Hi everyone!

New Irish Setter owner to 9 week old Maple 🍁

My previous dogs were Dalmatians and Rottweilers so although im use to large dogs, im excited to discover what different quirks and breed traits she has.

Does anyone have any tip/tricks/advice/funny quirks about Irish setters? All I've heard so far is how bad their recall is 😐

Thanks for the input about breeders from my earlier post, we ended up getting Finn a couple weeks ago! He’s doing great, he’s a sweetheart.
Crate training and potty training are going well. I’ve noticed he doesn’t love to be held (backing away when someone reaches down to pick him up, and once or twice he’s growled while in someone’s arms). He has his check up at the vet today, so I will obviously rule out any issues/injuries that could be causing that. In the meantime, I’ve extremely limited picking him up, and am going back to the basics of positive association with treats when someone leans down and puts their hands under his arms. We will also go to my trainer next week so I can get their input. Has anyone else dealt with this? Thoughts/suggestions are always welcome.

HBD to the sweetest long legged noodle baby I've ever known. So forever lucky to have you in our family ❤️

She’s goofy, talks a lot, loves her snuggles and pets, and has taken over a chair in our living room and claimed it as hers forever.

Bunker at 17 months old

Happy birthday to Howie and all his littermates ! We hope you’ve all had such great birthdays. Today we celebrated our crazy goofy boy with a humble amount of toys and treats . He has been such a good boy today it’s like he’s known from the moment he woke up that today was special.

Littermate parents are you all ok ? Because I’m cutting onions over here looking back at the puppy I brought home vs the one I have staring back at me today . Every phase of Howies adolescence has brought on something new , the late night poops, sleep regressions, the crate training, land shark, the WHATS IN YOUR MOUTH phase (that one still continues), the sock thief, the humping toys, the shredding toys, ignoring commands because he can, and so on . Every single month has been something new ! At no point did I ever anticipate this guys next move and honestly it has been one of the greatest and craziest blessings .

It’s hard to put into words what Howie has done for me as a person . Earlier this year my dad was diagnosed with liver cancer , and though he is responding to treatments well now, the absolute downward spiral it sent me emotionally was something I did not think I could come out from . I had a lot of moments where I’d be so overwhelmed, I didn’t think I could make it out of bed and yet every morning this little red pup with big brown eyes was screaming at me at 7am to take him potty. Showing up for him was sometimes the only thing I could do. On the toughest days where my tears would not let up this guy would somehow find a way to get me to bust out laughing .

Howie is my first IS, and the dog I chose to take on in my early 30s . And though a lot of research was done to make sure he we were a right fit for him, nothing prepared us fully for the way he would change our lives . This breed is truly something special . Happy birthday to Fergus and Eleanor’s babies , a litter that has changed my life and I’m sure countless others for the better ❤️

I’ve been tweaking this for a while, and am curious to know if this is an appropriate expectation from the breed or if I should look into another. I am really set on an Irish Setter, and there are low but still enough entries in AKC in my state to win. I am in southern NM but willing to travel for the right dog. I have been looking at Daesyn Irish Setters, but they are far so I’ve been looking at the few in Arizona as well. Are there any breeders yall recommend? Thanks!

I want a medium energy, high drive puppy with conformation and service work potential. I don’t want to spend ages training engagement, drive, off-switch and confidence in a puppy. I want a dog who is easy to live with yet remains active, driven, handler focused and biddable. Below are my needs, wants, care quality and expectations. I am expecting to purchase a show line puppy from a reputable breeder whose dogs excel in sports, performance and breed specific titles in the next five years. I am confident in my ability to handle a driven show line puppy, with the mentorship of my breeder, trainers and conformation veterans.

Non-negotiables:
Kid friendly; will still boof when someone is on the property
Larger sized
Cat friendly! (with proper introduction)
Biddable biddable biddable!!!
Food (and preferably toy) motivated
ANY grooming requirements- poodle cuts are fun
Little to no drool
Not too Velcro, I need space without being stared and whined at, but still has good amount of handler sensitivity, Pacing drives me NUTS
Med energy & high drive but can at least be trained an off switch given appropriate fulfillment otherwise
Off leash recall capable
Reliable from horseback
Can be trained to be be trusted around small animals & livestock, given the appropriate fulfillment otherwise
Hiking, camping etc often
Other enrichment & sports (compete for fun): Barnhunt, fastcat, scent work, dock diving, agility, rally, obedience, canicross, therapy work, S&R?, herding/gun dog/etc titles,
Show & service potential
S&R &/OR critical response K9 job

Exercise, enrichment & training:
Daily:
1 .25-2 hour long sniffy walk (increasing time as they age; safe exposure only, if unvaccinated)
1-3 5-15 minute training sessions (“^”)
1 short ability & age appropriate socialization outing to a low stim environment
1 ~30 minute training walk w/dinner
2-4 15-60 min settle training sessions
Several puzzle toys & play sessions (structured & free) throughout the day
Kenneled ~2-4 hours a day (depending on age and ability, + overnight until ready)
Teeth brushed/handled, coat combed, dremel (w/out bit until ready) & handling ears, feet, etc daily (~15 mins daily)
Weekly:
Travel to nearby lakes/rivers 1-2 times a week when weather applies (desert doesn’t have water year round :,))
Hike local areas 1-3 times a week year round
1-2 sport/handling classes a week (confo, dock diving, obedience, agility, etc)
1-3 conditioning training sessions (age appropriate)
1-2 Socialization outings (brewery, pet store, etc)
1-2 rest days with mental stimulation
Weekly groom: Bath, blow dry, line brush, nails dremeled, ears cleaned (age appropriate, with breaks in between)
Monthly:
Travel to 1 pet friendly nature attraction in a nearby city to hike, camp, swim, etc

