Irish Red and White Setter - Top 10 Interesting Facts

The Red and White Irish Setter dog breed barely escaped extinction when most breeders began focusing on the all-red varieties.
There are TOP 10 interesting facts about Irish Red and White Setter.

1) History

Before the Irish Setter, there was the Irish Red and White Setter. The first written records to refer to a red and white setting dog date to the mid-17 th century, but paintings from a century before that show similar breeds. They were favorites with hunters because they were easy to see in the field, but when dog shows came along, the desire for dogs that were dark solid-red nearly led to the disappearance of the red and white dogs.

2) Temperament

The good-natured and affectionate Red and White is not only a popular hunting dog. Thanks to his excellent scenting ability and strong natural instincts for pointing and retrieving, he does double-duty as a family friend. He likes kids and can fit well into a family with children, with the caveat that he is pretty rambunctious, especially as a pupster, and should always be supervised around toddlers.

3) Watchdog

The Red and White is alert, so he’s a good watchdog, but he doesn’t have the protective nature of a guard dog. He generally gets along well with other dogs and is friendly toward cats when he’s brought up with them. But bear in mind that he only scores a 3 for "cat-friendliness" on a scale of 1 to 5.

4) Training

The Irish Red and White Setter responds well to patient, gentle training with positive reinforcement techniques such as play, praise, and food rewards. That said, he likes to have his own way and may stubbornly resist if what you’re asking doesn’t seem like fun. For best results, begin training early, keep it interesting, and don’t assume you can stop after a single obedience class. This breed is slow to mature, so he will be playful and puppy-like until he’s three or four years old.

5) Post Stamps

The Irish Red and White Setter along with the Irish Setter appear on a postage stamp in Ireland released during the early 20th century.

6) Excercise

Choose an Irish Red and White Setter if you are an active person who can give him the exercise he needs. A long walk or run of an hour or more a day will do, or you can take him hiking. He’s also a super competitor in dog sports such as agility, obedience, and rally, and can be an excellent therapy dog. Be warned: if you don’t give him an outlet for his energy, he will become frustrated. A frustrated Irish Red and White Setter is a destructive Irish Red and White Setter.

7) Almost Extinct

Although the Red and White Setter is the older of the breeds, sometime in the 1850s, the pure Red Setter began to gain widespread popularity and eventually surpassed the popularity of the Red and White Setter. At the time, many thought the Red and White Setter had indeed become extinct but due to a few breeders, this breed was revived in the 1940s. Most Red and White Setters today can trace their lineage back to the 1940s during the revival period.

8) Coat

The Irish Red and White Setter’s medium-length coat features a white base and the solid red patches. The coat should be wavy, not curly. Its nose and legs can have some mottling and flecking, but these areas shouldn’t be roan (red and white evenly mixed).

9) Grooming

The Irish Red and White Setter has a medium-length particolor coat with deep chestnut red patches on a white background. Brush and comb the coat two or three times a week to prevent or remove mats and tangles. A bath every six weeks or so doesn’t go amiss. In addition, trim the nails as needed, brush the teeth, and keep the ears clean and dry.

10) Health

Irish Red and White Setters have health conditions that can be a concern, especially if you don’t screen the breeder carefully. They include hip dysplasia, eye problems such as cataracts and progressive retinal atrophy, hypothyroidism, and an immune disorder called Canine Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency.

Source:
http://www.vetstreet.com/dogs/irish-red-and-white-setter#health