Irish Setter 136

The Irish Setter, also referred to as a Red Setter or Irish Red Setter, is a popular breed of gundog. They are also popular family dogs and therapy dogs, and are even popular show dog breeds.

They were originally bred in Ireland in the 1800s for hunting, specifically to set, locate, and point game birds. It is believed that they were developed from a mix of English Setter, Spaniel, and Pointer breeds in addition to the Gordon Setter.

This required plenty of energy, endurance, focus, a fantastic sense of smell, and the ability to navigate fields, dry terrain, and wet terrain; at which the Irish Setter excels across the board. This dog breed came to the United States early in the 19th century. The AKC fully recognized the Irish Setter in 1878 as part of the Sporting Group.