Irish Setter
About the Irish Setter
Temperament
Physical Characteristics
| Size Category | Large (50-100 lbs) |
|---|---|
| Height | 25-27" |
| Weight | 60-70 lbs |
| Coat Type | Double |
| Coat Length | Long |
| Colors | |
| Hypoallergenic | No |
Care Requirements
Exercise Needs
Very High (90+ min/day)
90 minutes per day recommended
Grooming
Regular - 2-3x/week
Mental Stimulation
★★★★★Needs plenty of mental challenges
Drooling
★★★★★Living Conditions
Cost of Ownership
| Purchase Price | $1,000-$2,500 |
|---|---|
| Annual Cost | $1,500/year |
Costs vary based on location, breeder, and individual needs. Annual costs include food, veterinary care, grooming, and supplies.
Health Considerations
Like all breeds, Irish Setters may be prone to certain health conditions:
Regular veterinary check-ups and proper care can help prevent or manage many health issues.
Best For
- Families with Children
- Active Owners
May Not Be Ideal For
- Apartment Living
- Long Work Hours Away
- Sedentary Lifestyles
Guides for your Irish Setter
The story behind the Irish Setter
Setters developed in the British Isles as dogs that located gamebirds and froze, allowing hunters to net or later shoot them, and the Irish branch took shape in Ireland from the eighteenth century onward. Early Irish setters were commonly red and white; the solid red dog emerged as a preference during the nineteenth century and gradually dominated the show ring, with red and white maintained separately and now recognised as its own breed. Spaniel, pointer and other setter blood is generally accepted in the background. Nineteenth-century show fashion favoured elegance and coat, and a split slowly opened between field-bred setters and bench lines that persists today. The breed became widely popular through the twentieth century, particularly in the United States, and although numbers have eased from their peak it remains a familiar, well-established sporting dog.
Originally bred for: Bird setting, Upland gundog, Companion. You can trace how working roles shaped today’s breeds across our dog guides.
Feeding a Irish Setter
Deep-chested and energetic, the Irish Setter suits two moderate meals rather than one large one, with calm rest around feeding. Choose a quality complete food carrying enough fat for coat condition, and adjust sharply once the growth years end to avoid quiet weight creep.
Watch for: Gluten-sensitive enteropathy has been documented in this breed, producing chronic loose stool and poor weight gain in affected dogs, and grain-related digestive trouble is a recognised talking point among owners. Any suspicion of it needs veterinary investigation rather than a self-directed diet change.
Not sure what to put in the bowl? See our picks for the best dog food for large breeds.
Mealtime extras: training treats worth keeping in your pocket, and a slow feeder bowl if your dog inhales dinner. Everything else lives in our dog nutrition and feeding hub.
Living with a Irish Setter
Day to day, the basics matter most: how much exercise your dog needs, how often to get out for a walk, and how much sleep is normal.
For play and enrichment, browse chew toys built for strong jaws and interactive toys for rainy days.
Gear that fits the breed makes life easier: a well-sized dog bed, a properly sized crate.
Raising a puppy? Work through crate training and the teething timeline — or see how old your dog is in human years with our dog age calculator.