Are you considering adopting an Irish setter 6 months old or younger? Regardless, it pays to know how this breed grows and what to expect in its life stages while discovering its unique needs for easy care. I’ve compiled all you need to know about Irish setters, including what to do in each phase and additional puppy care tips for proper growth.
An Overview of the Irish Setter Dog’s Life Stages
Understanding your Irish setter’s life stages can go a long way in raising your young pup. After all, it lets you delve into the processes in your puppy’s body and mind during the critical periods in its life.
It’s also interesting to see how a once-young, rambunctious setter dependent on its mother grows into a curious explorer and finally reaches fully-fledged dog adulthood.Â
Birth to 2 Weeks
You consider your Irish setter a newborn at this stage, meaning it can’t still walk, hear, smell, or see. And you can expect your young pup to eat and sleep, sticking near its mother. After all, her milk will be the puppy’s only source of nutrition alongside her ample body warmth.Â
Besides that, newborn setters depend a lot on their mother to urinate and defecate. After all, like any other dog, those fresh from the womb won’t be able to do it themselves!
Once your newborn pup reaches two weeks, expect them to develop sight and hearing slowly. And from here, you can see your tiny pet begin exploring its surroundings more.
Typically, newborn Irish puppies will weigh less than one pound during birth. And it’ll slowly gain weight until it reaches two weeks.
Although this phase doesn’t leave your red setter to depend on you much, that is only the case if it’s still with its mother. If the mother is absent, you must constantly watch after the fragile puppy, often feeding it every 3 to 4 hours with bottled milk.
2 Weeks to 3 Months
After two weeks, expect more growth and changes in your setter pup’s life. And this phase is where this breed will experience the most changes. Firstly at three weeks, your puppy should begin weaning itself off from its mother’s milk, often succeeding at six weeks.
At this point, the young Irish dog will grow up fast, making it want a LOT of food. But be careful when switching your hunting pup’s diet to solid food — do it slowly and carefully. After all, one wrong move at this stage can be fatal to your pet, causing choking, bloating, etc.
3 Months to 9 Months
This life stage is when your young gundog will begin going through puberty. And when it reaches an Irish setter 6 months old, you can consider spaying or neutering your dog. But be careful and remember to consult a vet as it can be dangerous to large breeds, like the setter!
Regardless, your red-haired furry friend will experience a considerable appetite boost at this stage. Still, only give your young pup puppy-formulated food at this point to meet its growing needs. After all, adult dog food tends to have fewer nutrients than its puppy counterparts.Â
9 Months to 18 Months
Your Irish dog will be finalizing its adolescent stage and gradually becoming an adult setter! And this breed will reach its full height at this stage, peaking at 12 months. But weight will be different as it varies in each canine’s diet, exercise levels, and genes.Â
Regardless, you can expect your hunting dog to continue gaining weight until it becomes a year and a half old.Â
18 Months and Beyond
Once your red-haired canine reaches 18 months and beyond, congratulations, you have a fully-grown adult Irish setter! Well, in physical terms, considering this breed is slow to mature, keeping the energetic dog in a puppy mindset for a while. And some even remain this way in their lifetime!
At this point, your Irish dog should stand between 25 and 27 inches and weigh between 60 and 70 pounds for optimal health. It shouldn’t go beyond these measurements, as you may risk your furry companion developing health problems.
How to Check Irish Setter 6 Months Old and Younger Pups Weight and Height?
If you want to keep track of your Irish setter pup’s growth, measuring its height and weight is essential.Â
You can do the latter by simply using a tape measure and extending it from your puppy’s head to its hind legs. The tricky part is letting your gundog stand on its rear to check its height from its shoulders! Regardless, this breed will achieve its peak height between 10 and 12 months.Â
At most, your Irish dog can reach a height between 24 and 28 inches, depending on gender.
While you’re at it, make an effort to check your setter’s neck circumference size too. And it’s best to measure where your hunting dog’s collar falls using a flexible tape measure. Once you find the spot, put two fingers between your pet’s neck and the measuring tool for a snugly-fit collar.
Generally, the neck circumference for a setter expands between 16 and 22 inches.
Finally, to track your Irish dog’s weight, you must learn how to weigh the breed correctly. To start, you should be able to check your setter’s weight at home to see if you can carry it and keep it still. And here, you can narrow your hunting dog’s weight via a regular bathroom scale.
But for reference, weigh yourself first and jot down the results. And while standing on your weight scale, pick up your setter and hold it. Although inaccurate, the difference in the weight can give you a rough idea of how much your pet weighs.Â
Meanwhile, if your Irish setter’s too heavy to carry, you can measure its weight via a dog’s scale. Although you can buy one for home use, you can also ask to use one in a vet’s office.Â
Unless your gundog has health issues, you should be able to weigh an adult one bi-yearly, once every six months. Meanwhile, doing it weekly for a puppy is essential as it lets you know it’s growing normally.
