Irish settlers are often known as Red setters and are originally gundogs, though they have since become one of the most popular breeds of dogs to have in families.  Show-dogs of the breed are generally under the Irish setter name and field dogs are under the Red setter name.

They are a very a breed that love to be around people particularly children, so it isn’t a surprise that they are popular as family dogs. They are also extremely active; they love long walks and will run for long periods of time around fields and open spaces, they are also a breed that loves having a job to do. They are also intelligent and like to be alert and knowing of their surroundings which means they are likely to go around exploring.

As a breed they are pretty healthy although they have been linked with a number of illnesses that include; progressive retinal atrophy, PRA, this affects their sight ultimately leading to complete loss of their vision and is often the result of a dominant gene. They can also suffer from Gastric torsion, this is when the stomach becomes bloated often leading to it becoming twisted causes the dog a lot of pain, this requires surgery to be corrected which consists of removing the gas and putting the stomach back in the correct position.

Irish setters tend to live between 12-15 years old and in general are only prone to getting health problems that are linked to a number of dog breeds. The breed is also one of the few breeds that you are able to get tested for PRA and CLAD, canine leukocyte adhesion deficiency, which means that if your dog does have either of the illnesses then you can treat them early on minimising any major risks to them.