THE IRISH SETTER
Happy St. Patrick's Day. There was only one breed to write about today.
The Irish Setter has been turning heads in the Irish countryside since the 1700s, developed from a combination of spaniels, setters, and pointers by hunters who needed a fast, wide-ranging bird dog with a nose to match. The red coat wasn't merely decorative. It was practical, easy to spot against the heather and cover of Irish moorland. Early dogs were red and white, but by the mid-1800s the solid mahogany had become the preference, and it's been that way ever since.
The name tells you everything about the job. A setter "sets," locating birds by scent, then freezing in the direction of the game and holding that position until the hunter arrives. It requires drive, patience, and a close working relationship with the person at the other end of the field. Irish Setters work best for those with whom they have a bond. That's not just a training observation. It's the whole point of the breed.
The Irish Setter's popularity took a wild ride in the 20th century. After the 1962 Walt Disney film Big Red, registrations exploded from around 4,000 pups per year to more than 60,000. The demand outpaced responsible breeding, and the results were predictable, a generation of dogs that were beautiful and not much else. Sportsmen started calling them Irish airheads. The bottom eventually fell out of the puppy market, which proved to be the breed's salvation. Dedicated breeders quietly took the breed back and rebuilt it, and today's Irish Setter is very much the dog it was always supposed to be.
They're described in nearly every source as rollicking. It's the right word. Joyful, mischievous, slow to mature, and genuinely incapable of a bad mood. They're also clownish rogues, to borrow a phrase, and they'll absolutely test your patience while making you laugh at the same time.
Brandy, the dog in this painting, was a perfect example of the breed at its most Irish, a natural bird dog, a devoted protector, and a cake thief of legendary skill. His full story is told in a client story on this blog, and it's worth reading.
For this painting, Brandy's owner wanted him in the autumn forest he loved for walks. The setting suited him completely - a big red dog moving through golden light.
This painting is available as a fine art print in the shop. View print options.
Brandy's full story is here.
If your breed is finished and you'd like a custom portrait of your own dog, the commission process starts here.
