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Irish Red and White Setter

The Irish Red and White Setter is an athletic medium-to-large bird dog of roughly 23 to 32 kg standing 57 to 66 cm at the shoulder, distinguished from its better-known cousin the Irish Setter by a parti-color coat — clearly defined red patches or "islands" on a pearl-white base — and by a slightly shorter, stockier, more powerful build.

Irish Red and White Setter dog breed portrait
Irish Red and White Setter — gallery 2
Irish Red and White Setter — gallery 3
Irish Red and White Setter — photo by Lachlan Ross (Pexels)

Size

49-71 lb

Lifespan

11-15 years

Exercise

20-40 minutes

Shedding

Moderate

Experience

Match to owner routine

Is This Breed Right for Me?Compare Irish Red and White SettersCare Guide
By Mr Pet Lover Team·Updated
Fact-checked against the sources listed on this page, including American Kennel Club, ASPCA, AVMA. Not individually reviewed by a veterinarian. Editorial standards
This article is for general information only. Always consult your veterinarian for medical decisions about your pet.

Decision first

Is a Irish Red and White Setter right for you?

Start with fit before history or trivia. These are ownership signals, not guarantees about any individual dog.

Best suited for

  • Households with children.
  • Homes with other compatible pets.
  • Apartment homes with a consistent routine.
  • Owners seeking a manageable daily exercise routine.

Think carefully if

  • You need a dog with almost no daily routine.
  • You cannot keep up with grooming and preventive care.
  • The dog will spend most days alone without support.

Conditional fit

Apartment fit depends on exercise, enrichment, noise management, and outdoor access.

Daily reality

Irish Red and White Setter commitment snapshot

The best breed choice is the one whose daily care actually fits your calendar, budget, and home.

Daily exercise

20-40 minutes

Match activity to age, health, weather, and training goals.

Coat care

Moderate

Grooming needs vary by coat, shedding, and lifestyle.

Time alone

Needs planning

Most dogs need gradual alone-time conditioning and support.

Structured facts

Irish Red and White Setter at a glance

The measurements and traits that most affect day-to-day life with this breed.

Group

Sporting

Weight

49-71 lb

Height

22-26 in

Lifespan

11-15 years

Temperament

Courageous | Spirited | Determined

View all characteristics and methodology

Lifestyle fit

Apartment suitability
Likely fit
Child friendliness
Often good, with socialisation and supervision
Other-pet fit
Often compatible with careful introductions

Owner commitment

Exercise
20-40 minutes
Grooming
Moderate
Shedding
Moderate
Training
Moderate

Environment and health

Health risk
Needs planning

Ratings combine structured breed data, visible breed fields, and editorial context. They are planning aids, not predictions for an individual dog.

Daily life

Irish Red and White Setter temperament and behavior

The Irish Red and White Setter is an athletic medium-to-large bird dog of roughly 23 to 32 kg standing 57 to 66 cm at the shoulder, distinguished from its better-known cousin the Irish Setter by a parti-color coat — clearly defined red patches or "islands" on a pearl-white base — and by a slightly shorter, stockier, more powerful build. The coat pattern is not just cosmetic: it was deliberately retained because a red-and-white dog is easier for a hunter to see at distance in the field. This is a working pointing and setting gun dog first, and a companion second; the field engine is the defining fact. Temperament is high-spirited, friendly, affectionate, and biddable — Irish Red and Whites are people-oriented, good-natured, and generally less aloof than some pointing breeds, with a strong desire to work with their handler. They are intelligent and trainable but exuberant and slow to mature; they retain a puppyish, energetic outlook well into adulthood. They are athletic dogs bred for stamina and a day's hunting, so they need substantial daily exercise. Under-exercised, they become bouncy, mouthy, and destructive — not because of a temperament fault but because an unworked field dog has nowhere to put its drive. The Irish Red and White Setter is right for an active owner — ideally one who hunts, runs, hikes, or does dog sports — who can give 60 to 90 minutes of real daily exercise, will commit to socialization and reward-based training through a long adolescence, and will buy only from a breeder who DNA-tests for the breed's inherited disorders. It is the wrong dog for a sedentary or low-time household, a first-time owner wanting a calm low-energy pet, or a bargain buyer skipping genetic testing — the breed carries serious inherited conditions that are entirely avoidable with screening. Decide on the exercise commitment and the testing requirement first; the warm temperament is real but it does not lower the workload.

