03/18/2026
Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with some Irish dog breeds! 🍀
Starting out with the most famous, the Irish wolfhound! Standing taller than any other dog breed, the Irish wolfhound has served as Regimental mascots of the 1st battalion Irish guard since 1902!
Th Irish setter, a type of gun dog, is known for their soft and gorgeous auburn fur! They are a tireless, wide-ranging hunter, and well-suited to fields and wet or dry moorland terrain (perfect for Ireland’s landscape). They earned a reputation as energetic but efficient workers in the bird fields, and, thanks to their eye-catching good looks and graceful gait, has been a big winner in the show ring since the sport’s beginnings in 1870s.
There’s also the less known, red and white Irish setter! They are the older of the two breeds, dating back to the 1600s. Red and white Irish setters would sneak up on game birds by crawling on their bellies, then freeze in a “setting” position and indicate with their tail until a hunter threw a net over the birds. Nets eventually gave way to fi****ms and they adapted to become faithful gun dogs. Though smaller than Irish setters in stature, their personalities are just as large!
And last but certainly not least, the soft coated wheaten terrier! Due to harsh laws in the 17th century, Irish peasants were not allowed to own hounds or spaniels. Because of this ban, Wheatens became a popular choice for farm work. The breed became officially registered with the Irish Kennel Club on St. Patrick’s day 1937!
