Eight years ago I brought home an Irish Setter pup. Cute, cuddly, a little ball of brown fur who wanted to sit in my lap. That day my life – and that of my husband – changed forever. We discovered the joys of dog-parenting. Baloo, the little pup, has grown up into a handsome dog and we have grown with him. While we potty trained him, taught him the niceties of doggy manners in human company, he taught us the meaning of unconditional love. What it means to have fun – without fancy toys, with just a ball and a few juicy tidbits. He taught us to laugh together and enjoy the simple moments of life. Who would have known that a simple car-ride could be so exhilarating – sticking his head into the wind, his furry ears flapping around Baloo turns back to look at me with a wide grin as if to say: “Isn’t this simply wonderful?”

In fact, he’s the one who has ‘doggy trained’ us so that we run to him when he barks a certain way. We’re there to attend to his needs, and he has us metaphorically-speaking eating from his paws!

By nature Setters have a mind of their own. So god help you if you don’t give them what they want – and most of the time that translates into attention. Sure the greedy gluttons that they are, Setters will beg till their brown eyes just melt your heart and you have no choice but to give in to their demand for that juicy tidbit from the dinner table. But more than that, what they demand is your love and attention. Keep them in a tiny flat, they will not complain as long as they can coax you into taking them for their morning and evening walks, and they get their share of petting time. Just when you’re settling down to watch a movie on the DVD, Baloo will come along, park his butt on my lap and settle down for a cosy snooze!

And then there are those what I call ‘Baloo’ moments. When a clap of thunder brings him rushing to my side, his tail between his legs. Or when the first rains come down, he wants to be let out to dance in the puddles, to run with the breeze in his hair, to get sopping wet and then come and rub himself dry against me! To protest only means getting involved in a game and you can’t do anything but join in. The times when he’s feeling under the weather, he has this spot-on way of letting me know that it’s time for a visit to the vet. So much so that the vet once remarked that I’d an uncanny way of knowing when Baloo would be sick and bring him just when the first signs of a tummy infection have set in. But the credit is not mine – it’s Baloo’s. Because when it comes to communication, he’s the best!

There are dogs and then there are Irish Setters! They’re not for everyone. Don’t bring home a Setter unless you’re willing to match your wits and energy with these lovable, hyper-crazy, hyper-active dogs. And you’d better have loads of patience – teaching a Setter sit-stay-heel will test your patience to the limits. The Setter tries to wear you down; to make you do his bidding! With a Setter you’ve to show who’s the boss – not with anger but with firmness. And believe me, there are times when you just want to give in, to let the ‘darned dog’ to do as it wishes. But at the end, patience pays. Firmness is what the Setter demands and finally respects. And once you’ve mastered that, you’ll have the best companion that you could ever want. Sure, you can never expect the Setter to be predictable…but then what’s life without a few surprises?

If you have the time and the inclination, then you’ll come to believe as we have that life without a Setter is not worth it. In fact, one is just not enough. So thanks to Baloo, we now have two more Setters – Oona and Veeroo. And as the punchline for the famous chip brand goes: “You can’t just have one.”