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The Irish Setter is an island type dog. If we consider the number of livestock, he is the leader among this species. The dog is a popular hunter in the world. An exception are not the CIS countries. In this representative there is an organic combination of working qualities with the beauty that these dogs possess. When it “works”, it looks just fine in any swamp. Even the most prestigious exhibition has never seen such beauty. In Ireland, the red setter is considered a national treasure and is under the close protection of the state.
Dogs of this breed are distinguished by a great intelligence and are amenable to training. Setter on five with a positive attitude towards children. The child will easily find a true friend in his face.Not bad, these dogs show guard qualities, to some extent they are guards.
A bit of history
Printed publications on their pages for the first time mentioned the name of this breed in the second half of the 16th century. Dr. Cayus in one of his books tried to classify the dogs of Britain. 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 looking for a game and attracted its owner to this place. This group differed in the composition of various breeds, but later a homogeneous type was formed. They have their ancestors in the person of the spaniel, wolfhound, pointer, and bloodhound. But this fact has no exact confirmation.
On the hunt, the setter is distinguished by extraordinary beauty. Especially great is their branded counter. When a dog smells a game hiding in dense thickets, he pulls forward and stands frozen. He is all in anticipation, experiencing a strong tension. In the past, hunting was somewhat different technology. The dog, having found the game, lay down right in front of her.Birds were caught 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 networks. It is with the submission of the command "Lie!" And the name of the dogs is connected.
Whims of rich gentlemen
1805 was marked by the appearance of the British canine encyclopedia. In this book for the first time it was possible to see the ancestors from whom many breeds of Great Britain originated. The book was a well-illustrated edition, and in one of the pictures you could see dogs characterized by signs of three different stripes. In one of them, you can guess the characteristics inherent in the typical characteristics of modern setters.
The 17th century is marked by the spread of popularity associated with the sport of hunting bird representatives. On the rise of general interest were dogs of hunting breeds, which received special attention. But interest in them was manifested only by rich people. After all, the poor population simply did not have the money to maintain them and engage in breeding livestock. It was the Irish gentlemen who turned the setters into real four-legged professional hunters.But to the fore the rich people were not external data, but the characteristic of the working qualities of the dog. They made a definite contribution to the distribution of this breed. Hunters kept diaries, where they recorded all the data relating to representatives of this breed. The records described activities related to training the dogs, their feeding, behavior. The year 1973 was marked by the emergence of traditional tribal books, where the information about the pedigree, mating, and other points fit.
Neck scarf
Virtually every lord had his own kennel. In many of them there were breeds associated with the uniqueness and originality, which the rich owner was very proud of. In addition to this, a rich gentleman was the owner of personal hunting grounds. They were dogs and 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. Especially popular were those setters that had a red-white color. But it was not the exhibition criteria that determined such wide popularity.The fact is that dogs with such color were clearly visible against the background of thickets at the time when hunting was carried out. But this is not typical for a monochromatic red setter. In order to make them more visible, a white scarf was tied around their necks. Another reason was that the red setter with the white paid was not easily confused with the fox.
Meaning of the word "setter"
In English, the term Set means fading, execution of the rack. Of course, this suggests hunting slang. Therefore, all long-haired cop dogs in the UK were ranked as setters.
Breed division
The spread of the breed was clearly observed from the moment when the owners of the dogs began to take part in exhibitions. Despite the fact that the game became much less, and the hunt for it did not bring former joy, the red setter as an object of adoration did not drop out of sight. At exhibitions such dogs looked spectacular and differed significantly from other representatives. The reason for the completion of the formation of the breed was the 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 the various representatives of the British setters were included in one class. Almost 60 dogs took part in the exhibition. In the future, there was a separation in accordance with the color. The small dog’s birthplace became present in the title. A little later, one of the lawyers who was breeding 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 didn’t want to display any hunting skills. It was decided to drown the dog. But this did not happen, because the dog was bought by one of the breeders for a mere trifle. Two years passed, and this dog won the breed title. The dog was characterized by an ideal type, to which many breeders have long shown their desire. The dog was a regular participant in exhibitions and gave rise to the appearance of several breed lines.
Thanks to the efforts of the breeder's son, this breed has gained world fame. 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, admission to dog shows that do not have a working diploma has been banned. Standard setter and today is tied to the hunt.
A mistake that became fatal in its essence
In the first half of the last century, it became known that when 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 the vision was lost completely. These signs began to appear when the puppy was 12 weeks old. The reason for the development of the disease is the presence of a recessive gene. It took decades to fix the error. It took so much time to identify all such representatives and exclude them from the breeding process.
Dog Hearts Conqueror
The Irish Setter is deservedly considered to be the most beautiful breed in the environment of hunting dogs.Dark brown eyes, intelligent expressive look deserve the highest ratings. Excellent addition with long legs allow him to move quickly. He has a fairly large amount of energy, and on the hunt different free behavior. The dog stand is notable for expressiveness, without any signs of tension.
The representative of this breed is covered with red thick hair, which literally sparkles under the rays of sunny color. The standard does not allow the presence of black patches, but the presence of small white specks 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 dimensions. Male dogs can weigh up to 32 kg, knots have a slightly lower weight, which can reach up to 27 kg.
How long does a setter live?
The average life expectancy is 11-16 years. But dogs of this breed are subject to many diseases, as a result of which these indices may decrease. They may develop epilepsy, eye diseases, and other problems.
Character traits
The content of the setter is associated with certain difficulties. This is due to the presence of his hunting passion. To one who loves a measured and calm life, this energetic dog is clearly not suitable. The dog has a strong courage. The dog is extremely in need of jogging, games, long walks. He just adores when, taking to the nature, he is taken with him. It should work hard to curb the independent disposition of the Irish.
In the case of properly organized training, the pet will show good nature, obedience, affection, able to take part in anything. When the owner comes home from work, he is immensely pleased with this event, and the arrival of guests will only be welcomed, he will get along with everyone without exception. If you take him on any trip, he will be calm and prudent. The breed has a pronounced sociability, so that he get along with children without problems. Strange dogs also will not hinder 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 be perceived exclusively as friends.Guard duty, he also can not carry. When he is left alone, he gets bored. In this case, he begins to overcome sleep. He likes to do it out of boredom. It is clear that during sleep he will easily miss any burglar. But one positive thing does exist. When he rings the door he starts barking loudly. Of course, this will alert any villain.
Nurture and care
You should not engage in typical training with the presence of constant repetition and signs of exercise. Setter is an already intelligent dog. The dog has a pronounced independence and do not like being rude and cruelly treated. It requires a gentle approach with the use of a reward system, which can be fodder or just boisterous praise. Requires regularity and systematic in conducting classes.
A puppy from early childhood should be accustomed to certain procedures:
- The presence of long wool requires mandatory constant combing. But too often you should not bathe a dog. The dog sheds twice a year, but after that it is very problematic to see a rich woolen carpet.This is due to the fact that the dog has no undercoat. Requires mandatory cutting hair on paws. If this is not done, it quickly falls to form tangles. With them, the dog will not only be uncomfortable, but there is also the possibility of injuring the pads.
- Claws require attention. If they are too long, they will interfere with movement.
- Long ears make it possible to develop otitis often. 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: Irish Setter dog breed
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