The Irish Setter was named Supreme Champion of England’s biggest show, Crufts Dog Show, three times in the 1990s. Here’s the third victor, Eng. Sh. Ch. Caspians Intrepid, owned by Jackie Lorrimer and bred by Mr. M. and Mrs. S. Oakley. This prestigious win took place in 1999.

The Irish Setter has been termed an artist’s dream. In the world of dog art, the breed is considered to be among the most beautiful of all dogs. With his brilliant red coat, long velvety ears and regal carriage, the Irish Setter commands attention wherever he appears. Blessed with typical Irish charm and joviality, the breed captures the hearts and imaginations of everyone who sees or meets this dashing rogue.

Despite its regal bearing, the Irish Setter is affectionate, playful and full of mischief. Independent, highly intelligent and most anxious to please, this is a superb family companion who can prance around the show ring and still hunt admirably in the field.

Like many other hunting dogs, the Irish Setter is an ancient breed. Although Irish folklore offers many theories on its ancestry, history records that most setter breeds evolved from spaniel-type dogs that had their origins in Spain and were so named after that country. Breed historians find references to an Irish Spaniel inThe Laws of Howell, an ancient tome written before the 11th century. The first mention of a “setter” in literature appears in the 1570 workDe Canibus Britannicis, revised in 1576. Author Dr. Johannes Caius discusses different types of dogs and makes the first reference to a “setter” as a dog that remains “sure and silent” upon finding birds, then “layeth his belly to the grounde and so creepeth forward like a worme.” Dr. Caius’s description is validated in the 1616 publicationThe Country Farmer where writers Surflet and Markham describe “another sort of land spannyels which are called setters.”

All canines evolved from the wolf, regardless of their breed or usage. Compare the upper skeleton of an American wolf to the lower skeleton of a retriever—the similarities are self-evident.

Dogs of that long-ago era were used in tandem with hawks or nets to capture birds. The dog would first search for game and, upon finding the birds, flush them into the air. The hunter then released his hawk, which would capture the bird, kill it and return it to the hunter.

The netting dogs were trained with more control. Once the dog had scented game, he would poise with foreleg raised and “set,” pointing to indicate the location of the birds. On command, he would drop to his belly and crawl closer to the game, where the hunter would then throw his net over both dog and bird.

Breeding habits of that time were planned according to the talents of the individual dog rather than any particular breed or variety. It is believed that in the 17th century spaniels were crossed at times with Spanish Pointers, no doubt another part of Irish Setter ancestry and, by the 18th century, “setter” dogs were recognized. In the 1804 tomeThe Shooting Directory, written by R. B. Thornhill, the Irish are credited with a Red and White Setter that was espoused by European sportsmen: “There is no country in Europe that can boast of finer Setters than Ireland.”

Once the preferred setter of Ireland, the Irish Red and White Setter is a direct relation of the more common Irish Setter. The two breeds are similar in conformation except for coloration.

It is also thought that the Irish Red Setter and the Irish Red and White Setter coexisted throughout Ireland during the early 1700s. Another theory suggests that a cross with the Irish Red Spaniel (or its Gaelic name, theMudder Rhu) made up the Irish Setter.

Dr. Caius, however, would have us believe otherwise. He notes that, “The most part of their skynnes are white, and if they are marked with any spotte