Irish Setter Puppies: Adopt or Buy in Australia?

Should you adopt or buy an Irish Setter?

Either route can work. The Dogs Australia breed standard, which places the Irish Setter in Group 3, Gundogs, describes a dog that is “most handsome and refined in looks, tremendously active with untiring readiness to range and hunt under any conditions”, with a temperament summed up in two words: “demonstrably affectionate”. The colour is “rich chestnut with no trace of black”.

A registered breeder who DNA tests for CLAD and progressive retinal atrophy and scores hips and elbows gives you the best odds against the breed's known inherited problems and a puppy you raise yourself. Rescue gives you a dog whose energy and manners you can see first; check the live listings, as numbers change daily. The route to avoid is an online ad for a cheap “red setter” with no health results and no breeder you can check.

Reference figures: the RSPCA Victoria fee page, read 12 November 2026. Not a quote. Breeders and rescues set their own prices and change them, so check with them.

What is an Irish Setter like to live with?

Affectionate, playful and busy. Dogs Victoria describes the Irish Setter as “fun loving, playful and demonstrably affectionate”, mischievous and independent, intelligent and stubborn, but always happy to please, and says Irish Setters do not like to consider themselves dogs, but rather part of the family. It calls the breed active, needing time and exercise, but adaptable, and says a daily walk or run is a must and a fenced yard is essential. It recommends enrolling a six-month-old puppy in a local obedience school.

Be realistic about the exercise. The UK Royal Kennel Club lists more than 2 hours of exercise a day for the breed, and Dogs Australia's puppy-choosing advice says a working dog or gundog “will be active in mind and body and will require regular occupation and a lot of exercise”. A setter was bred to range widely, so a secure yard and solid recall training matter before you let one off lead.

Sources: Dogs Australia breed standard, Dogs Victoria and the Royal Kennel Club, read 12 November 2026.

Which health tests should an Irish Setter breeder show you?

Dogs Victoria calls the Irish Setter generally a healthy breed, but says conditions that occur occasionally include canine leucocyte adhesion deficiency (CLAD), progressive retinal atrophy (PRA1 and PRA4), bloat, hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia, and recommends asking breeders what health testing they do. Two of those have DNA tests worth asking about by name:

• CLAD. The UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory describes it as an inherited blood disorder affecting Irish Setters, characterised by abnormal blood clotting and immune system functions.
• PRA rcd1 and rcd4. Progressive retinal atrophy is an inherited degeneration of the retina. On its Irish Setter health panel, the UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory says that in Irish Setters and Irish Red and White Setters, dogs with this disease are typically completely blind before two years of age; that describes the PRA test on its panel, which does not name the variant. The Royal Kennel Club lists rcd1 and rcd4 as two separate DNA tests, so ask for both.

Here is what Dogs Victoria names, next to what two overseas bodies list: the UK Royal Kennel Club and the US parent club. The overseas lists are for asking an Australian breeder questions, not Australian rules:

Sources: Dogs Victoria Irish Setter profile, Royal Kennel Club and the Irish Setter Club of America's CHIC requirements, read 12 November 2026. A buying checklist, not veterinary advice.

The UK Royal Kennel Club says that since 6 January 2025, imported Irish Setters and litters by overseas sires can be registered there only if they are proven clear or carriers of CLAD and PRA rcd1, or hereditarily clear. If a parent is described as hereditarily clear, ask to see the certificates that status rests on. Ask to see the certificates for both parents, with names that match the litter. Dogs Victoria warns that a claim of “clear of all hereditary disease” based on a DNA test alone should ring alarm bells, because many conditions, such as hip dysplasia, have no DNA test.

Bloat, or gastric dilatation-volvulus, is the emergency to know about in a deep-chested breed, and the standard asks for a chest “as deep as possible”. If your dog has a swollen or tight belly or retches with nothing coming up, call or go to your nearest vet now. Our dog bloat guide explains the warning signs and what the research says about risk.

How much is an Irish Setter puppy from a registered breeder?