Courageous | Spirited | Determined

Courageous

A common Irish Red and White Setter temperament descriptor that should be interpreted alongside training, exercise, and household fit.

Spirited

A common Irish Red and White Setter temperament descriptor that should be interpreted alongside training, exercise, and household fit.

Determined

A common Irish Red and White Setter temperament descriptor that should be interpreted alongside training, exercise, and household fit.

Owner note

Temperament labels are starting points, not guarantees. Meet the individual dog and ask about behavior history whenever possible.

Care essentials

How to care for a Irish Red and White Setter

What looking after one actually involves: exercise, grooming, food, training, and routine health.

ExerciseAs needed
  • Lower-energy breed that is content with daily walks and moderate play. Avoid over-exercising.
GroomingAs needed
  • Regular grooming needed — brush 2-3 times per week and bathe monthly.
TrainingAs needed
  • Moderately trainable — consistent, patient training with positive methods works best.
NutritionAs needed
  • Feed a high-quality dog food appropriate for their age, size, and activity level. Monitor portions to prevent obesity.
Veterinary CareAs needed
  • Annual wellness exams, core vaccinations, dental care, and parasite prevention. Breed-specific health screenings as recommended by your vet.

Care calendar

Daily

  • Meals, water, exercise, interaction, and a quick health check.

Weekly

  • Grooming, nails, ears, teeth, and body-condition review.

Annually

  • Veterinary exam, vaccination review, and preventive-care planning.

Health planning

Irish Red and White Setter health risks and screening

Every breed has individual health variation. Use this profile for planning and discuss medical decisions with a veterinarian.

Canine leukocyte adhesion deficiency (CLAD) — a severe inherited immune disorder largely specific to the Irish Setter family, including this breed: affected puppies cannot mount normal responses to infection and suffer recurrent severe infections and failure to thrive, typically fatally in early life. A DNA test exists and responsible breeders test to avoid producing affected puppies — making genetic status the single most important question when buying.
Von Willebrand disease — an inherited bleeding disorder reported in the breed in which deficient clotting factor causes prolonged bleeding from wounds, surgery, or minor trauma, and unexplained bruising; severity varies, and screening of breeding stock plus surgical caution in affected dogs are the practical controls.
Posterior polar cataract (PPC) — a hereditary cataract forming at the back of the lens that gradually worsens and can impair vision; ophthalmic screening of breeding dogs is advised and any developing lens cloudiness should be examined.
Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) — inherited degeneration of the retina causing progressive vision loss and eventual blindness, reported and DNA-tested within Irish setter lines; night-vision decline is typically the first sign.
Hip dysplasia — abnormal hip-joint development causing laxity, pain, and progressive arthritis; a relevant orthopedic concern in this athletic breed, reduced by buying from hip-screened parents and keeping the dog lean.

Responsible ownership

Finding a Irish Red and White Setter responsibly

A responsible path can be a documented breeder or a good rescue match. The important part is transparency and support.

Reputable breeder

  • Ask for documented health screening relevant to the breed.
  • Meet the breeder, parent dogs where appropriate, and review medical history.

Rescue or adoption

  • Check breed-specific rescue groups and reputable shelters.
  • Ask about temperament, medical history, foster notes, and support after adoption.
  • Match the individual dog's age, energy, and behavior history to your household.

Warning signs

  • No health documentation.
  • Pressure to buy immediately.
  • No questions about your home or experience.
  • Unclear return policy or unwillingness to provide references.

Original purpose

Irish Red and White Setter history

History is useful when it explains today's behavior, coat, exercise needs, and training style.

