Setters

Anyone here have or has had Irish or English setters?

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

Anyone here have or has had Irish or English setters?

My family has had both over the years. Brother had a Irish Field (short hair). Beautiful dog and super friendly. Had issues with it climbing fences and wondering away(in the city). Spent many days looking for that dog. Funny as it would chase squirrels running the power lines.

Uncle has had English since as long as I can remember. He is a hard core field/hunting guy and they weren’t raised as ” family pets”. All work and little play

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

Anyone here have or has had Irish or English setters?

Mine is a Llewellin setter (a specific strain of English Setter)

Love her to death and she has fantastic drive in the field and very very good house dog.

Both are beautiful dogs in the field. I’ve hunted numerous times with the owner of English Setters and they are fantastic dogs in hunting ability and gentle temperament.

The downside is the coat maintenance, obviously. If you hunted an English Setter on a desert island 5000 miles away from the nearest cockle burr, he would find a way to come back covered in them. And also covered in some kind of burr that was previously unknown to science.

The owner of the setters I know was offered one of these grooming membership programs where you get 1 monthly coat maintenance session and unlimited washes for a flat monthly fee. He jumped all over that, he’s got the cleanest, fluffiest, sweetest smelling, best styled setters in town. It only takes about 2 hours per dog after a good weekend of hunting…

Grouse

Thanks, guys. That’s the type of info I am looking for. Honestly, with two young kids, a superb family dog is #1 priority, but I’d like a dog that will be useful in the field, too.

I’m wondering about energy level. The wife doesn’t want a dog that will require daily 5-mile runs. I realize that sporting breed are naturally high-energy, but some breeds are more high-strung than others.

We met a young (18-month) English this weekend, and he seemed like a total sweetheart.

It’s going to take a lot to sway my wife from another Great Dane. Not that I don’t love them, but can you imagine hunting pheasants with one???

More curious than anything…Not interested in a lab or are you just inquiring about setters?

No interest whatsoever in a lab.

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

I’m wondering about energy level. The wife doesn’t want a dog that will require daily 5-mile runs. I realize that sporting breed are naturally high-energy, but some breeds are more high-strung than others.

My wife and I are expecting our first child this spring, and I am worried about what you mentioned. My lab will be 4 soon, and while his energy levels have gone down, he is still very high energy. As soon as I get home every day, my first 20-60 minutes is always spent with the dog, either training, conditioning, or playing. Whatever I can do to tire him out physically and/or mentally. I don’t see anyway I’ll be able to keep on doing that! I love my lab, he’s the best pheasant dog I’ve ever seen, but it will get tough for me here soon. I’ll find a way to make it work somehow, but my next dog down the road I may go for a family dog as the top priority and a field dog as secondary.

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

No interest whatsoever in a lab.

Well OK then…

roosterrouster wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Ralph Wiggum wrote:</div>
No interest whatsoever in a lab.

Well OK then…

No offense to anyone that has labs. They’re fine dogs, I just don’t care for them.

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

Thanks, guys. That’s the type of info I am looking for. Honestly, with two young kids, a superb family dog is #1 priority, but I’d like a dog that will be useful in the field, too.

I’m wondering about energy level. The wife doesn’t want a dog that will require daily 5-mile runs. I realize that sporting breed are naturally high-energy, but some breeds are more high-strung than others.

We met a young (18-month) English this weekend, and he seemed like a total sweetheart.

It’s going to take a lot to sway my wife from another Great Dane. Not that I don’t love them, but can you imagine hunting pheasants with one???

Young dogs no matter what the breed will require a lot of exercise IMHO.
MY dog is now 5 years old and we live out in the country so we get home and if the weather is tolerable she gets a good 20 minute or better walk where she can unleash her longs legs. Its truly a joy to watch her run and watch the fun she has running. Every day she gets a good run she is much more at ease for the rest of the evening. Either way she is so good at home that most evenings we have to go find the dog if she is not laying by us watching the TV. I will for sure have another Setter in my future.

PM sent to you Ryan.

I’ve owned one English Setter and one Lab and enjoyed them both immensely. I thought the Setter had a much higher energy level then the Lab, but nonetheless was REALLY good with my then 4 small kids (including twins). He too would occasionally wander the neighborhood in search of love.
I recently visited Jason at Good Go Ing kennels and he has a nice selection of Setters to look at, and spring litters: http://www.goodgoing.com/setters/setlet.html

.most field breeds will be a high energy for the first 4 to 7 years. Naturally there is an exception to every rule. We just never had a dog yet that was mellow.

