Opinions on Setters!

[meemzul]

I know I shouldnt but I am thinking of another dog!

I already have a Springer who is 9 and we are dog sitting my husbands parents Staffie until they return from working abroad so i wouldnt be looking until they come back in a year or so but like to plan ahead

ok dream is more the word!

I never got the chance to have my Springer as a puppy i took him on as a 5 yo and i'm not convinced another springer would ever be as great as he has been.

So i have always loved setters as a child we had an Irish and my Aunt had a Gordon both lovely, the Irish was a bit crazy but lovely all the same.

So which would you prefer i have never met the English ones (they are the white spotty types arent they?)

Obviously must be horse/kid/cat/stranger friendly!

 

[bensababy]

We had a Irish setter called Sasha a few years ago, beautiful, very mild mannered with the patience of a saint (me and my brother were very young and used to climb all over her), she was a very loyal dog and also had that crazy dippy nature. I couldnt reccommend a dog highly enough.

 

[Spot_the_Risk]

We had an Irish when I was a kid, it wasn't my type of dog at all being totally untrainable in any aspect! I think that many of the setters have a reputation for this! She did have a lovely nature but was mad as a box of frogs.

Before you make a decision, maybe look into different types of dog, for instance, Springers are loyal, impossible to lose, and seem to be born half trained (the rumour being that they then never go beyond half trained either!). We have two Springers, a bitch from a puppy, and an RSPCA dog who we've only had two weeks. I can understand the bitch being loyal, but the dog, who is about eight years old, has thrown his heart into our family, which is very touching, and also makes him easy to own - we can leave them both loose in our field all day, and they are never out of sight for more than a minute. My lurcher, who I've had from a puppy has a different criteria - people are just not as important as the chase, or the hunt, hence you can't take you eyes of him for a minute, or he's half way to the next county. Love him loads, but I wouldn't have another, I love having the Springers bimbling around keeping an eye on their humans!

Sorry to ramble, but hopefully I've given you food for thought, re the type of dog which suits your lifestyle!

 

[Dizzykizzy]

We had an Irish crossed English, she was a beautiful dog but aloof and not particularly loyal. She also had a mind of her own and given the chance would disappear over the horizon after a deer causing my poor parents great angst!
We have GWPs now and I would highly recommend the breed if you like the HPR type.They are easily trainable, extremely loyal and loving and in my opinion completely beautiful!

This is the one we kept, Twiglet

This is Twiglet with 2 of her sisters

and this is Mum Pippa pre Puppies!

 

[Donkeymad]

I currently have an elderly Irish Setter, my third, and they are the most wonderful dogs. They have a reputation for being scatty or untrainable but this is usually due to them not being exercised enough. If you are able to give two hours or more every day free-exercise, you won't, IMO, find a better breed of dog.
They are not only beautiful, but loving, caring, gentle, sharing and comical.
here are two of mine.