Irish Setter

A lot — plan on 60-90 minutes of vigorous daily activity, meaning running, retrieving, swimming, or field work, not a leisurely walk. This is a bird dog bred to cover ground for hours. An Irish Setter that gets only a short walk becomes destructive, mouthy, and hard to live with, and owners routinely misread that as a behavior problem when it is simply unmet exercise. Add 10-15 minutes of training or puzzle work daily to drain mental energy too.

Yes, on temperament — they are affectionate, gentle, sociable, and reliably good with children and other dogs, which is a big part of their appeal. The honest caveat is energy and maturity: a young Irish Setter is bouncy enough to knock a small child over by accident and stays adolescent in behavior until about age three. They suit active families who can meet the exercise demand, less so quiet households expecting a calm dog quickly.

Moderate to high. The silky feathered coat on the ears, chest, belly, and legs mats and collects debris if neglected, so brush and line-comb 3-4 times a week, bathe every 4-6 weeks, and trim feet and sanitary areas. Budget a weekly ear check as a non-negotiable grooming task — the heavy drop ear traps moisture and is this breed's most frequent and avoidable vet visit, especially in dogs that swim.

Typically 12 to 15 years, which is good longevity for a medium-large sporting breed. Lifespan is most affected by bloat (an acute killer the chest shape predisposes the dog to) and by managing hip arthritis, thyroid disease, and weight over the years. Buying from a breeder who screens hips and DNA-tests for CLAB and PRA, keeping the dog lean, and feeding split meals are the levers that most affect both span and quality of those years.

They are intelligent and eager to please but slow to mature and easily distracted, so 'easy' is misleading. They learn quickly with upbeat, consistent, reward-based training in short sessions, but harsh corrections cause them to shut down or get silly rather than comply. Recall is the priority command — a scenting sighthound-adjacent breed will follow its nose, so train and proof recall from puppyhood and keep reinforcing it through the long adolescence.

CLAB is an inherited immune disease historically specific to the Irish Setter: a gene defect stops white blood cells from reaching infections, so affected puppies suffer severe, recurrent, life-threatening infections and rarely survive. The reason it should reassure rather than scare a buyer is that a DNA test exists — ask the breeder for proof that both parents are tested clear or are a tested non-affected pairing. A documented CLAB-clear litter takes this off the table entirely.