Though a lot is in own you train them. Our Britney is a sweet family dog and great in the field. We were home by 5 and she had to run as soon as I got home. Broke it into a few sessions because we had little kids and mom didn’t want to be a single mom. Did 15 minutes at a time for a few times throughout the evening. That worked for us. Our lab,….he just runs on nitrous

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>roosterrouster wrote:</div>

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Ralph Wiggum wrote:</div>
No interest whatsoever in a lab.

Well OK then…

No offense to anyone that has labs. They’re fine dogs, I just don’t care for them.

What about goldens? Great with families but it can be challenging to find a good hunting line. My golden was a pretty fair pheasant dog. Unless you want a pointer?

Not interested in a golden, either. Neighbor has one, and it’s awesome, but I don’t want a golden.

I’m about a year and a half from getting a dog. Just gathering some data.

We had Irish setters growing up. 5 total by the time I was 15. You shave them in April and again in August. With the amount of burrdocks we had, our horses and setters were a mess from day one.

Make sure you buy from a field line. Setters have been around a long time and some lines don’t carry the level of instinct they should. 2 of ours were gunshy and 1 wouldn’t point. The females were quite timid from what I remember. Great family dogs, though.

My next will be a Llewellyn. Love their traditional style.

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

I’m about a year and a half from getting a dog. Just gathering some data.
~Ryan~

Eeeep! I hope that year and a half goes by quick! I can already see him or her hunting in the field with my boys!

Good luck on your pointer they are mostly all hyper as hell. It’s just in the breed. Unless you are retired and have them out 24/7 good luck.

mattgroff wrote:

Good luck on your pointer they are mostly all hyper as hell. It’s just in the breed. Unless you are retired and have them out 24/7 good luck.

It’s far from decided. There is a lot of bargaining to do with the FW.

I have never seen an Irish hunting. I heard they have mostly shifted to show dogs years ago. I’m sure there are some lines out there but I’m guessing hard to come by. I hear good things about English and they are well represented.
I’ll throw one at you to look at. Pudelpointer. I dare you to read up on this unique breed.

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>roosterrouster wrote:</div>

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Ralph Wiggum wrote:</div>
No interest whatsoever in a lab.

Well OK then…

No offense to anyone that has labs. They’re fine dogs, I just don’t care for them.

No offense taken’…Many wonderful family dog breed’s out there and those breeds can make great hunters depending upon how they are trained from day 49 and beyond. I settled on a British Lab but the fun for me was investigating many breeds to see what I thought would fit for me. You’ll have a blast doing it. An idea for the FW? Just start printing off puppy pictures (of the different breeds you are considering…) and randomly putting them around the house. Before you know it she’ll be asking YOU for permission to get a dog! RR

roosterrouster wrote:

An idea for the FW? Just start printing off puppy pictures (of the different breeds you are considering…) and randomly putting them around the house. Before you know it she’ll be asking YOU for permission to get a dog! RR

I’m the one holding her back from getting a dog right now. Our problem is agreeing on a breed.

suzuki wrote:

I’ll throw one at you to look at. Pudelpointer. I dare you to read up on this unique breed.

Yeah, that’s one I need to read up on a bit. You have one, correct?

The Spinone Italiano also intrigues me.

Might want to check out a Gorden Setter,best looking of the Setters (just my opinion though).

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>suzuki wrote:</div>
I’ll throw one at you to look at. Pudelpointer. I dare you to read up on this unique breed.

Yeah, that’s one I need to read up on a bit. You have one, correct?

The Spinone Italiano also intrigues me.

Yea but I wouldnt want the one I have again. Not a breed issue. Just an individual issue. Great health though. No major issues yet. 4 years.

suzuki wrote:

Yea but I wouldn’t want the one I have again.

Honesty.

You are correct about the Irish hunting line fading. Generally speaking, the Setter lines that produce the smaller statured, less feathered dogs appear to be the hunting lines nowadays. Not always, but seems to be the direction of the breeding programs.

As to Irish setters, the Red and White Setters appear to be gaining quite a following among hunters and trialers.

If you’re open to suggestions, the GWP has served me well for many years. Very little they won’t do, and almost all of if it comes natural.

Whatever you get just please don’t get a worthless ankle biter. Whatever hunting breed you go with I’m sure will be great with kids. I have a litter of chocolate labs due next week. We have always been a lab family not only cause I’m a huge hunter but man what a great family breed. My parents bought a whimerhymer (not sure on that spelling) lol. It is 6 years old now and they still need a shock coller on it all the time. And the first 5 years she was hyper as hell. She is getting a ton better but it’s been a ride so far. None the less when we bring the kids over the dog is great with them. Good luck to you in your search

We’re both “big dog” people–no ankle-biters for us. Our last dog was a Great Dane…