Why a Setter?

[rosie beere]

Hi Guys,

 was wondering why in the first place you decided Setters were the only dog for you.

We had a young child about to start crawling, (he is now 40) when we thought about getting a pup.

Many years earlier I had been given for Christmas a book on dog breeds, so we got it out and went through it many times both Geoff and I always coming back to the beautiful Irish Setter, I remember it saying the lovelest of all breeds, gentle, great family dog easy to train.

So a trip to Coventry from Wales and we bought our first pup, a Wendover Irish Setter bitch, we named her Bonny and she was. She was all that the discription in my book had told me.

So that my friends was our begining of our love of these wonderful dogs.

Rosie

[Ann Millington]

Having always had mongrels, we decided, when the children were old enough, to get a Border Collie to 'look after them'.  Dylan came from a puppy farm in Wales and was a disaster!  There was an elegant Irish setter in a garden along the road, snoozing in the sun, "the next dog we'll have will be one like that," I said.  "Beautiful, calm and quiet" !!!

We moved house and started looking for Irish Setter puppies in pet shops - Green?  Wet behind the ears? We made all the mistakes in the book - a great education! Then there was an advert in the local paper - Two Irish Setter bitch puppies for sale.  We only wanted a dog, but we thought we would just go and look at them - we really didn't want a bitch.  You've guessed!   Of course we came home with one of those puppies.  Fortunately she was well-bred and well reared.... and the Coppermoor empire started with Copper.........

There are only Irish Setters.... all the rest are just 'dogs' (except IRWS of course - but that's another story!)

[Angela Clarke]

when I was growing up we had every kind of dog, but I wanted an irish. My dad said they were mad, we had some grazy dogs, but he said they were mental and untrainable ( parent arent always right they just think they are.) So when I got my first setter 8 years ago I took my puppy to the church yard and showed him I got my setter, and he said setters were mad.

[sue morgan]

Angela, my father  always  said  Irish went from being loveable    silly to loveably  senile    ,,,,,,,thats why  we always had  them

[Astrid Landsaat]

Well, my first dog was a cross breed that came from an animal shelter. I fell in love with the breed when I saw paintings of them in a book by Rien Poortvliet and later when I met them at dogshows. Then I knew that my next dog would be a setter! My lovely cross breed passed away in 2002 at the age of 16 years and 7 months. 6 months later our first setter came in our live. She had a lot of health problems and died way to young. Our second setter came a year ago and in august we will have another one. In the future I sure will breed setters. I am definitely addicted to the breed!

[claire Rabaiotti]

Well, it all started 19 years ago.  6 weeks after having my son I went to cook breakfast in a local hotel. The owners had 2.  Scared of them was an understatement!! My job was to let them back in first thing.  All I ever saw was legs, long red legs up at the door. I'd wait until they started barking before letting them in. Then I'd run and yes, they'd give chase to try and give me lots of love. Then on a visit to The RSPCA there waiting for me was a beautiful Red called Chard. Instant love!! Lucy I've had from a babe in arms. The only breed for me. Crazy-yes. Stupid-debatable.  They're cleverer than most! 

[Rhonda Fisher]

I have always had family dogs in my life from a child. Purebreds and scruffs. All lovable. Our Airedale that arrived with my daughter went with my first husband. Natalie and I went through a small pet stage and then I met Phil. A Irish Setter Man through and through. Rufus came to live with us as a older setter and Phil would say, "You should have met him when he was a pup, He was magnificent". When Rufus passed he could not think of getting another for 3 years. Every year off to the shows to meet and talk to breeders, as his breeder was no longer breeding. Now I am owned by 2 red brothers and loving it. We are a Irish Setter family through and through. I wish now that I had met Rufus when he was younger, his legends make so much more sense when you have experienced a  Setter.

[claire Rabaiotti]

Rhonda, It took me 4 year before getting another after Chard passed.  Had gastric flu and off work when Eve Gardners IS won crufts. Cried buckets and only then I realised what was missing in my life! Lucy.