Pets Australia Issue 70 August 2017

Photo: Reddogs/BigStock.com

84

PETS | Creature feature

August http://www.facebook.com/petsmagazine

“Well top o’ the mornin’ to you!” If the Irish

Setter could talk, this is what he would say

to every person he meets. A playful and

extroverted breed, the Irish Setter thrives

on the company of both people and dogs.

Originating in the Emerald Isle in the 1700s

for game retrieving and setting, the breed

was originally known in Gaelic as the Modder

Rhu or Red Dog. In the early 1800s, it was

commonly referred to as the Red Spaniel and

today is also known as the Irish Red Setter

or Red Setter.

The origin of the breed is unknown but it is

believed to have descended from the Setting

Spaniel, Gordon Setter, English Setter, Pointer

and other Spaniels.

The earliest ancestors of the Irish Setter were

red and white, but careful breeding developed

the characteristic solid red colour, with the

fi rst solid red appearing in Ireland in the

1800s. Even today, the Irish Setter sometimes

has small areas of white on the chest, neck or

With a boisterous

character, fun-loving

attitude and rich red

coat, the Irish Setter

melts many a heart.

By Melinda McHugh

.

With a playful nature and love of activity, the Irish

Setter requires a reasonable amount of exercise.

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