What is your particular "Pet-hate" when it comes to faults?

[ursula wilby]

Looking at the photographs on this site, the irish setter comes in many shapes. When it comes to shows, most judges have their special "pet-hates". In fact I think we all have.
I am disregarding temperament here and just focusing on what the eye can see.
My two "pet-hates" are droopy eyes (I used to have bloodhounds, and those eyes belong to the breed but NOT on a setter!)
The other one I find hard to accept is a high tail. To me the tail should carry on from the back and not stick straight up in the air...or even be carried above the line of the back.

So what are your "pet-hates"????

[Loma I. Clark]

What a pretty head and nice expression.

Loma

[Susan Stone]

Thanks Loma! Sadly due to other difficulties I did not continue the line.

[Kristina Brannlund Westin]

I have droopy eyes on some of my dogs. I don´t like it myself, but when it comes to choose between droopy eyes and for example a bad croup, or bad movements I will prefer droopy eyes. But yes I agree that it is disturbing for the expression.

[Loma I. Clark]

Another thing that bothers me is what I call a "Hock Walker". I've seen quiet a few of these in the rings lately and its like watching a German Shepard move around the ring. The poor dogs look cribbled.

I've seen it in a few puppies from a certain stud dog, so it seems to be a fault that he is passing on. Judges sometimes don't even seem to notice and will give the dog the class. That is disturbing.

Loma, USA

[Kristina Brannlund Westin]

Loma, I have noticed sometime that some judges don´t care about the dogs movement, and that is very disturbing.What is a lovely looking setter if it kind of fall apart when it starts to move? And I really think that bad movements pass on to the children.Unfortunately some breeders forget about movements when they breed. Sad but true.

[Susan Stone]

I would also have thought that overangualtion in the rear would be the cause for what you term 'hock walker' - but I've never actually heard this expression before. Probably as in GSDs the tibia is too long, which positions the hocks way behind the dog, causing undue strain on knee and hock joint. The dog may look flashy when stood artificially, but shows the weekness when moving and will probably stand with sickle hocks when resting in natural position.

[ursula wilby]

A "pet-dislike" (notice how I am being mellow to please Ginger) came to me. It has actually got nothing to do with the dog itself but rather with the owner...and sort of could be put in the trimming-discussion...I just HATE (back to being myself) it when owners leave that thin spidery hair on top of the dogs head AND ACTUALLY COMB IT IN A PARTING!!!!!!!!!!!!
Like a wig on top of the dogs head!

[Loma I. Clark]

I have a pet home that refuses to cut that hair on top of the head or let me, and they actually put a rubber band on it sometimes. Cracks me up to see her that way. But what can you do?

I like to scissor, clipper or stone off the " blonde wig" that sits on top of the head. Although not all dogs grow it. I had a puppy from my last litter that grows "mutton chops" on the sides of his face and over his brows, they are light like the hair on top. Really weird to see. I never had a Irish Setter with hair like that.

Loma

[ursula wilby]

I dont know if a bow in that "wig"-hair is worse than the combed parting...it just upsets me to see a great-looking breed look so stupid!
As for the mutton chops, I have had a few puppies like that...they grow out of it. Its like that puppy-fur stuck on really tight!
But it is totally gone by the time the dog has grown up.:=)

[Dušan Rauški]

Hey! I comb my hair like that! So I’m stupid? Thanks a lot Ursulla.
(hehehe just kidding)

The things that bother me personally the most in some setters are the coarse at the ears (which some old lines here have) and the lack of stop on some dogs.
Also in body I find very disturbing when the croup is above back due to bad rear angulations (sorry I don’t know how it is called in English).

But nothing, I repeat nothing, is so bad in Irish setters like some of the owners!

[Laura Kolbach]

oh so true! ;-)

[ursula wilby]

This is great Dusan and Laura!
Lets start a discussion about setter-OWNERS!
If we then could get in a few differances country-wise, that should heat things up a bit!!!!!!!!

Only kidding!!!!!!!!!!!! :=) NOTE SMILY!!!!!

Ursula
(with parting in her hair)