Friendly, affectionate and loving, your Irish Red and White Setter is a sociable dog that gets on well with everyone from children and adults to dogs and other pets. They are truly devoted to their owners and unafraid of strangers. They’ll greet your visitors with a happy and cheerful welcome, so train them from an early age not to jump on people. Your Irish Setter’s lovable and trusting nature means that he isn’t a good watch or guard dog as he has no protection instincts. There are two types of Irish Red and White Setter, so it’s important to pick the right line for you and your lifestyle. The first is the field type – a hard working dog bred for hunting and field trail work, they tend to be smaller and have shorter coats. The bench type was bred for the show ring – they have a longer coat and have a little less energy than the field type dogs. Whether your Irish Red and White Setter is a bench or field type, be prepared to have a swift, high spirited, energetic dog on your hands. They need daily exercise in order to keep them content and to avoid them becoming highly strung or destructive. A natural hunting dog, your Irish Red and White Setter will relish running around open fields and chasing the wildlife, so a country home is well suited to the breed.