When are Irish Setter Dogs Considered to Be Fully Grown?
Since Irish setter dogs are a large breed, they will continue growing longer than others. For instance, toy breeds will likely hit their final weight and height in around half a year. Meanwhile, the Irish setter 6 months old, is only halfway, leaving more room for growth. And generally, this huge gundog will grow until it reaches 18 months.
But some can reach their peak height at 12 months, continuing to pack on the pounds six months later. And some can even continue gaining weight until 24 months.
If you want an accurate estimate of how big your red setter pup will become, use a canine DNA test. It’ll confirm your gundog’s genetic history, giving you a good grip on its size.Â
Alternatively, you can ask the breeder to see what your pet’s parents looked like. And there, you’ll better grasp when your setter will be fully-grown. Aside from that, you can check its paws, as young Irish dogs need to grow into theirs, so if yours still has large feet, it still has more growing to do.Â
What Factors Affect Irish Setters’ Growth?
No matter how well your Irish setter pup grows, any of these factors can affect its overall size:
🔵 Genetics
Genes and blood lineage play a massive role in a setter’s growth. Some are genetically predisposed to be bigger or smaller than the breed’s average size. And it’s because different pups will have various parents, where one might be tinier or more sizeable than the norm.Â
Generally, Irish dogs with a more profound work history grow giant and have immense strength. And this can lead to a strain of larger-than-average setters, achieved through selective breeding.Â
🔵 Gender
During the initial 44 weeks of an Irish hunting dog’s life, this gundog can grow fast. And at that point, the breed will have reached 95% of its adult weight, halting its weight gain. But some may gain more, lasting up to 57 weeks. Although both genders of this breed undergo these changes, understand that male setters grow slower than their female counterparts.
Male Irish setters grow fast in their initial 44 weeks of life, gaining 95% of their adult weight. But like how quickly the male canine grew, it also lost weight over time. Hence, some attain their max weight a bit late, peaking at 57 weeks! And at that point, they should also have reached sexual maturity.
Meanwhile, female setters grow relatively faster than their male counterparts, reaching peak height at 44 weeks. And these dogs should also have reached their maximum adult weight at this point. Depending if you’ve had your female setter spayed, they can either lose or gain weight over time.
Like their male counterparts, female Irish dogs also reach sexual maturity at 57 weeks.
🔵 DietÂ
Another massive factor affecting a setter’s growth and size is its diet. Considering it’s a large breed, it’s crucial to ensure its meals are packed with protein and healthy fats, promoting healthy development. It’s best to invest in quality puppy-formulated kibble from the beginning to supply your gundog with the appropriate nutrients.
Quality food aside, check if your setter’s macronutrient ratios are correct. Generally, each meal should have high protein content, moderate to high healthy fats, and low carbs. And choose kibbles with essential fatty acids like Omega and DHA for better skin and coat growth.
Finally, check to see if your gundog is a good eater, as digestion plays a crucial role in its growth. After all, no matter how high-quality the meals you give to your pet are, it will only be worthwhile if it can digest the food well. And malnutrition and malabsorption are among the most significant deprivations setter pups have, taking away essential nutrients — disrupting growth.
🔵 Health Issues
Any purebred setter has a high chance of developing chronic health issues during its lifetime. After all, some have been bred to protect their bloodline. And because of this, this breed has a higher risk of the following ailments, disrupting its growth:
Hip Dysplasia
A prevalent joint issue that can affect an Irish setter’s mobility due to incorrectly formed hips. And unfortunately, this has no cure as it’s a hereditary disease from the dog’s parents.Â
Osteochondritis Dissecans
It’s an orthopedic condition brought about by incorrect cartilage formation in the setter’s joints. And Osteochondritis Dissecans often affects the breed’s elbows and shoulders, but more on the former.
This disease can be debilitating to the large dog as it can make its elbows painfully stiff, preventing it from bending them. An Irish setter 6 months old and younger can already display signs of this condition.
Beware that high-protein diets or overfeeding your gundog with growth formulas increases their risk of developing this joint disease. And this, in turn, can stunt the large dog’s growth!
Hypertrophic OsteodystrophyÂ
HOD is a debilitating and painful bone condition that causes lameness in fast-growing large breed pups like the Irish setter. And this can be problematic for thing gundog as it can occur alongside dangerous symptoms like anorexia and immobility. As a result, it can stunt your pet’s growth, delaying its growth.
