The Irish Setter is a well known breed that comes under the family of the gundogs. The Irish Setter dog has a hairy coat of thick red color with a silky texture. As a result of this exceptional characteristic, the Irish Setter is also referred to as the Red Setter.

Maintaining the delicate silky coat is a very demanding task. This is because the fur is likely to tangle as well as shed often. Hence adequate brushing should be done periodically. More care is required especially in winter as the undercoat tends to become very lengthy.

Usually, the Irish Setter puppy grows up to 2.1 to 2.2 feet in height. Male Irish Setters tend to be taller and a little bit heavier than the females. The weight of the females is in between 53 to 64 pounds and that of males is in between 60 to 70pounds.

The Irish Setter is especially famous for possessing a very friendly nature. Whether it is children, other dogs or any other pets for that matter the Irish setter will get along just fine. As opposed to barking at visitors the Irish setter will actually greet them with great glee. They are famous for being one of the best family dogs out there.

The Irish setter is not a lazy dog. Instead it has a great deal of energy and is very active. In order to keep this dog satisfied you need to take it out on long walks and give it large open spaces to run around and exert its energy. They do have a tendency to disobey their masters not with any maliciousness but with plain old playing deaf. This is why training the Irish setter should be undertaken from an early stage.

When the Irish Setter is given some work, it puts in all its effort to finish it. Idleness tends to make the dog dangerous. A high degree of sensitivity sets in when the dog happens to be left alone. Irish Setter dogs simply need people around. When left with no companion to play with or hang about, its friendly behavior is replaced by an unexpected aggression.

There is a prevalent opinion that Irish Setters are dull sluggards. It may not be true, as these dogs learn very quickly if training is begun early enough with proper methods. Once in a way, they even trick their trainers or masters by not paying attention to their commands.

Although the Irish setter is not at all an aggressive breed it does display a high level of alertness to its surroundings. The Irish setter is no guard dog though, it will not attack nor put its own life at stake to defend yours.

The Irish Setter dog is bred to form a perfectly healthy animal. However, as common to all animals, certain hereditary diseases are likely to attack the Irish setter. Hence, vaccinations should be given promptly and treatment should be administered immediately for any problems that are identified. Epilepsy, hypothyroidism, dysplasia, Bloat or Gastric Torsion, Canine Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency and Von Willenbrand's Disease are a few of the physical disorders that are likely to occur in the Irish Setter.