Irish Red & White Setter
The Irish Red and White Setter
Submitted by Christina Phillips
forming an IR&WS group in Ireland and gaining recognition of the breed. Mrs. Cuddy carried on a lengthy correspon- dence with the aging Rev. Huston and is responsible for researching and preserv- ing much of the early 20th century histo- ry of the breed. In 1944, the Irish Red and White Setter Society formed in Ireland. Between the end of WWII and the early 1980's, the Irish slowly built up the numbers of what became officially known as Irish Red and White Setters. The breed spread to England. Both the Irish Kennel Club and the Kennel Club (UK) came to recognize the IR&WS as a breed separate from the Irish Setter. The IR&WS again came to the United States in the 1960's with the import of a few dogs by a couple of individuals. In the 1980's, breeding pairs were imported and the gradual increase in the IR&WS population began. Since that time several other imports arrived and a slow breeding program has continued. Beginning in 1996 AKC started recording the Irish Red and White Setter in the Foundation Stock Service. The breed became eligible to compete in Pointing Breed Hunting Tests, Obedience, Agility, and Rally as of April 1, 2004, and in the Miscellaneous Class at shows on June 27, 2007. On January 1, 2009, the Irish Red and White Setter was assigned to the Sporting Group and became AKC’s 159th breed. ©1997-2011 Charles A. Petterson [more detailed version can be found at the AKC Parent Club Website - IRWS Association Inc., www.Irishredwgitesetterassociation.com] Not Just Another Pretty Face Known as a “Gentleman’s Bird Dog”, the Irish Red and White Setter is a very ver- satile upland gun dog that can find game in the heaviest cover. Training an IRWS should always be done with positive reinforcement. They tend to be on the soft side and respond best to gentle persuasion. They are very intelligent and their intense bird instinct allows them to quickly adapt to all types of upland birds and to hunt the terrain
wisely. Even the novice trainer will find they are easily trained, if he has a solid positive connection with his dog. Negative training will get you nowhere with this breed and can cause harm to the sensitive nature of the IRWS. If you choose to hire a trainer to work with your IRWS, it is very important that the trainer under- stands this. These gentle biddable dogs want to please. Most IRWS are naturals at AKC Junior Hunt tests, pointing birds with a minimum of training. The more advanced levels of Senior and Master Hunter take more time and training.
cover large amounts of ground, willing- ness to hunt as a team with their human team member and something we call bird sense for lack of a better term. Examining these qualities one at a time will shed light on why those of us that hunt this type of terrain are so dedi- cated to this breed. A well conditioned IRWS will hunt all day at a good pace in this difficult terrain as long as they are given frequent breaks and adequate hydration. They are very good at setting a pace that matches that of the hunter and working the terrain. During warm weather the IRWS's coat and body style has an advantage over most other setters. Their coat is generally heavy enough to protect them from the harsh landscape but not so heavy as to cause issues with overheating. Their strong build “without lumber”, as the standard says, makes them able to work hard but be light on their feet with great agility. They are very biddable which makes them the perfect dog to learn to hunt as a team which is a necessity when hunting birds that are generally found in coveys and that run rather than fly when given the opportunity. The IRWS is a master at designing ways of holding these birds by working the wind and the terrain in their favor and guiding the hunter to the birds. When the birds flush and the covey is broken their keen nose and sharp eye- sight are able to track and find singles so that the hunt does not end at the flush. The IRWS is a very intelligent breed. As the seasons go by they become more and more in tune with their quarry and their human partner, which leads to big- ger and bigger bags. You will often find them looking back at you to signal that they are approaching birds. They will use the terrain to conceal an approach to a covey they have sensed by their excellent nose just over the next rise giving them and their hunter the advantage of sur- prise. In short these dogs are the best hunting partner I know of for birds in dif- ficult terrain. They work at the right pace and with the intelligence to make a hunter proud to own one. Harvey Hazen - Mountain Star IRWS
The color of the IRWS is an asset as they are easy to see in the field. The white shows up well in fall color and the red makes the dog easy to see in the snow. While bred primarily for the field, IRWS do equally well in the show ring. This breed is such a natural bird dog because the IRWS has changed very little in the past 200 years. Selective and good breeding throughout the years has given us the wonderful dog we have today. Judy Baumgartner -Laurel Oak IRWS The Irish Red and White Setter is an excellent dog for the foot hunter dedicat- ed to hunting birds in rough, challenging terrain such as that found in the Western States Chukar Habitat. There are four qualities that make the IRWS the ideal dog for hunting such difficult birds. These qualities are stamina, ability to
206 • S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE • J ULY 2011
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