Read the breed history

The Irish Red and White Setter is, despite its rarer status today, considered the older of the two Irish setter types — the parti-colored red-and-white setting dog predates the now more familiar solid-red Irish Setter. It was developed in Ireland over several centuries as a working setting and pointing gun dog for hunters, with the distinctive red-on-white coat retained for the practical reason that it makes the dog visible at distance against field cover. The breed declined dramatically in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as the solid red Irish Setter rose in fashion, and it came close to extinction before a deliberate revival effort in Ireland in the 1920s and onward, led by dedicated enthusiasts rebuilding from the limited remaining working stock. It was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 2009 and remains uncommon. Its long, unbroken history as a hunting setter directly explains the modern dog's high stamina, strong working drive, biddable people-oriented temperament, slow maturation, and the inherited health conditions tied to its historically small gene pool.

Irish Red and White Setter — gallery 2

Lower-page context

Irish Red and White Setters in culture

Where the breed shows up in film, sport, work and folklore — the enjoyable part, once the practical questions are answered.

Fun facts

  • The Irish Red and White Setter belongs to the Sporting Group.
  • With proper care, Irish Red and White Setter dogs can live up to 15 years or more.
  • Irish Red and White Setter dogs are valued for their courageous, spirited, determined nature.

Irish Red and White Setter FAQs

How long do Irish Red and White Setter dogs live?

A healthy Irish Red and White Setter typically lives 11 to 15 years, a good span for a medium-to-large sporting dog. Lifespan is influenced most by buying from a breeder who DNA-tests for the breed's inherited disorders, by keeping the dog lean for joint health, and by consistent ear care. A well-bred, well-exercised setter from tested lines commonly reaches the upper part of that range in active, sound condition.

What inherited diseases should an Irish Red and White Setter breeder test for?

At minimum, DNA testing for canine leukocyte adhesion deficiency (CLAD), which is largely specific to this breed family and fatal in affected puppies, plus screening relevant to von Willebrand disease (a bleeding disorder), posterior polar cataract, progressive retinal atrophy, and hip evaluation. Documented genetic and health-screening results from both parents are the most cost-effective protection you can buy in this breed — the conditions screened against are severe and avoidable.

Are Irish Red and White Setters good with children?

Generally yes — they are friendly, affectionate, good-natured, and people-oriented, which makes them sociable family dogs. The realistic cautions are exuberance and a long adolescence: a young, under-exercised setter can be bouncy and unintentionally knock over small children, and it stays high-energy for two to three years. Supervise interactions with young kids, ensure the dog is well-exercised before family time, and channel energy through training and play.

How much exercise does an Irish Red and White Setter need?

Plan on 60 to 90 minutes a day of vigorous activity — running, field work, swimming, hiking, or dog sports. This is a stamina-bred working gun dog, not a low-energy companion. Under-exercised, it becomes hyperactive, mouthy, and destructive, and its slow maturation means high energy and adolescent behavior persist for years. Honest assessment of your time and lifestyle is essential before choosing this breed.

Are Irish Red and White Setters easy to train?

Reasonably — they are intelligent, biddable, and eager to work with their handler, which suits reward-based training and field or sport work. The trade-off is sensitivity and slow maturation: they respond poorly to harsh correction and stay mentally puppyish for two to three years, so consistency and patience matter. Short, varied, positive sessions and early broad socialization produce a confident, well-mannered adult.

How is this breed different from the Irish Setter?

The most visible difference is the coat: the Irish Red and White Setter is parti-colored — solid red patches on a white base — while the Irish Setter is solid mahogany red. The Red and White is also slightly shorter, stockier, and more powerfully built, and is the older and rarer of the two types. Functionally both are athletic setting gun dogs, but the Red and White carries breed-specific inherited conditions (notably CLAD) that make genetic testing especially important when buying one.

Sources

Every claim on this page traces to a published source. Each opens in a new tab so you can check it yourself.

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