Irish Red and White Setter

The Irish Red and White Setter originated before the Irish Setter. The first actual written record that refers to a setting dog that was red and white dates back to the mid-17th century. Artwork that is dated at least a century before depicts similar red and white setting dogs. The paintings depicted these dogs with hunters in the field. The Irish Red and White Setter faced extinction when people began favoring setters that were a dark red with no white markings. When World War I began there were only a few Irish Red and White Setters left. Reverend Noble Huston and his cousin, Dr. Elliott began preserving the breed. As they bred these dogs, they began exporting some of them to other countries. Irish Red and White Setters were sent to Spain, England and the United States. Will Cuddy and Maureen Cuddy, a married couple, picked up where Huston and Elliott left off and championed the breed. Maureen Cuddy researched and recorded the Irish Red and White Setter’s history in the early 20th century. They helped to form the Irish Red and White Setter Society in Ireland in 1944. This society helped the breed gain separate recognition from his cousin, the Irish Setter. The first recorded Irish Red and White Setters were imported into the United States in the 1960s. More Irish Red and White Setters came into the United States from Ireland in the 1980s and the popularity of the breed within the United States spiked. The United Kennel Club officially recognized them as a separate breed in 1995. The Canadian Kennel Club followed suit in 1999. The American Kennel Club did not officially recognize the Irish Red and White Setter until 2009.