Irish Setter Dog Breed

Posted by Jeanne on November 14, 2008

Irish Setters find their game similarly to the pointer and the other setters, scenting it ahead, ranging fairly wide and quartering the ground systematically. Upon finding the birds they should remain stanch on point, steady to shot and wing. They are also used extensively as pets and companions and are very popular on account of their intelligence, great beauty, and lovable dispositions.

• Head – Should be long and lean. The skull oval (from ear to ear) having plenty of brain room and with well-defined occipital protuberance. Brows raised, showing stop. The muzzle moderately deep and fairly square at end. From the stop to the point of the nose should be long, the nostrils wide and the jaws of nearly equal length, flews not to be pendulous. The color of the nose dark mahogany or dark chocolate and that of the eyes (which ought not to be too large) rich hazel or brown. The ears to be of moderate size, fine in texture, set on low, well back and hanging in a neat fold close to the head.
• Neck – Should be moderately long, very muscular but not too thick, slightly arched, free from all tendency to throatiness.
• Body – Should be proportionately long, shoulders fine at the points, deep and sloping well back. The chest deep, rather narrow in front. The ribs well sprung, leaving plenty of lung room. The loins muscular and slightly arched. The hindquarter wide and powerful.
• Legs and Feet – The hind legs from hip to hock should be long and muscular, from hock to heel short and strong. The stifle and hock joints well bent, and not inclined either in or out. The forelegs should be strong and sinewy, having plenty of bone, with elbows free, well let down and like the hock not inclined either out or in. The feet rather small, very firm, toes strong, close together and arched.
• Tail – Should be of moderate length, set on rather low, strong at root and tapering to a fine point; to be carried in a slight scimitar-like curve or straight, nearly level with the back.
• Coat – On the head, front of legs and tips of ears should be short and fine, but on all other parts of the body it should be of moderate length, flat and as free as possible from curl or wave.
• Feathering – The feather on the upper portion of the ears should be long and silky, on the back of fore and hind legs long and fine, a fair amount of hair on belly, forming a nice fringe, which may extend on chest and throat. Feet to be well feathered between the toes. Tail to have a nice fringe of moderately long hair, decreasing in length as it approaches the point. All feathering to be as straight and as flat as possible.
• Color and Markings – The color should be a rich golden chestnut or mahogany red, with no trace whatever of black; white n chest, throat or toes, or a small star on the forehead, or a narrow streak, or blaze on the nose or face not to disqualify.