Lessons learned in kindergarten that we forgot

LOL, with all those comments you might as well ahve gotten a pit bull!

Seriously though I agree with you-what is wrong with people?

Even though I like to think I have thick skin, comments like that just get to me sometimes......and somedays its easier to let it roll of my back.

I'm sure you know this already but I'm here to remind you.........

Your dog dosnt need to matter to anyone but you. When your cuddled close, face buried in his fur, and sharing that special time THATS all that matters!

I met an Irish Setter at our dog park that sounds just like yours and he was georgous!  The owner and I had a really good chat because my grandmother used to breed ISs.  He (the owner) shared with me that there is starting to be a difference between UK setters and American setters, just like the lab.

Lillie and Dublin would get along great when it comes to meeting new dogs. She stays at my side when coming up to a dog she has never met before. She hates it when all they want to do is smell and lick her you know what. She will sit down tail between her legs and refuse to move until the other dog leaves her alone. Now if one wants to play she is all up for that. But she wants nothing to do with dominating or private licking monsters.

I get the "she's so skinny" comment all the time. As all of you have known I have been extremely paranoid that she is/was too skinny. Like Dublin's mom I have had 2 other setters that were easy to keep weight on. I have come to realize with the help of everyone on here that Lillie is fine and she has a different metabolism than my other 2 setters had. She is fine medically and I'm feeding her good food now so I have finally accepted nothing is wrong with her and she is just a little slimmer than I have been used to.

I have meet people that say the Irish Setter(s) they had were crazy also. Well I have had 3. Willow my first was very birdy and lived for Cheyanne's company. Morgan my second was WILD. She could have cared less if I fell off the face of the earth. Humans were the last things on earth that she cared about. If she was human you would have said she had multiple personality. During the day being with a human was the last thing she wanted. At night time she was trying to sit in my lap. She couldnt get enough loving. She was very smart though and stubborn/independent at the same time. And my third Lillie. She is my baby. She loves being with me. She loves making me happy and laughing. She is a goofball. She listens to me and keeps me busy. I could go on but I better stop.

When it comes to Lillie I have learned to ignore people. Unless they are really actually concerned and might have some good advice. Then I will listen and go from there. But if they start talking negatively about her I'm done listening.

kle1986

I get the "she's so skinny" comment all the time.

My friend with a Viszla gets that all the time too. She just tells people "oh he's a Viszla" and  leaves it at that.....kinda implying they dont know what they are talking about so mind your business, LOL.

If she's in a snooty mood she'll say " Ya well most dogs in America are too fat", LOL

I have a fat dog, Cheyanne. She is on a diet right now and isnt amused by it at all. The big brat has been bad and gobbling up the cat food every time I turn my back.

And you know what? Apparently it's ok for her to be fat because she has lab in her. That makes it a good reason for a dog to be fat?!!! Because they have lab in them?!!!

Fine then go do some more research and look up Irish Setters. Mine is at the perfect weight at 60lbs thank you very much. All I have to do is get some muscle on her so she wont look so skinny. And I have been working my butt off trying to do that. It isnt going as planned.

I'm gonna start using that line. "Well most dogs in America are too fat!!"

 I didn't know that Irish Setters were hyper ;p

I think that it's rare to find a person who really knows all about all breeds so I try not to let it bother me when people say stupid things about the breeds that I own. For instance, while in line the other day a girl said "I heard that dogs with blue eyes are really smart!" I said, well it probably has more to do with the breed than the color of their eyes. I mean, are people with blue eyes smarter than people with brown eyes?

Oh Losinsusan I can so relate! It seems like ISs are constantly the recipients of "too skinny" and "do you feed your dog enough" comments. But they are supposed to be lean - not have rounded figures or the barrel stomachs seen on so many labs. With IS I feel you should NOT be able to see the individual ribs (that's actually is too skinny IMO) like on a whippet, but you should be able to see the shape of the ribs, the hips, etc. (not alarmingly protruding of course, just easily distinguishable). Riley is very tall for his breed, doesn't really have any fringe on his stomach, etc, so he is not your typical showy, flowing coated setter either. When people ask how much I feed him, is he too skinny, etc., I just say briefly explain that ISs are supposed to be slender and he is in great shape.

