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I agree with horseandhound. The Irish Setter is a gun dog. It's bred to run all day. It should be in a rural environment. It does not get exercise on a leash. Anyone who exercises a setter on leash is not taking proper care of their dog. I never owned a bench setter but I did own a field red setter. She was the best dog I ever owned. She was smart as a whip calm in the house and always ready to hunt.
Watching her run was beautiful. She was like magic. Everyone loved it. She could run miles and miles. I never saw a dog run like that and you bet I respected it. She was doing what she was bred to do. She ran and she was a great hunter. She had a huge prey drive. She was bred to hunt and hunting dogs have prey drives, lol. Anyone who purchases a hunting dog should at least know they have prey drive.
I don't understand how someone could purchase a setter and then bash their running ability. They are known for running the Irish Moors in all kinds of weather. They were bred as rugged bird dogs who could run 50-70 miles a day at top speeds. They run longer then all the setters.
Hunting dogs like pointers and setters are often not friendly with other dogs as they get older. They are bred to hunt with their owners and they want to work rather then play with other dogs as they mature. Don't get a bird dog if you want a dog friendly dog that you can take to the dog run to play. Setters are for high energy, athletic, outdoorsy people. They are awesome hiking partners.
The Irish Setter got a bad reputation because it was over bred and because AKC turned it into a show dog. The breed became very popular because of it's looks. People seemed to forget that it was a hunting dog. They were in puppy stores all over the country. They were purchased as pets and left in suburban back yards and apartments. This caused bad stress. They had no way of releasing their enegy. They ran away for days and their owners called them dumb. I would have run away also. Anything for some run and adventure says the happy go lucky red dog, lol.
Then the hunters stopped using the dogs in the field. This was the end of the breed.
It became known as an inbred, oversized, huge headed, slow dog that could no longer hunt or keep up in field trials.
They are a great breed of dog that was misunderstood and inbred because of their beauty. Any person who gets an Irish Setter should have acreage for them to run. It should beable to run free everyday. It is a dog that cannot be locked up. It is almost a rare breed because of what people did to it. A lot of dumb owners thought the red setter was bred to sit, stay and play with the babies in the back yard. It's a shame. Our country ruined a great bird dog along with many other breeds. Do your homework before you get a dog. A Red Setter needs three hours a day of off leash exercise, the same as a LLewelinn setter. Ask yourself if you can keep up with that. If not you shouldn't own the dog.
The hunters bred a field red setter in the 50's because they no longer considered the Irish Setter a gun dog. They considered it a show dog. AKC will not register the field dog so they cannot enter any AKC field trials. They run all other field trials and people hunt with them. They are family dogs but first and foremost a hunting dog. They are much more athletic then the bench dogs. Do not get one unless you are a hunter or plan on trialing with it.
I love the red setter I hope I helped clear up some of the myths about this dog. Good luck
That stinks.
