Litters
We have litters spaced about 18 months apart.
We believe in breeding our best individuals, not all individuals. We breed select bitches who have earned titles, are structurally sound, have passed all health tests recommended by our national breed club, and have outstanding traits and features we are looking to continue in the breed.
We are actively showing and campaigning our dogs across the country, so we can see what other breeders consider their best. Prior to breeding a litter, we spend a great deal of time researching pedigrees, health histories, as well as physical and temperment traits of the potential stud, in order to select the sire that best compliments the dam we are breeding.
If you are considering adding an Irish Setter to your family, please visit our Looking for an Irish Setter page for information about breed health and looking for a puppy.
What factors do we consider when planning a breeding?
In order for us to consider a breeding, both the sire and dam must have passed the three health clearances recommended by the Irish Setter Club of America (PRA, OFA Hips,OFA Thyroid).
We do look at titles when examining pedigrees. We like to see successive generations of Champions. Champion titles indicate that individuals have been judged in the breed ring and found to be a confomationally acceptable interpretation of the breed standard. Individuals having ROMs indicate that those individuals consistantly produce quality animals that represent the breed standard. Obedience titles show trainability, and field titles show hunting instinct.
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We also look at the phenotype (what physical traits they posses) of the dogs throughout the pedigree. We like to see similar structural traits (such as well laid back shoulders) in each generation.
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We give major consideration to temperment. We like to know about the personalities of the individuals in the pedigree. Sweet, gentle dispositions are our preference--these are easy to live with dogs.
How do we raise our litters?
Puppies are raised in the house. Mother and litter have their own whelping room off the guest bedroom for privacy. We handled infant puppies daily, chart their weight and trim their nails.
When puppies eyes have opened and they are ready to be weaned, we move them from their their whelping box into exercises pens in our sunroom. The puppies are on sherpa sheepskin (which provides traction as puppies are learning to walk). We use a "potty box" to train puppies to go in a specific spot, rather than soiling where they sleep. Toys are changed often so puppies become familiar with a variety of textures.
Our sunroom is in the main part of our house. Puppies are exposed to the normal household noises and activity of everyday living as well as social interactions with our older dogs. We handle puppies daily. We work with the puppies so they are used to grooming, crates, and going outside (as weather permits). Puppies romp in the sunroom with their siblings. We also take puppies out into the main part of the house individually to interact with our older dogs.
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