Irish Setter

• Bathing: Unless they splash in a mud puddle, you can get by with bathing your dog every six to eight weeks. You can do this at home, but Irish Setters can also benefit from regular trips to the groomer so their long, flowy fur can be pampered.  
• Brushing: Brush your dog with a pin brush or a soft bristle brush (like the Bass Brushes Bristle Brush) every couple of days to keep their coat shiny and free of matting. Expect moderate shedding year-round, with heavier shedding in the spring and fall.  
• Ear care: Check an Irish Setter’s floppy ears for debris every day. If there’s redness, swelling, or an odor, your dog may have an ear infection that needs vet attention. Talk to your vet about how to clean your dog’s ears, how often you need to do it, and which dog ear cleaners are best to use. 
• Dental care: Brush your dog’s teeth every day with a dog toothpaste, like Petsmile. It’s a good idea to start when your Irish Setter puppy is young so they get used to the experience. They’ll need a professional dental cleaning at your vet once a year, too. 
• Nail care: Irish Setters need their nails trimmed every few weeks. You’ll know it’s time for a trim when you can hear their nails tapping on the ground as your dog walks. 

Irish Setters are super smart dogs, and they want to make their favorite person happy. This magic combo means they’re relatively easy to train. But they do tend to get a little distracted (and because they’re so bright, they can easily become bored).  

So, if it takes them a while to get the hang of things, it’s not for lack of intelligence, but more so because they can be a bit independent-minded. Irish Setters learn best from pet parents who are consistent and patient with training lessons.  

Keep training upbeat and always use positive reinforcement—that is, training treats, toys, and praise—to reward good behavior. Begin obedience training when they’re as young as 8 weeks old; if you adopt an Irish Setter when they’re older, start training as soon as you bring them home. Cues like sit, stay, and come are good places to start, along with teaching them how to walk nicely on a leash.  

Also invest some time in socialization, where new people, places, sounds, and other stimuli are introduced to your dog in a positive way. This will help your Irish Setter be calm and confident in new situations. 

Irish Setters are prone to separation anxiety, so you may also want to work with a certified dog trainer or behaviorist who uses positive reinforcement to help them feel more confident and comfortable being at home alone. Doggy daycare might be a great option to keep them entertained while you’re away, too. 

When feeding your Irish Setter, choose a food that meets AAFCO standards and is formulated for their life stage (puppy, adult, or senior).  

These active dogs might also benefit from a diet with extra protein, such as Purina Pro Plan Sport Performance Formula. But always talk to your vet when choosing the best food for your dog.  

Your vet can also give you tips for avoiding bloat, a life-threatening condition dogs with deep chests (like the Irish Setter) are susceptible to. To reduce the chance of bloat in your Irish Setter: 

• Don’t let your Irish Setter exercise for two hours before or after eating. 
• Always keep their food bowl on the ground; do not elevate it. 
• Offer multiple smaller meals throughout the day instead of one large daily meal. Irish Setters do well with two meals per day.  
• Use a slow feeder bowl or food-dispensing toy to stop them from scarfing too fast.  

Irish Setters are very active pups who need lots of exercise—plan about two hours of heart-pounding activity a day.  

While they’ll enjoy games like fetch, this alone won’t cut it for these four-legged athletes. You’ll need to mix in activities like hiking, jogging, and walking around the neighborhood. Fun games in the backyard are great, too, but you need to be engaged; your pup will get bored if you’re not giving them your all. 

Irish Setters are also great at dog sports that challenge their mind as well as their body, like flyball and agility trials. And if you live near a body of water, they’ll be thrilled—these pups will probably love to go for a swim. 

They need mental stimulation too, like interactive toys and games. They may also do well with an outlet for their powerful tracking instincts, like nose work.  

If you’re an active pet parent with an equally active social life, the Irish Setter could be the breed for you. Just make sure you bring them along—because these dogs can develop separation anxiety, they aren’t suited to sit at home alone all day.  

Irish Setters crave room to roam and go on adventures, so a home with a fenced backyard is ideal. It’s OK if you live in a city, but your pup would prefer a nearby park where they can hang out and exert their energy. And a tiny apartment probably won’t do; you need a bigger spot for this exuberant canine.  

These pups are great family dogs and will likely get along well with kids, but younger children will need to be supervised and learn how to interact with dogs (and vice versa). As long as everyone’s well-socialized, it should work out just fine. 

They’ll also probably do fine with other dogs and cats, as long as everyone is introduced slowly and properly socialized.