How many of you have had 'no issues' with your Setters?

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I have been reading through some of the discussions on this site and I couldn't help noticing how many training and behavioural issues have come to light ....

Destructive, noisy, disobedient, separation anxiety, hyper, fussy eaters to name but a few! 

It would be interesting to know how many of you have had no problems (excluding health) with your Setters and have found the breed to be very trainable and a 'doddle' to live with and why, in your opinion, do other people seem to come up against these problems with their dogs.

 

 

[Val Martin]

What a touching story Sue........

I agree with the last sentence, my home will never be without an Irish Setter (or three or four!!) either.

[JOANNE]

I have to say my little red girl, Solasdas Copper Ruse, has been a dream to live with. She is the most gentle lady, loves everyone, was easy to train both at home and for the show ring. She is a pure delight to live with and although has had no exposure to children in the house she is always the first to greet them on one of her walks. Her only fauly maybe is being rather selfish by taking up her mums side of the bed during the night :-)

[Val Martin]

Clever boy!

[Cathy Smythe]

Ha ha ha - if we're stretched out watching a film,  the boys will ask to go out and when you get up to open the door, they whizz back and launch themselves on the sofa!!!!!

[Sherry Miller]

Issues?  hmmmmm.....thinking back and also including my darling Molly I have to say I do not think it was so much issues as competition for my attention.  Our Irish who did not have children to compete with ( first Shilo and Molly) seem to be spoiled but pretty issue free....they each have their quirks which make them who they are( Molly hiding her borrowed socks) but not what I would call an issue.  Our Irish who were raised with our girls competed I feel.........found ways to make sure the attention was on them as they seldom misbehaved when I was gone but waited for me to be right in the middle of paying attention to the girls when they pulled something........and it worked!  but then I learned to adjust and include the IS in everything I did here at home with the girls so issues disappeared....and the girls loved the IS being included in most things ( bedtime stories they were the pillow....bathtime they were cuddled up watching to be sure the drain did not swallow their baby.  I have been lucky in not having one who had separation anxiety or destructive behavior that never stopped,,,,so I would say no to issues and yes to them just fitting into different phases of my life.

   Intelligent?  you can take that to the bank.........never have met a dog who was smarter than my Irish......they know how to get what they want when they want it and you have to get up early to keep ahead of them!!  Love watching them manipulate things to their advantage....like tricking you to get you out of their chair or sofa you happened to sit on.......or borrowing your sandwich after distracting you.........it is just part of the whole package......charm, mischievous, loving, smart, and just happy go lucky most of the time.  Each time I think I have seen it all they find something new to show me they know!  So I would just enjoy and love them for just being Irish Setter's loving life and living it large!