Canine Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency
Another hereditary condition that affects an Irish dog’s growth is canine CLAD, targeting its immune system. And this makes the canine more vulnerable to immune-suppressing diseases, often experiencing recurrent infections and immunological issues.
You can have a DNA test done with your setter to see if it’s devoid of the canine leukocyte gene.Â
Thyroid Issues
Thyroid problems can directly stunt a setter’s growth as it primarily affects hormones. And unbalanced hormones can delay or hasten the breed’s growth. Like any other hereditary disease, most thyroid-related conditions have no cure.Â
The best thing you can do to help your canine combat thyroid issues is to consult a vet.
🔵 Physical Activity and Overall Health
Exercise levels have a tremendous impact on your gundog’s growth. And those overworked from a young age often experienced stunted growth. Although there’s no clear explanation, it could be because of the excess strain and force on the pup’s body and joints, causing delayed development.
But lazing around can’t help either, as insufficient activity levels can make a setter overweight, stunting its growth too!Â
Additional Tips to Ensure Proper Growth for Irish Setter Puppies
Like adult Irish setters, the nutritional health of setter pups depends on getting the correct amount of the six crucial nutrients:
- Water
- Protein
- Carbs
- Minerals
- Vitamins
- Fat
Formulas containing these essential nutrients are enough to meet your growing pup’s needs. So, except for water, these should complete their nutritional requirements. But note you need to give these in the correct proportions to ensure a balanced diet. If not, you may risk your setter puppy becoming overweight.
You can find the nutritional adequacy statement on the kibble’s label, stating if the product offers all the nutrients a growing canine needs.
Although protein, calcium, and fat are the primary nutrients people focus on for Irish puppies, all essential nutrients matter too. And this is especially the case during their rapid growth phase. Any deficiency here can compromise the breed’s short- and long-term well-being.Â
If you give your young setter unbalanced nutrients, the following health issues may pop out:
- A lack of protein can stunt a setter’s growth while compromising immunity. As a result, the young pup becomes more vulnerable to more stressors and infectious agents.
- Zinc deficiency contributes to a weaker immune system, causing skin abnormalities.
- Not enough calcium levels can delay a large breed’s growth, often causing skeletal issues.
How Much Food Does an Irish Puppy Need?
Like how weight varies, the amount of food Irish setter 6 months old and other ages vary. It can depend on your hunting dog’s build, activity levels, diet, etc. And due to this variation, an excellent place to begin is by looking at the guidelines on dog food packages.
Although these don’t apply to all setter puppies, they can give you a clear idea of how much you need to feed your dog. And for a safer approach, keep an eye on your pet’s weight and adjust the given food guidelines as required. For instance, if you have a skinny Irish pup, increase the meal proportions a little.Â
Meanwhile, if you notice considerable weight gain from your setter, reduce its proportions to maintain a healthy weight. Younger setters below 12 months will need at least two to three meals daily.Â
The Best Food for Setter Pups
In the middle of its growth stage, here is where most Irish setters will experience an appetite boost. And regardless of how big your gundog has gotten, remember to stick to puppy food until your pup has reached one year. The best food for this stage are formulas with high protein and healthy fat content, with a dash of calcium.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How big will Irish setter dogs become in their adulthood?
A: The tallest an Irish dog stands is from 25 to 27 inches, weighing between 60 and 70 pounds. And, of course, gender plays a huge role here as male setters are more sizeable than females.Â
Q: How often should I feed an Irish/red setter dog daily?
A: Providing a red setter with at least three healthy and balanced meals throughout the day guarantees healthy and fast growth. But remember to feed younger setters with puppy food and older ones with adult dog food. After all, puppy-formulated kibbles pack more nutrients and fat, which can be too much for older dogs.Â
Q: Is an Irish setter 6 months old fully grown?
A: Considering Irish setters are a large breed, six months is still a long way through its adult stage. Generally, this gundog reaches peak growth between 12 and 18 months but stays with a puppy-like mindset.
Q: How hyper are Irish puppies?
A: Irish pups get excited quickly and boast high energy levels. And notorious for their playful nature, the younger versions of Irish setters are even worse.Â
Q: At what age do Irish hunting dogs calm down?
A: Famous for their happy-go-lucky personalities, an Irish setter dog’s energy levels never really go down. At most, this breed can begin calming down more once it reaches two years old.
Final Words
Monitoring an Irish setter dog’s growth from birth is crucial in guaranteeing a healthy and happy adult. Generally, the most challenging phase for this breed is during the 2-week to the 3-month stage, as it constantly undergoes different changes. You can relax during the Irish setter 6 months old to 9 months phase as constant attention isn’t needed anymore. Once it reaches 12 months, you can teach it to be more independent, letting it enjoy its growth into dog adulthood!