We quote no breeder price, because none of the member breeders whose websites we read published one. In November 2026 we read the own websites of Irish Setter breeders who are members of Dogs Australia state bodies, leaving out listing and classified sites, and found no published price. The prices we did see were on listing sites, which we do not use, and we found no guide price from a breed club or state body. We cannot speak for every breeder, so ask each one.

Ask for the price in writing and compare what it includes: the parents' CLAD, PRA, hip and elbow results, the vet check, vaccination and microchip, whether the puppy is on the Limited Register with a desexing agreement, and whether the breeder will take the dog back if your circumstances change. Dogs Australia also suggests asking whether your own vet can check the puppy.

You may need to wait for a litter. Dogs Australia's registration figures show 122 Irish Setters registered in 2025, against 211 in 2021 (registrations, not litters bred). The dog cost calculator gives a first-year budget beyond the purchase.

Survey of member breeders' own websites, November 2026. Any price a breeder gives you is theirs to set; prices change, so check with them. Nothing here is a quote.

What do Irish Setters in rescue look like?

It varies. Check the live listings above, as numbers change daily; an Irish Setter in rescue may be an adult or a Setter cross, and a good rescue will tell you how the dog is with children, other dogs, recall and time alone. If you adopt, ask whether the dog's CLAD and PRA status is known, and if not, ask your vet about testing and an eye check.

If you are flexible on breed, browse large dogs and family dogs listed by rescues:

• Large dogs: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide.
• Family dogs: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide.

What does a rescue Irish Setter cost?

Reference only, not a quote. These are the fees each rescue published on the date shown; fees change and some dogs are priced individually, so check with the rescue. Read our guides to adopting a dog in Australia and adopting a senior dog.

How do Irish Setter puppy scams work?

Scamwatch warns that scammers set up fake websites, and fake profiles on social media and online marketplaces, for pets that do not exist, and that if a pet is very cheap it is likely a scam. Dogs Victoria's puppy scam fact sheet adds that fake ads may display microchip, source or membership numbers lifted from legitimate breeders, and that scam sites often use puppy photos downloaded from other websites. Checks to make before you pay:

• Health results. Ask for the parents' CLAD and PRA results and hip and elbow scores, with certificates whose names match the litter.
• Colour. The standard asks for rich chestnut with no trace of black, allowing only small white markings. The Irish Red and White Setter is a separate breed, so if a puppy has large white patches, ask exactly what you are being sold.
• Borrowed numbers. Dogs Victoria says to contact the organisation a seller claims membership of and check the number is valid and matches the breeder's name, location and breed.
• Copied photos. Dogs Victoria passes on the ACCC's advice to use a reverse image search to check whether the photos appear on other websites.

Our guide to puppies for sale in Australia has the state-by-state table of breeder numbers, how to check each one, and what to do if you have already paid.

When is a registered breeder the better choice?

Rescue is not right for everyone, and if you want an Irish Setter puppy specifically, waiting for a registered breeder is reasonable. Check these before you pay:

1. Registration. Ask for the breeder's prefix and membership number and check them through Dogs Australia's breeder search or your state body.
2. CLAD and PRA status of both parents, by DNA test or hereditary clear status.
3. Hip and elbow scores for both parents, and an eye examination.
4. An honest health history of the lines, including any bloat.
5. A written contract covering health problems, register type, desexing and whether the breeder will take the dog back.

Is an Irish Setter the right dog for you?

The appeal is real: a beautiful, affectionate dog that wants to be part of the family. Be honest about three things before you apply anywhere: hours of exercise every day and somewhere safe to run, a securely fenced yard and patient training for recall, and regular grooming of the feathered coat. Not sure? Try the what dog breed is right for me quiz, the dog exercise calculator and the adoption readiness check, and compare with our guide to family dogs.

Find an Irish Setter near you

Irish Setters and Setter crosses listed by rescues, by city:

• Irish Setters for adoption in Sydney
• Irish Setters for adoption in Melbourne
• Irish Setters for adoption in Brisbane
• Irish Setters for adoption in Perth
• Irish Setters for adoption in Adelaide

More gundog adopt-or-buy guides: German Shorthaired Pointer, Vizsla, Weimaraner, Golden Retriever, Labrador.