Page 16 - ShowSight Presents - The Irish Setter

OfficialStandard for the
IRISH SETTER
COURTESY THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB
General Appearance: The Irish Setter is an active, aristocratic bird dog, rich red in color, substantial yet elegant in build. Standing over two feet tall at the shoulder, the dog has a straight, fine, glossy coat, longer on ears, chest, tail and back of legs. Afield, the Irish Setter is a swift-moving hunter;at home, a sweet natured, trainable companion.
At their best, the lines of the Irish Setter so satisfy in overall balance that artists have termed it the most beautiful of all dogs. The correct specimen always exhibits balance, whether standing or in motion. Each part of the dog flows and fits smoothly into its neighboring parts without calling attention to itself.
Size, Proportion, Substance: There is
no disqualification as to size. The
make and fit of all parts and their over-
all balance in the animal are rated
more important. 27 inches at the with-
ers and a show weight of about 70
pounds is considered ideal for the dog;
the bitch 25 inches, 60 pounds.
Variance beyond an inch up or down
is to be discouraged. Proportion-
Measuring from the breastbone to rear
of thigh and from the top of the with-
ers to the ground, the Irish Setter is
slightly longer than it is tall. Substance-All legs sturdy with plenty of bone. Structure in the male reflects masculinity without coarseness. Bitches appear femi- nine without being slight of bone.
Head: Long and lean, its length at least double the width between the ears. Beauty of head is empha- sized by delicate chiseling along the muzzle, around and below the eyes, and along the cheeks. Expression soft, yet alert. Eyes somewhat almond shaped, of medium size, placed rather well apart, nei- ther deep set nor bulging. Color, dark to medium brown. Ears set well back and low, not above level of eye. Leather thin, hanging in a neat fold close to the head, and nearly long enough to reach the nose. The skull is oval when viewed from above or front;very slightly domed when viewed in profile. The brow is raised, showing a distinct stop midway between the tip of the nose and the well-defined occiput (rear point of skull). Thus the nearly level line from occiput to brow is set a little above, and parallel to, the straight and equal line from eye to nose. Muzzle moderately deep, jaws of nearly equal length, the underline of the jaws being almost parallel with the top line of the muzzle. Nose black or chocolate;nos-
trils wide. Upper lips fairly square but not pendulous. The teeth meet in a scissors bite in which the upper incisors fit closely over the lower, or they may meet evenly.
Neck, Topline, Bod y: Neck moderately long, strong but not thick, and slightly arched; free from throati- ness and fitting smoothly into the shoulders. Topline of body from withers to tail should be firm and incline slightly downward without sharp drop at the croup. The tail is set on nearly level with the croup as a natural extension of the topline, strong at root, tapering to a fine point, nearly long enough to reach the hock. Carriage straight or curving slightly
upward, nearly level with the back. Body sufficiently long to permit a straight and free stride. Chest deep, reaching approximately to the elbows with moderate forechest, extending beyond the point where the shoulder joins the upper arm. Chest is of moderate width so that it does not interfere with forward motion and extends rearwards to well sprung ribs. Loins firm, muscu- lar and of moderate length.
Forequarters: Shoulder blades long, wide, sloping well back, fairly close together at the withers. Upper arm and shoulder blades are approximately the same length, and are joined at suf- ficient angle to bring the elbows rearward along the brisket in line with the top of the withers. The elbows moving freely, incline neither in nor out. Forelegs straight and sinewy. Strong, nearly straight pastern.
Feet rather small, very firm, toes arched and close.
Hindquarters: Hindquarters should be wide and powerful with broad, well developed thighs. Hind legs long and muscular from hip to hock;short and perpendicular from hock to ground;well angulated at stifle and hock joints, which, like the elbows, incline neither in nor out. Feet as in front. Angulation of the forequarters and hindquarters should be balanced.
Coat: Short and fine on head and forelegs. On all other parts of moderate length and flat. Feathering long and silky on ears;on back of forelegs and thighs long and fine, with a pleasing fringe of hair on belly and brisket extending onto the chest. Fringe on tail moderately long and tapering. All coat and feathering as straight and free as possible from curl or wave. The Irish Setter is trimmed for the show ring to emphasize the lean head and clean neck. The top
280 • SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, DECEMBER 2017