Irish Doodle

Irish Doodles are a hybrid dog breed that was created by mixing a Poodle with an Irish Setter. Irish Doodles inherit a mix of genes from each of their parents that give them their unique and fun personalities. This breed is very active, fun, and intelligent. However, they can also be very affectionate and love spending time with the people they care about. Since Poodles have a non-shedding coat, some Irish Doodles may be low-shedding and more suitable for allergy sufferers, but shedding and hypoallergenic qualities can vary depending on which parent they take after.

An Irish Doodle’s personality can make it a great family dog. Like both of their parents, this breed does exceptionally well with children. They can vary in size a bit depending on the specific genes they inherit from each of their parents. There are also Mini Irish Doodles that are the result of an Irish Setter being bred with a Miniature Poodle. They may also be called Irish Doodle Setters, Irish Poo Setters, Irish Setterpoo, and Setterdoodles.

Mini Irish doodles tend to cost more than the average-sized breed, banking in at an average of $500-$700 more than an Irish doodle. While the average height of a mini Irish doodle is 12-15 inches tall, their personalities are very much like regular Irish doodles.

3 Pros and Cons of Owning an Irish Doodle

Size and Weight

There are both Standard Irish Doodles and Mini Irish Doodles. Male Standard Irish Doodles are larger and generally weigh between 50 and 70 pounds while being between 24 and 28 inches tall. Female Standard Irish Doodles are a bit smaller, with a weight between 40 and 60 pounds and a height between 22 and 26 inches.

Mini Irish Doodles are smaller. They have a Miniature Poodle, rather than a Standard Poodle, for half of their genes. Mini Irish Doodles are typically between 12 and 17 inches tall and weigh between 25 and 35 pounds.

Evolution

The Irish Doodle is a new breed of designer dog developed in the early 21st century by crossing an Irish setter parent with a standard poodle parent.

Irish setters have been around for centuries and were bred in Ireland for hunting. These medium-sized dogs are known for their high energy levels, intelligence, and trainability. Poodles are a very old breed of dog, initially bred in Germany as working dogs. They became renowned throughout Europe for their intelligence and obedience.

Possessing the best qualities of both breeds, Irish Doodles are intelligent, friendly, and have low-shedding coats. While not recognized by any official kennel club, the breed quickly gained popularity and is a beloved pet in many homes today.

Common Health Issues

All Irish Doodles will not develop all (or even any) of these health issues, but knowing what to look out for can help ensure you bring your pup to the vet in a timely manner if needed. Whether you purchase your dog from a breeder or adopt one through a rescue, schedule an appointment with a veterinarian shortly after bringing your dog home for a checkup.

Bloat is one potential problem Standard Irish Doodles may face. Bloat is a condition that impacts larger dogs with a deeper chest. The dog’s stomach fills with air and twists, and the dog is not able to expel it. Their stomach will become visibly swollen. Bloat is a serious and life-threatening condition, and you’ll want to rush your pet to the vet if you suspect they have it.

Hip Dysplasia may also impact this breed. This inherited disease causes the hip bone not to form correctly. The hip and thigh bones rub against one another, which causes pain and makes it difficult for a pet to walk. Surgery is often required to address hip dysplasia.

A third concern for this breed is Addison’s Disease or hypoadrenocorticism. Dogs with this disease have decreased hormone production from their adrenal glands. This can cause diarrhea, vomiting, weight loss, increased urination, or lethargy. If you suspect your dog has Addison’s disease, take them to the veterinarian, who will be able to run some tests and determine the best course of treatment.

To recap, a few common health concerns that Irish Doodles may face include:

• Bloat
• Hip dysplasia
• Addison’s disease

Irish Doodle Temperament and Behavior

Irish Doodles have very loyal and affectionate personalities. This mixed breed also aims to please its owners and is very intelligent, which can make it easier to train than other breeds. Irish Poo Setters’ traits make them a wonderful addition to any household, including families with children. They can be very gentle and loving with children and can also make good playmates for a child.

However, while this breed makes for a wonderful companion dog, they do not do very well if left alone for long periods of time. This breed is more prone to separation anxiety than others, and they may become destructive or engage in other undesired behaviors.

How to Take Care of an Irish Doodle

Irish Doodles are a wonderful breed, but they also have unique needs when compared to other dog breeds. You’ll want to keep their unique needs, including their personality, nutritional needs, activity needs, and health concerns, at the forefront of your mind. This will help you provide the best care possible for your dog so it can live a happy and healthy life.

The Best Dog Food for Irish Doodles

Because Irish Doodles can be vulnerable to life-threatening bloat, it is important to feed them measured meals twice a day and avoid vigorous exercise around mealtimes. Consult your veterinarian for the best diet for your dog.

Standard Irish Doodles and Mini Irish Doodles will have different nutritional needs. Standard Irish Doodles should be fed dog food for a large breed, while Mini Irish Doodles should eat food for a small breed. Choose a high-quality food and keep in mind that a dog’s activity level, age, metabolism, and other factors will impact the ideal amount of food they should be fed.

