Life with Your New Irish setter: Have a Plan

irish setter laying downIrish Setters, or Irish Red Setters, can be an excellent choice for you if you are active in the outdoors and have the right amount of time to devote to spending time with your new companion.  However, life with any breed of dog can be a challenge when you don’t have a plan, and the Irish setter is no exception.

This is a highly active dog with a sunny disposition, but when left to his own devices, he can often become distracted, strong willed and difficult to train.  When worked with properly, this dog breed is relatively easy to train and enjoy.

Be strong and firm, but gentle

Your new Irish setter has a fun-loving personality, but he needs to have a firm, strong leader.  Making sure that your new dog understands what is expected of him early on will allow for a happy dog, and happy owner.  Avoid scolding severely, as this dog will likely not do well with this type of training.

The shy, quiet owner will likely have a difficult time with the Irish setter because he will begin to think that he has a stronger will than you, and that will make it difficult for you to train your new companion properly.  Having confidence in what you ask your new Irish to do will help him to understand that you are the leader of the pack, and allow you to be an excellent dog owner.

On the flip side of the spectrum is the overzealous disciplinarian.  This type of dog does not typically do well with strong scolding excessive discipline.  The Irish typically does well with a strong lead to follow and positive reinforcement.

Follow up good behavior with rewards

Some Irish setters truly enjoy the treat reward system, but many others are just happy to get plenty of exercise.  Developing a plan to help you ensure that your Irish is well exercised every day can help to make training and owning this type of dog a pleasant experience.

With the Irish setter, a good reward can be to play a game of catch or playing with him to keep him entertained.  He loves food, but loves to play and exercise even more, so by allowing extra play time when has a good training session, you are offering him the positive reinforcement that he will love and respond to well.

When you have a strong plan in place for the training of your Irish, and you are able to devote a firm, loving environment, you will find that this dog is an excellent companion for your family members for years to come.