I've also had many people tell me ISs are hyper, highstrung, etc. and that they had one when they were younger and it was a spastic, crazy animal. In regards to the hyper comment, I just say that none of the ones I've lived with (7 total) have ever been that way, which is 100% true, and I explain about the breeding surge that occured after Big Red was released, and how that usually accounts for setters of the past being "hyper". They as you know are not hyper - they have energy, and when their energy isn't released through exercise they become frustrated and this is when they're deemed "hyper".

I say, who cares what people who obviously know nothing about the breed think? I know it can be hurtful when people make comments, but as long as you love your dog and he loves you, that's what's important. And like you said, Dublin being wary of the Great Dane at your dog park is perfectly fine. Dogs know other dogs better than we do - maybe he senses something he doesn't like about this other dog.

Oh and about the coat - just because a setter doesn't have the picture pefect fur, flowing and feathering doesn't mean the dog is from bad breeding. Even some littermates can differ in coat lengths. Cadie has a nice, "flowy" coat but her littermate Josie has a lot more coat than her. And as you mentioned, it does take a while for setters' coats to fully develop - around 2 years or a little longer. Also, some ISs that mature quickly and have beautiful coats at a year old and champion at a very young age don't look as great down the road because they matured so quickly.

Ok this turned into a really long reply, sorry! But I just wanted to let you know you're not alone. And next time someone makes a comment about Dublin (who we need to see more of BTW! ) that isn't nice, try not to let it get to you. My dog doesn't care if his coat is "too short", he's "too timid" or if he's "too skinny", so there is no reason for other people's concern and rude comments.

 Your 'gripe' made me smile a little bit because I used to get upset at some comments made about Kobi too. I would mostly get, "Are you sure he's an Aussie? I think a Bernese must have sneaked into the yard. Ha! Ha!" One day I was out walking Kobi with a really close friend, who would never be rude or try to offend me in any way and you know what she said? = "Are you sure Kobi isn't part Bernese?" Well I almost died! My best friend, dissing my dog! At first I was a little angry but we got talking about it and she suggested that people weren't being rude or in their minds saying unkind things about your dog. People were simply making conversation, sharing observations and imparting  what ever dog knowledge  they had or thought they had. I on the other hand was taking the comments very personally. They weren't implying that being part Bernese was a bad thing. That was my conclusion. So I never let it bother me anymore unless it is an obvious slight - which rarely happens. But rant away, it is very therapeutic.

 And, my answers would be:

1.  Why is he so skinny?

Because he's so active, and I'm glad, because lean dogs live longer.

2.  Do you have papers on him really?

A. Yes   B. No, what does it matter? 

3.  Are you sure your breeder is a good breeder?

A. Yes   B.  I'm sure my dog is a great dog. 

4.  I used to have an irish setter, craziest dog we ever owned.

Well, I find that dogs of any breed can be trained to answer cues, even if their temperament is to be active and energetic. 

5.  They are so hyper why would you get a setter?

Same reason other people get Bulldogs (or name their breed) - I like them. 

6.  You fixed him too early that is why he doesn't have a full coat and is so thin.

Better a thin dog than 7 or 8 unwanted puppies. 

7.  He looks part greyhound

Greyhounds are beautiful, too, don't you think?

I laughed at the Aussie comment, too.  Most people in my area have never seen a working type Aussie, so they think that if it doesn't have a big white ruff, or heavy bones, it can't be an Aussie.

This: http://users.htcomp.net/slashv/home.htm

Versus this: http://www.paradoxaustralianshepherds.com/cobb.htm 

Neither dog is bad, but they are different. 

But rant away, it is very therapeutic.