He also cannot be on guard duty. When he is left alone, he becomes bored. At the same time, sleep begins to overcome him. He likes to do this out of boredom. It is clear that during sleep he will easily miss any burglar. But one positive point still exists. When the doorbell rings, he begins to bark loudly. Of course, this will alert any villain.
Parenting and care
Do not engage in typical training with the presence of constant repetition and signs of the drill. Setter is an already clever dog. The dog has a pronounced independence and do not like it when it is rude, and even more so, cruelly treated. It requires a mild approach with a reward system, which can be fodder or just boisterous praise. It requires regularity and systematic conduct of classes.
A puppy from early childhood should be accustomed to certain procedures:
- The presence of long wool requires constant constant combing. But too often, a dog should not be bathed. The dog sheds twice a year, but an abundant wool carpet after that is very problematic to see. This is because the dog has no undercoat. Mandatory trimming of wool on the legs is required.If this is not done, it will quickly fall down with the formation of warlocks. With them, the dog will not only be uncomfortable, but there is also the possibility of injury to the pads.
- Claws also require attention. If they are too long, they will interfere with movement.
- Long ears make it possible for otitis media to develop frequently. Ears should be cleaned regularly. To facilitate care, the hair on the inside of the ears can be trimmed.
Puppy cost
The average price for an Irish setter puppy is 15,000 rubles. But the cost of puppies from elite parents can reach 40 thousand.
Video: dog breed Irish Setter
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