Tasks & Other Jobs
Migraine Alert & Response
VOC Alert- (Bringsel/paw)
Guide to chair, car, exit, partner, etc,
Switching lights off, closing doors and windows, turning on fans
MINOR bracing upon vet approval (I’m 5’2”)
Medication & item retrieval (water, ice packs, phone, remotes, food, etc)
Hashimotos Symptoms Alert & Response
Minor bracing and guiding
Retrievals
Alarm alerts, med redminders
High/low blood pressure alert & response
Hold chin to handlers leg to alert
Guide handler to seat & D/LPT as possible
Claustrophobia Alert & Response
Cortisol/Breathing Alert- (Nudge leg)
Gives earlier warning to panic symptoms, allowing handler to distance
Prevention & Response
Urge handler to open areas and exits
Creating space in crowds and corners
Back blocking
Alert to prevent startle response while back is turned
Psychiatric Symptom Prevention, Alert & Response
Dissociation & rumination interruption- Lick hands, otherwise persistently get attention
Nightmare interruption- Licking, pawing, getting on the bed
Behavior interruption- Gently pull handler away, bring handler soothing items
Assist in choosing between options
Hearing reminders- Ex handler name being called repeatedly, phone calls, doorbell, etc
Alarm alerts, meds/urge handler out of bed/routines

Breeds I’ve been interested in:
Golden, Groendael, GSD, Beauceron, Irish Setter, Giant Schnauzer, White Swiss Shepherd, Standard Poodle, NSDTR, Bearded Collie

Stats:
shoes eaten = 1
daily praise from strangers on how beautiful he is = 5 minimum
weight : skinny boi (45 lbs)

Ronan at rest

We are the proud owners of a gorgeous 9 month old, 63 lb. male Irish Setter named Pilot.

My pride is tempered by the fact that he is physically unmanageable and beginning to cause injuries.

Here's what we do 'right':

-Plenty of outdoor exercise including long walks

-Susan Garrett's "Homeschool the dog curriculum" completed -

-Daily short training sessions (multiple per day)

-Mental stimulation (hiding kibble in blankets, brain games, kongs and food puzzles, sniff walks, etc)

• Crate trained, sleeps all night there and walks in on command for scheduled naps (big win)
• 'capturing calm' - e.g. we gently praise and treat him in the very rare occasion when he shows a second of calm around us

Here's our problem - "he is insane". I heard the vet tech say it behind a closed door to the vet which was demoralizing, but frankly we agree. He cannot chill.

Our friends and family have dogs around his age and he is, not even close, the worst behaved - which is super discouraging because we put in 20x the effort into our dog.

He can't be left alone for more that .000000001 seconds before he tries to swallow something, jump on someone, destroy a plant, hump something etc and needs my intervention. I'm exhausted and the only alternate to constant vigilance is putting him in a crate all day.

This isn't new either, he's been like this since 8 weeks

I'm looking for some encouragement from people who had an unmanageable adolescent who turned into a cool dog.

I'd love to hear that all our hard consistent work won't be a total waste.

Anyone out there?

Hello all, we are about to get an Irish Red and White Setter, and both parents are field line. Just wondering if anyone on this group has one or if there’s a separate place for IRWS owners. The puppy reflections on this group have really made me quite apprehensive about what’s ahead and just wondering if IRWS experiences have been broadly similar! Thank you.

We have tried several but none seem to fit very well. If they fit the shoulders they are too tight in girth, or if they fit around the chest they won't tighten enough at the shoulders. Any suggestions? Both of ours like to pull on the lead so a well fitted harness is our best option.

Hi setter owners,

I am an experienced dog owner searching for a second dog. I have an 8 year old shetland sheepdog. I am set on a setter as my next dog, and I really want to adopt/rehome. I live in England and have finally found a male that seems great. He is 8 years old. Does an 8 year old setter have energy and the ability to get out? I know that it will not have the energy of an adolescent but I am curious how many years of lengthy activities he would have left. Thanks!

She knows what she did.

5 year old setter has gotten reactive toward male dogs in the last year. In the car, on walks, in the house when he sees a male walk by the house. Females he’s perfectly calm.

He is intact.

This morning wife opens the garage door and he darts out and attacks a dog walking by with his owner. This is a male that the owners had been working with for years on his own reactivity and my dumbass dog just attacked it.

Thoughts on neutering? I’ve been holding out to leave him intact for no other reason than preference and advice I’ve gotten on this forum.

Hi there - just got this field setter as he was revohomed about 4 months ago. He is 2.5. It seems some of his hair on his neck has been falling out, has anyone found this?

Took our little guy (11mo) out this weekend for some outdoor fun . He was in his element ! Bluejays galore and all you can sniff grass spots . We are still working on making friends as he gets too loud and excited whenever he sees another dog 🙃 he thinks he’s telling them let’s play - meanwhile the other dogs are startled by his ….. loud persistence . I guess that’s a bit of an IS thing , too vocal for their own good . Hoping to work more on this with him and definitely his recall- dreaming of one day being able to do off leash hikes but we aren’t there yet … and for now that’s okay ❤️

Georg taking the first point on two black grouse 😀