Selecting Your Irish Setter Puppy
Puppies of any breed are cute and irresistible, but puppies don’t stay tiny and helpless for long. The full-grown Irish Setter stands about 2 feet tall, weighs up to about 75 pounds and requires about 1 1/2 pounds of food a day. Irish Setters are more active than the other Setters and need plenty of exercise. With exceptional care they can be kept in city apartments, but this necessitates long walks, a mile or two a day, if the dogs are to be kept in first-class shape.
Once you decide that the Irish Setter is the dog for you, how do you go about choosing the right one, when you are faced with a group of Irish puppies at the kennels? Your first interest should be in obtaining a healthy animal, Try to select the one that’s the most active and aggressive. If the puppies have just been fed and are sleepy, wait a while before making your selection. Check the dog’s ,eyes and ears for any puslike discharge, and pass him over if his eyes or ears are running. A running nose or a very dry nose can also be a danger sign in a young puppy. Look at his teeth and gums and make sure they are not bleeding. If the puppy is having a bowel movement, it should not be watery.
Avoid a puppy that is thick-set, that has bow legs, a flat skull or large, widely set eyes. You can’t tell much about the dog’s ultimate color, but if the puppy’s coat is very light or dead-looking, or if there are bare spots, better pass him up. As you look the puppies over, compare them as well as you can with the ideal adult dog described in the standard.
It is always wise to make your purchase subject to the approval of a veterinarian. The seller will usually allow you eight hours in which to take the puppy to a vet to have his health checked. Arrive at a clear agreement with the seller on what happens if the vet rejects the puppy. It should be understood whether rejection means you get your money back or merely the choice of another puppy.
All purebred puppies should have an American Kennel Club registration and a pedigree for at least three generations. Ask to see copies of these, and look for the “Ch.” in the listings of the dog’s parents and grandparents. This denotes dogs that have won their breed championships.