Consult with your veterinarian if you are unsure of exactly how much food your dog should need. Portion an Irish Setterpoo’s daily allotment of food into two meals; one in the morning and one in the evening. This can reduce the chances of obesity and make it less likely for an Irish Doodle, particularly a Standard Doodle, to develop bloat.

Irish Doodle Setters puppies should also be fed high-quality puppy food. Since puppies have very small stomachs, they can’t handle large quantities of food at one time. Before your puppy turns six months old, feed them three to four smaller meals instead of just two meals. Then, once they are six months old, cutting down to two meals should be fine.

Maintenance and Grooming

With their Poodle parent, an Irish Doodle’s coat doesn’t shed much, if at all. Their coat may be either wavy or curly, with curly coats shedding the least amount. Since their coat does not shed, it can easily become very matted or tangled if it isn’t brushed regularly. Be sure to brush your dog’s coat each day to keep it soft and looking its best. You may occasionally need to trim the hair on your Irish Poo Setters if it gets too long. This is especially true for ear hairs, since if they get too long, it can cause dirt to build up, which can lead to an ear infection.

To prevent dental disease, you should also brush your dog’s teeth a few times a week. Their nails should also be trimmed if they get too long to prevent them from causing the dog any pain.

Training

An Irish Doodle is relatively easy to train. However, they will need some repetition and practice to master different commands and retain what they learn. Training the dog when they are still a puppy is also advised, as it can improve the training process. If you haven’t had this variety of dogs before, you may find it beneficial to enroll in an obedience training class with a more experienced trainer. These dogs are very intelligent and eager to please, which can make it easier to train them than some other breeds.

You will also want to start socializing with your Irish doodle from a very young age. Take your dog with you to a variety of locations and expose them to different people and other dogs. This will help them learn expectations in different scenarios and improve their temperament when they are full-grown. However, you should wait until your puppy is fully vaccinated before taking them to too many places.

Exercise

Irish Setters are working dogs, and Irish Doodles inherit a lot of their need for activity. This breed has a lot of energy and will need lots of exercise each day. Plan to take your dog for multiple long walks and give him or her time to run around in a fenced-in backyard. You can also find time to play with him or her inside or outside to offer additional activities. Be sure to have plenty of toys in the house that your dog can play with on their own when they have the energy to burn.

Puppies

Irish Doodle Puppies are very affectionate and love spending time with their family members. Be sure to find opportunities to expose your new dog to different people, places, and pets to get it used to different scenarios and how to appropriately behave and interact. Early and consistent training is essential for your new puppy. Get training started as soon as you bring your dog home, as this will help ensure it grows up to have a more even-tempered personality.

Before adopting a puppy, ask the breeder questions to make sure the dog will be a good fit for you/your family. They have a more varied personality than a purebred dog, but breeders should be able to give some good insight into what the puppy will be like when fully grown based on their observations over the first few weeks or months of the dog’s life.

Puppies require a lot of time and attention. Be ready to give your new dog everything it needs. Before bringing your Irish Poo Setters puppy home, make sure your space is ready with all the food and supplies your dog will need. Remove anything that could cause the puppy harm and put away personal belongings that you wouldn’t want to see destroyed.

Children and Irish Doodles

These dogs are a good option for those looking for the perfect family pet. They are gentle, playful, and affectionate, and can make a wonderful playmate and best friend for a child. However, even though Setterdoodles are generally good with children, it is still important to closely supervise a child when they’re with this breed. This can prevent the child or dog from getting accidentally injured.

Dogs similar to the Irish Doodle

Labradoodles, Sheepadoodles, and Irish Setters are three breeds that share similarities with the Irish Doodle.

• Labradoodle: Labradoodles and Irish Doodles are both Poodle crossbreeds. Both can have a similarly colored coat that may be brown, white, cream, apricot, or black. Irish Doodles typically have a longer coat but shed a bit less than Labradoodles.
• Sheepadoodle: Sheepadoodles also have one parent that is a Poodle, like an Irish Doodle. Both of these dog breeds are hypoallergenic, active, and easy to train. Sheepadoodles may be a bit more likely to nip, especially as puppies, since one of their parents is a herding dog (Old English Sheepdog).
• Irish Setter: Irish Setters are one of the breeds mixed to create the Irish Doodle, so it makes sense that they share some similar traits. Both breeds are very friendly and good with children. They are also very active dogs. Irish Setters are moderate shedders compared with Irish Doodles, which rarely, if ever, shed.

Famous Irish Doodles

As such a fun and adorable breed, Irish Doodles are gaining popularity. There are a number of Irish Doodles on Instagram that have a large following. These dogs are stealing the hearts of individuals they don’t even know with their cute appearance and great personality.

• Fitz is an Instagram sensation from Pennsylvania. He currently lives in Michigan and has over 16,000 followers.
• Winston is a white Irish Doodle from Kentucky. He has over 14,000 followers on Instagram.
• Cooper is a brown Irish Doodle who loves hiking with his family. His Instagram page has more than 10,000 followers.