The Irish Setter (Irish: sotar rua, literally 'red setter') is a setter, a breed of gundog, and family dog. Irish Setters get along well with children, other dogs, and will enthusiastically greet visitors. Though they are usually alert to their surroundings, Irish Setters are not well-suited as guard dogs, as they are not a naturally assertive breed. In the 1940s, Field and Stream magazine put into writing what was already a well-known fact. In the 1940s, Field and Stream magazine put into writing what was already a well-known fact. The Irish Setter was disappearing from the field and an outcross would be necessary to resurrect the breed as a working dog. Sports Afield chimed in with a similar call for an outcross.