Breeding standard

FCI – Standard No. 120 / 02. 04. 2001 / GB
IRISH RED SETTER

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN : Ireland.

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 13.03.2001.

UTILIZATION: Gun dog and family dog.

CLASSIFICATION FCI : Group 7 Pointing Dogs.
Section 2 British and Irish Pointers and Setters.
With working trial.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY : The Irish Red Setter was developed in Ireland as a working dog for hunting game. The breed is derived from the Irish Red and White Setter and an unknown solid red coloured dog. It was a clearly identifiable type in the 18th century. The Irish Red Setter Club was established in 1882 to promote the Breed. The club issued the Breed Standard in 1886, and has organised field trials and shows to set the Standard for the Breed since that time. In 1998 the club published the working style for the breed. The standard and working style together describes the physical form and working ability of the breed.
The Irish Red Setter has evolved down the years into a hardy, healthy, intelligent dog, possessed of excellent working ability and great stamina.

GENERAL APPEARANCE : Racy and athletic full of quality, kindly in expression. Balanced and in proportion.

BEHAVIOUR/TEMPERAMENT: Keen, intelligent, energetic, affectionate and loyal.

HEAD : Long and lean, and not coarse at the ears. Muzzle and skull of equal length and on parallel lines.

CRANIAL REGION :
Skull : Oval (from ear to ear), having plenty of brain room, and with well defined occipital protuberance. Brows raised.
Stop : Well defined.

FACIAL REGION:
Nose : The colour of the nose is dark mahogany, or dark walnut or black, the nostrils wide.
Muzzle : Moderately deep and fairly square at the end. From the stop to point of nose, long, flews not pendulous.
Jaws : Jaws of nearly equal length.
Teeth : Scissors bite.
Eyes : Dark hazel or dark brown ought not to be too large.
Ears : Of moderate size, fine in texture, set low and well back, hanging in a neat fold close to head.

NECK : Moderately long, very muscular, not too thick, slightly arched, no tendency to throatiness.

BODY: Proportionate to size of dog.
Chest : Deep chest, rather narrow in front, ribs well sprung, leaving plenty of lung room.
Loins : Muscular and slightly arched.

TAIL: Moderate length, proportionate to size of body, set on rather low, strong at root, tapering to fine point. Carried level with or below back.

LIMBS
FOREQUARTERS :
Shoulders : Fine at the point, deep and sloping well back.
Elbows : Free and well let down, not turned in or out.
Forelegs : Straight and sinewy, well boned.
HINDQUARTERS : Wide and powerful.
Hindlegs: Long and muscular from hip to hock; from hock to heel short and strong.
Stifle: Well bent
Hocks: turned neither in or out.
FEET: Small, very firm, toes strong, arched and close together.
GAIT/MOVEMENT: Free flowing, driving movement; head held high.
Forelegs reaching well ahead but carried low. Hindquarters drive smoothly with great power. Crossing or weaving of legs unacceptable.

COAT
HAIR: On head, front of legs, and tips of ears, short and fine; on other parts of body and legs moderate length, flat and as free as possible from curl or wave.
Feather on upper portion of ears long and silky; on back of fore and hind legs long and fine; fair amount of hair on belly, forming fringe which may extend onto chest and throat. Feet well feathered between toes. Tail having fringe of moderately long hair, decreasing in length as it approaches the point. All feathering straight and flat.

COLOUR: Rich chestnut with no trace of black; white on chest, throat, and toes; or small star on forehead or narrow streak or blaze on nose or face not to disqualify.
SIZE :
Height at withers : Males 23 ins (58 cm) to 26.5 ins (67 cm).
Female 21.5 ins (55 cm) to 24.5 ins (62 cm).

FAULTS: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness of the fault should be in exact proportion to its degree.
Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.
NOTE: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

FCI-Standard N° 330 / 15. 06. 2005 / GB
IRISH RED & WHITE SETTER

ORIGIN : Ireland.

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 19.04.2005.

UTILIZATION : Most acceptable companion and friend in the homes and the fields. The Irish Red & White Setter is bred primarily for the field. The standard as set out hereunder must be interpreted chiefly from this point of view and all Judges at bench shows must judge the exhibits chiefly from the working standpoint.

CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. : Group 7 Pointing Dogs
Section 2 British and Irish Pointers and Setters.
With Working Trial.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY : The Irish Setter probably came to its own at the end of the 17th century. It is not well known outside of Ireland that there are two breeds of Irish Setters, but is fairly certain, that the Red and White Setter is the older of the two, and that judicious selective breeding evolved the solid red colour.
When Irish Setters came to the show benches, just past the middle of the 19th century, there was a good deal of confusion about their proper colour. By the end of the 19th century, the Red Setter had virtually eclipsed the Red and White, which became so rare, that they were thought to be extinct. During the 1920s, efforts were made to revive the breed. By 1944, the breed had re-established itself well enough to have a club of its own, and today it can be seen in healthy numbers at Irish shows and Field Trials. The present Club the Irish
Red & White Setter Field & Show Society was formed in 1981 and through its endeavours and direction the breed is now well established nationally and internationally. The Irish Red & White Setter competes successfully in Field Trials against the other pointing breeds and there are now quite a number of Field Trial Champions and Show Champions.

GENERAL APPEARANCE : Strong well balanced and proportioned without lumber; athletic rather than racy. The Irish Red & White Setter is bred primarily for the field and must be judged chiefly from the working standpoint.

BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT : Aristocratic, keen and intelligent. Displays a kindly, friendly attitude, behind which should be discernible determination, courage and high spirit. The Red and White Setter is very friendly, dependable and easily trained gundog.

HEAD : Broad in proportion to the body.

CRANIAL REGION :
Skull : Domed without showing occipital protuberance, as in the Irish Red Setter.
Stop : Good Stop.

FACIAL REGION :
Muzzle : Clean and square.
Jaws : Jaws of equal or nearly equal length.
Teeth : Regular teeth; scissor bite ideal; edge to edge bite acceptable.
Eyes : Dark hazel or dark brown; oval, with slight prominence and without haw.
Ears : Set level with the eyes, and well back, lying close to the head.

NECK : Moderately long, very muscular, but not too thick, slightly arched, free from all tendency to throatiness.

BODY : Strong and muscular.
Back : To be strong and well muscled.
Chest : Deep, with well sprung ribs.

TAIL : Moderate length, not reaching below hock, strong at root.
Tapering to fine point; no appearance of ropiness and carried level with or below the back.

LIMBS : Well muscled and sinewy; strong bone.
FOREQUARTERS :
Shoulders : Well laid back.
Elbows : Free, turning neither in nor out.
Forelegs : Straight and sinewy, well boned.
Pastern : Strong.
HINDQUARTERS : Wide and strong; hind legs from hip to hock long and muscular.
Stifle : Well bent.
Hock : Well let down, turning neither in nor out. From hock to foot of moderate length and strong.
FEET : Close-knit with plenty of feathering between toes.
GAIT : When moving at the trot long striding, very lively, graceful and efficient. Head held high, hindquarters drive smoothly and with great power. Forelegs reach well ahead and remain low. Seen from or rear forelegs and hindlegs below the hock joint moving perpendicularly to the ground, no crossing or weaving of legs, front or back.

COAT
HAIR : Long silky fine hair called “Feathering” on the back of the fore and hind legs and on the outer ear flap, also a reasonable amount on the flank extending on to the chest and throat forming a fringe. All feathering straight, flat and free from curl but slight wave is permissible. The tail should be well feathered. On all other parts of the body the hair should be short, flat and free from curl.

COLOUR : Base colour white with solid red patches (clear islands of red colour), both colours should show the maximum of life and bloom; flecking but not roaning permitted around the face and feet and up the foreleg as far as the elbow and up the hindleg as far as the hock. Roaning, flecking and mottling on any other part of the body is objectionable.

SIZE AND WEIGHT :
Desirable Height at the withers : Dogs : 24,5 – 26 ins. (62 – 66 cm).
Bitches : 22,5 – 24 ins. (57 – 61 cm).

FAULTS : Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.
SEVERE FAULT :
• Any dog or bitch not conforming to the height standard.
ELIMINATING FAULTS :
• Aggressive or overly shy.
• Males not having two apparently normal testicles.
• Although flecking but not roaning is permitted around the face and feet and up the forelegs as far as the elbow and up the hindleg as far as the hock, visible and excessive roaning, flecking and mottling on any other part of the body is an eliminating fault. Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.
N.B. : Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully
descended into the scrotum.