English Setter vs Irish Setter

An English Setter
Photo: Rjgunn007
An Irish Setter
Photo: Luis Miguel Bugallo Sánchez (Lmbuga Commons)(Lmbuga Galipedia)

Side by side

English Setter
Irish Setter
Adult weight
Males 29–36 kg (65–80 lb); females 20–25 kg (45–55 lb) (breed club figure)1
Males 29–35 kg (63–77 lb); females 25–30 kg (54–66 lb) (estimated: ±10% around the AKC/ISCA standard's show weights of about 70 lb for dogs and 60 lb for bitches)
Height
Males 65–69 cm; females 61–65 cm (breed club figure)1
No sourced figure
Lifespan
Median 13.1 years2
Median 12.9 years2
Fully grown
12 months, both sexes3
Group
Pointing dogs4
Pointing dogs5
Coat
Long coat4
Coat with feathering5
Shedding
Sheds through the year
Grooming
Daily brushing
Brushing a few times a week
Exercise
Plenty
Health
No sourced figure
Mouth melanoma (much more likely); Inward-rolling eyelid (much more likely)6,7
Class
Field
Family

Which suits you

Grooming
The English Setter needs more grooming, daily brushing, where the Irish Setter needs brushing a few times a week.
Temperament
They differ most on sensitivity (English Setter: needs a calm, predictable home; Irish Setter: average) and on prey drive (English Setter: likely to chase small pets; Irish Setter: chases; needs managing).
Alike
They are much the same size as adults, about 28 kg (61 lb) for the English Setter and 29 kg (65 lb) for the Irish Setter.
Alike
Both are rated the same on affection: a lap or leaning dog.
Neither is the better dog in general. Which suits you depends on your home, your days and the care you can give.
Take the breed matcher

What they're like

English Setter
Pointing dogs · Large

In temperament the English Setter is gentle, affectionate and sociable, and usually friendly with strangers and other dogs.

Irish Setter
Pointing dogs · Large

The Irish Setter's temperament is outgoing, sweet and affectionate. It has plenty of energy and is known for staying playful and slow to settle long after puppyhood.

The English Setter page →The Irish Setter page →

Breed traits

Day to day
English Setter
Irish Setter
Activity
Needs lots of exercise
Needs lots of exercise
Intelligence
Learns readily, likes games
Learns readily, likes games
Handler demand
Needs steady training
Needs steady training
With people
English Setter
Irish Setter
Affection
A lap or leaning dog
A lap or leaning dog
Loyalty
Bonded to its family
Bonded to its family
Independence
Cooperative, with its own ideas
Cooperative, with its own ideas
Around the home
English Setter
Irish Setter
Sensitivity
Differs
Needs a calm, predictable home
Average
Voice
Barks to alert, then settles
Barks to alert, then settles
Prey drive
Differs
Likely to chase small pets
Chases; needs managing
Breed explains only about 9% of how individual dogs differ in behaviour8. Meet the dog. A good breeder breeds for temperament as well as health, and matches each puppy's personality to the right home9,10.

Puppy growth

Reference curves · both sexes
Both grow to much the same adult weight, about 29 kg. The Irish Setter's weight is not a published figure.
English Setter
Irish Setter
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More comparisons

Compare the English Setter with
English Setter vs English Springer SpanielEnglish Cocker Spaniel vs Irish SetterEnglish Setter vs Gordon SetterAll breed comparisons →

Sources

Parts of this page were written by AI ·