New member - Cherry 17 week bitch - a cupla problems

[Dennis Doyle]

Hi - I have never owned an Irish Setter before but have owned a border collie until she died from lymph cancer a few months ago. Cherry is our wonderful new puppy which we collected at 8 weeks. She is now 17 weeks and gorgeous. Everybody we meet says that she's a cutie but as she's a Setter so she will be 'mad as a hatter and untrainable!'

We took her to her first show last week and she won her minor puppy class (3-6 months); 2nd in prettiest bitch and to confound all those who consign setters to the untrainable sin bin, won the novice obedience class!!! We train by clicker and reward - positive re-inforcement operant conditioning and she loves it.

She lived up to her Kennel Club name - 'A Star Is Born'

I hope to gain more knowledge about Irish Setters from existing owners please. We met our first real problem this week as she is to have a minor operation Friday to correct an entropic right eye. Very slight inward turn but enough to irritate her so we follow the vet's advice.

The next issue will be speying which we feel is the right thing for her to avoid pyometria and mammary tumours etc but we recognise that there is a side issue of tendency to obesity afterwards (avoided by simple husbandry) and we will be sad to see her lose her rich coat colour and silky conditioning which I understand happens to a lot of speyed setters. We know it will affect her showing etc but that is not an important issue for us as we will be doing rally obedience and agility. The spey will go ahead when she is around 9 months, so, with the greatest of respect to all those who oppose such a course of action, I am not seeking a debate on whether she should be speyed or not but simply people's experience of coat loss etc and whether this is always the case and/or is there anything I can do to aid the coat condition after the operation.

Thank you everyone

regards

 

Dennis

[Dennis Doyle]

I'm in Barrow (Holbourne Close). My wife (Suzanne) and I regularly walk Cherry along the canal fields both ways from the Navigation Inn. We like to walk Cossington Meadows and the Outwoods at Woodhouse Eaves. Would be delighted to walk with you and yours. Martin is usually large animals but likes to keep his hand in with smaller ones. We like him as we know him from time when Louise worked for him and have always had confidence in him. I thank the stars that we don't still have horse vet fees and shoing. The farrier must cost a fortune now. When we stopped being horsey it was £38 a set - must be much more than that that now?

Cherry has her stitches out Monday so will thankfully lose her lampshade then!

We were starting Rally Obedience training this week but our trainer, Jill Gibson. has had to cancel because her dad died this week. Bought a couple of excellent books recently - both clicker based - "Agility right from the start" and "Clicker training Rally Obedience"

best wishes

dennis