Did you know the Irish Setter was once a presidential pup? It’s true! When former President Richard Nixon was elected into the Oval Office, he was given an Irish Setter as a gift. Nixon named the pooch King Timahoe - King Tim for short - after a town in Ireland where his ancestors were from. King Tim was super pawpular with the American people !

You probably guessed from my name, but my ancestors hail from the Emerald Isle - Ireland! We were first bred by Irish hunters in the 19th century, probably from a mix of English Setters, Gordon Setters, pointers, and spaniels. We were even called Red Spaniels for a while - back when our fur was red and white instead of all red. The Earl of Enniskillen is to thank for our entirely red coat because he only kept red dogs in his kennel. Who can blame him? We’re furbulous! Back in the day, we would help hunters catch birds using nets - but eventually they switched to guns and we became gun dogs. Because we’re quick and light, we were perfect for covering the country’s flat ground super quickly! Compared to Scotland's Gordon Setters, who had to cover rocky and hilly terrain, we’re slightly less muscular and heavy. Oh, and our pawesome sense of smell certainly helped us become great hunters, too! The beautiful red fur we’re so famous for earned us a lot of attention in the show ring. In fact,