If you are buying for looks get the Irish and if you are carefull picking out the Irish you will have a good loyal hunter as well. I have no problem with my Irish. They are very smart and loyal, as well as very pretty and quick.

I also hunt terrain as that is thick to open fields. Here one of the fields is a natural gas pipe line that runs by here and is a straight shot of around 89 miles without any tar roads. But most of my grouse hunting is around ledges and alder stream banks for woodcock as well. I have no problem bringing in my setters in the thicker stuff. I let them hunt 40 - 50 yards out in front in this stuff most of the time. Sometimes I will let one of them run out big so he will work back towards me. Thus by keeping the grouse in between me and the dog. This works real well in the 2-3 year old cuttings. I also do not worry about the setters running to far off as they will come back looking for me and not me looking for them so much. So I think it has a lot to do with the way your dog is trained to hunt for you. They do however have some longer hair on their legs and ears, but, for the most part I have no problems getting the briars or burdocks out.