Picture © Copyright 2005 Irish Setters - Used with permission.
Irish Setters were originally bred as hunting dogs. They were generally used to hunt all types of game birds, and so were called bird dogs. They assist the hunter by point at the game bird that is hiding in the tall grass or brush in the woods or along the edges of fields. These type of hunting dogs are traditional Irish Setters, refined and bred especially for the hunter. Some lines of Irish Setters have emerged over the past few 20 years in the United States that were breed for show purposes. These show dogs are generally poor hunters as they have been crossed with other non-hunting breeds of dogs to get the show appearance. One show breeder revealed that the American show breeders crossed them with Afghans. With this crossing came many problems, especially health issues. However, there are still a few good lines of Irish Setters available in the United States, such as the Irish Setter hunting line. This line was imported many years ago from Europe and was used exclusively for hunting.
Finding a hunting field line Irish Setter puppy for sale may take some time and research, but once you find a good filed line breeder you will purchase the best hunting dog money can buy. Often trying to find Irish Setter puppies for sale in local papers can be difficult since there are not many field breeders around.
General Information on Irish Setters Health Issues
It is our goad to build a site with helpful information on Irish Setters. We have listed a number of Irish Setter sites of interest that we have found on the internet that have important facts and information about the breed. One site we found of great interest was the
AKC Irish Setters and Irish Setter Puppies Center website.
This web site contains a wealth of material on Irish Setters including health, pictures, breeders. A wealth of information including articles on PRA, Hip dysplasia, Bloat, and OFA. A very good site to visit if you are planning to add a Irish Setter puppy to you family.
Three Different Groups of Irish Setters Today
Today there are three distinct groups of Irish Setters. The one that is most well known in the United States is the Irish Setter that has a deep mahogany red coat, usually with a blaze of white on the chest. The second is known as the Irish red and White Setter, that has a white coat with large reddish-brown spots on the coat. The final setter is the Irish Red Setter which is a cross between the Irish Setter and the English Setter.
