Are Irish setters safe with pet birds?

It depends on the dog & the way it is reared. I have an 11 year old English Springer Spaniel & she wanders around amongst our hens & turkeys free ranging in the garden & takes no notice of them but go up the woods for a walk & she will catch & chase a pigeon or other small bird, it is in her nature it is just that she knows the poultry at home are not "prey".

No. There may be specific dogs within the breeds that are safe in certain situations, but you cannot expect this of ANY dog.

Getting a dog as a puppy and socializing a dog is a guarantee of NOTHING. That instinctual genetic prey drive can kick in at ANY time.

I can't imagine any responsible breeder or rescue would place a dog into a situation like this without extensive temperament testing and complete faith that you understood the seriousness of the situation.

On a forum I used to be on, one of the members had a rescued Greyhound that was tested as "cat and small dog safe". The dog did great with their Chihuahua for several years and then one day they heard a scream and came out to find the Chi eviscerated all over the kitchen floor. Instinct is instinct is instinct and no amount of love, socialization, or training removes that.

The Irish setter was bred to be a tireless and enthusiastic hunter, and it approaches everything in life with a rollicking, good-natured attitude, full of gusto and fervor. If you are going to have pet birds I recommend to put the cages up high so they won't bother the birds. Given a daily outlet for its energy, it makes a pleasant companion. Without ample exercise, it can be overly active inside or become frustrated. It is an amiable breed, eager to please and be part of its family's activities. It is good with children, but can be too rambunctious for small children. It is less popular as a hunter than the other setters.

Breeds used for hunting and tracking and certain primitive breeds or "terrier" breeds are bred to have a higher then average prey drive, which could make them a danger to small animals or small pets.

If well socalized, *at a young age*, some of these breeds can do well with smaller animals, but I would never suggest placing an adult Irish Setter or other prey driven breed around a small animal UNLESS that animal is well trained/socalized and has been observed being around smaller animals w/o causing smaller conflict.

The dogs temperament cant be definatly decided by breed, if the dog has not been raised with the birds species, it not a good idea to have them both in the same room loose. My dog ate my love birds and i had only gone downstairs to get a drink, it doesnt take long!!! Hope this helped :)

Maybe some are but I personally wouldn't trust any dog with pet birds or small animals. I'd rather keep the birds safe than find that the dog had killed them all.

i think any dog can be tamed to not harm other animals if there introduce at a young age