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sporting

Irish Setter

Setter Irlandés

  • Sizelarge
  • Weight27.2–31.8 kg
  • Lives12–14 years
  • Popularity in Mexico★★
Irish Setter

Character

Irish Setter temperament

A large dog from the sporting group, in twelve traits from 1 to 5:

Distinguishing features

Irish Setter characteristics

Ears
drop
Height
64–69 cm
Weight
27.2–31.8 kg
Muzzle
long
Coat
silky
Coat length
medium
Colors
mahogany, red
Life expectancy
12–14 years
  • Sheddingmiddle of the road
  • Coat caremiddle of the road

More large breeds →

Life expectancy

How long does a Irish Setter live?

12–14 years

The breed sets the range; how long each dog lives depends on its weight, its exercise, its teeth and its check-ups with the vet.

The long profile

Long profile, in Spanish for now

The long version of this breed — character, care and origins, in Lord Chucho's voice — exists in Spanish and hasn't been translated yet. The hard data on this page (traits, features, lifespan) is the same in both languages.

Read the full profile in Spanish →

Buying guides

What to buy for a Irish Setter

What to buy, by what it needs:

What we'd give Choco

For a dog like this one

Affiliate links: it costs you the same. How they work (in Spanish)

What people ask

Frequently asked questions about the Irish Setter

How big does a Irish Setter get?

An adult Irish Setter stands 64–69 cm at the withers and weighs 27.2–31.8 kg.

Does the Irish Setter need a lot of exercise?

The Irish Setter scores 5 out of 5 on “Energy”: marathoner. On that scale, 1 is “couch potato” and 5 is “marathoner”.

Is the Irish Setter good with kids?

The Irish Setter scores 5 out of 5 on “With kids”: excellent. On that scale, 1 is “better without kids” and 5 is “excellent”. Even with a 5, no dog should be left alone with small children: supervising them is the adult's job.

Does the Irish Setter get along with other dogs?

The Irish Setter scores 5 out of 5 on “With other dogs”: life of the dog park. On that scale, 1 is “lone wolf” and 5 is “life of the dog park”.

Is the Irish Setter easy to train?

The Irish Setter scores 4 out of 5 on “Trainability”: learns on the fly. On that scale, 1 is “negotiates every command” and 5 is “learns on the fly”.

Does the Irish Setter bark a lot?

The Irish Setter scores 3 out of 5 on “Barking”: right in the middle of the scale. On that scale, 1 is “nearly silent” and 5 is “reports everything”.

Is the Irish Setter a good guard dog?

The Irish Setter scores 3 out of 5 on “Guarding instinct”: right in the middle of the scale. On that scale, 1 is “not a guardian” and 5 is “born guardian”.

Does the Irish Setter shed a lot?

The Irish Setter scores 3 out of 5 on “Shedding”: right in the middle of the scale. On that scale, 1 is “barely sheds” and 5 is “hair everywhere”.

Can a Irish Setter live in an apartment?

The Irish Setter scores 4 out of 5 on “Adaptability”: settles anywhere. On that scale, 1 is “needs its space and routine” and 5 is “settles anywhere”. An apartment is fine, being shut in is not: every dog needs to get out every day.

Health

We only publish each breed's health topics after reviewing them carefully. We guide you, but we're not your vet: if something about your dog worries you, the internet doesn't replace a visit to the vet.

Data on this page: 3 reference sources, including the AKC. See sources (in Spanish)

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