Description
The Irish Setter is an active bird dog. The long, lean head has at least double the width between the ears then it does in length. When viewed from the front the skull is oval and when viewed from the top it is slightly domed. The body is slightly longer than tall. The muzzle is moderately deep with a distinct stop. The teeth meet in a scissors bite. The nose is either black or brown with wide open nostrils. The medium sized eyes are almond shaped, set somewhat wide apart and are either dark to medium brown in color. The triangular, low-set ears are thin and hang close to the head. The front legs are straight and the feet are rather small with arched toes. The long tail almost reaches the hock, is thicker at the base tapering to a point. The coat is short and fine on the head and the front side of the legs and medium in length on other parts of the body. There is an even longer feathering on the ears, back of the legs, belly and brisket extending to the chest. Coat colors include mahogany to a rich chestnut red. There is no black, but may be a small amount of white on the chest, throat, toes and sometimes a thin centered streak on the top of the head. Young dogs can sometimes have a silvery-gray color behind the ears and legs that usually disappears as the dog grows.

Temperament
Irish Setters are energetic, intelligent, affectionate, loving, high-spirited, and full of energy. They have no guarding instincts, get along with other pets, and are good with children. This breed can be reckless and high-strung if they do not receive the proper amount of mental and physical exercise and may become destructive and hard to manage. Impulsive, with an independent spirit, they are sensitive to the tone of one's voice and will not listen if they sense that they are stronger minded than their owner, however they will also not respond well to harsh discipline. Owners need to be calm, yet possess an air of natural authority, being firm, confident and consistent, giving the dogs clear rules they must follow and sticking to them. Meek or passive owners or owners who do not provide enough exercise will find them to be difficult to train. Given firm handling and plenty of exercise, these dogs can be a joy to own. Start firm training early in life as it is easier to prevent behavior issues than it is to fix them once they start happening. Do not let this dog jump on humans, even as a small puppy. Teach them to heel on a lead and to let humans pass in and out gate and doorways before them. Relatively easily to housebreak. There are two types, field lines and show lines (bench). Field types are bred for hunting and field trial work and are generally somewhat smaller with shorter coats. The bench type are bred for conformation shows. Both types are energetic and need daily exercise, but field lines have a higher energy level and need even more exercise. The dominancy level in this breed varies even within the same litter. If you are not the type of person who can display a natural air of calm, but firm authority, then be sure to choose a pup who is more submissive. The temperament of both show and field lines vary widely, depending upon how the owners treat the dog and how much and what type of exercise they provide. The Irish Setter is used for all types of hunting. They are extremely swift, with an excellent sense of smell and are hardy over any terrain and in any climate, working well even in wetlands.

Origin
The Irish Setter was developed from mixing the Irish Terrier, Irish Water Spaniel, English Setter, Pointer, and the Gordon Setter. It was originally called the Irish Red Setter in the United States. At one time the Irish Setter was a red & white dog with shorter legs than today's breed. The shorter legs were most likely bred in to help the dogs "set" the game. They would crouch down low near the bird so that the hunter could walk over and toss a net over the pray and the dog. In the 19th century selective breeding produced a dog with a pure chestnut red coat and the white was bred out of the breed. It is probably older then the English Setter. The English and Irish Setters are both ancestors of the Spanish Pointer. The Irish Setter is an all purpose hunting dog, both a pointer and retriever in all types of terrains. They are especially good for hunting game birds. They have excellent noses and are very fast. When the Irish Setter finds his game he runs quickly back and forth in front of the hunter in order to alert him. Over the years many breeders have started breeding more for looks rather than the dogs hunting ability.The Irish Setter's talents include hunting, tracking, retrieving, pointing, watchdog, agility and competitive obedience.

Internet resource: http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/irishsetter.htm