Male vs Female Irish Setter: 5 Key Differences

Male and female Irish setters are generally pretty similar. Both are relatively active and need plenty of exercise. They aren’t a good choice for those who aren’t particularly active themselves. They both have long, flowing coats that require frequent brushing. Otherwise, they can become tangled.

Both have a very similar temperament, too. They’re easy to train and tend to be pretty friendly.

However, there are some key differences between these two genders. While sex isn’t the main consideration that should be on your mind when choosing a puppy, it can be important in some instances.

Here are the main differences between male vs. female Irish setters:

1. Male vs. Female Irish Setter: Size

Male and female Irish setters have very similar appearances. At first glance, you won’t be able to tell a male or female apart by just looking at them (unless you looked between their legs, of course).

However, like most dog breeds, male and female Irish setters have a slight size difference. Males are larger by around 10 pounds and stand a few inches taller. Females are a bit smaller and stand a few inches shorter. This difference is an average, though. It’s still possible to find some larger females that are bigger than some smaller males.

This small weight difference doesn’t mean much in the real world. Males may be slightly bigger, but they aren’t so much bigger that they need more space.

2. Male vs. Female Irish Setter: Temperament

Temperament differences between male and female dogs haven’t been well-researched. Some personality differences are possible due to hormonal differences.

Males may be slightly more energetic due to their higher testosterone levels. Females tend to go through many hormonal changes throughout their lives, so they may have temperament differences depending on where they are in their cycle.

Of course, if you get your dog spayed or neutered, these differences will be much less obvious. There may not be any more temperament differences at all.

3. Male vs. Female Irish Setter: Activity Level

Males may be slightly more active than females if they are left intact. This behavioral difference is due to higher testosterone, as we discussed briefly above. That said, it’s important to point out that both males and females are very high-energy. The slight difference won’t be very noticeable when considering the high energy needs of Irish setters.

A male Irish setter may need an extra ten minutes a day exercising. However, when you’re exercising your Irish setter for over 90 minutes a day, those extra ten minutes won’t be very obvious.

Don’t purchase a female expecting her to be more laidback or less active.

4. Male vs. Female Irish Setter: Health

These canines both have similar health. In fact, if spayed and neutered, there will be no difference between a male’s and a female’s health. If your dog is left intact, there will be a few differences.

Of course, females can get pregnant, and males cannot. This difference can have a larger impact on the female’s health, depending on how well she is cared for. A female who gets pregnant too early or isn’t provided with proper nutrition may end up with bone density problems and similar health issues later in life.

Pregnancy can be hard for dogs, but proper care can help diminish health issues.

Both males and females can get unique forms of cancer. For instance, a male cannot get uterine cancer because he doesn’t have a uterus. That said, one gender isn’t specifically prone to cancer over the other. They’re just able to get certain types of cancer the other cannot get.

5. Male vs. Female Irish Setter: Shedding

Both male and female Irish setters shed. It’s just the nature of the breed. However, shedding is partially driven by hormones. An intact female may shed more at certain points of her cycle for this reason. You may or may not notice a huge difference, though, as this does vary from dog to dog.

Males tend to have less of a hormonal difference throughout their life. Therefore, their shedding tends to be more even.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Irina Nedikova/Shutterstock.com