Irish Setters are sleek, rangy dogs bred to be excellent in hunting on the wide, flat countryside of Ireland. They also are known for their incredible sense of smell which they used to locate birds. Before the invention of guns, these dogs would work alongside trained falcons or hunters with nets to catch their prey. They got their name from the way they showed hunters that they’ve found birds—by “setting” down on their belly.
The modern Irish Setter has since gained a reputation as a consistent top-performer in dog shows thanks to their grace and good looks. Notable Irish Setters in pop culture include the title character of the 1945 novel “Big Red” by Jim Kjelgaard and President Richard Nixon’s dog, King Timahoe.
Poodle Breed History:
While commonly associated with the French, the Poodle actually originated as a duck hunter in Germany over 400 years ago. In German, “pudelin” refers to the splashing in water that the dogs would do to retrieve waterfowl. The Poodle’s curly, weatherproof coat as well as its natural swimming ability and high intelligence made it an excellent retriever.
Eventually, Poodles made their way from the lake to the life of luxury as they were the breed of choice by French nobles, and eventually royalty across all of Europe. To this day, the Poodle is still the national dog of France. The entertainment industry then caught on to the Poodle’s showy looks, intelligence, and ease of trainability and gave them a prominent role in circus acts across the world.
While the Poodle started out as the “standard” variety, eventually the miniature and toy variations were bred. The Toy Poodle started in the United States in the early 20th century to be a city-dwelling companion dog. Due to the many positive personality traits and its hypoallergenic coat, Poodles are now commonly bred with a wide variety of other breeds to produce the “designer” hybrid dogs known and loved by many as “doodles.”
Irish Doodle Breed History:
The origin of the Irish Doodle breed is unknown.
Irish Setter Poodle Mix Appearance & Grooming
How Big Do Irish Doodles Get?
An Irish Doodle’s size is determined mostly by whether the Poodle in its lineage was a standard, miniature, or toy. On top of that, the gender of the puppy and the genetics of the parents play important factors as well.
An Irish Doodle dog is rarely, if ever, bred from a Toy Poodle. A Miniature Irish Doodle will weigh in at around 20-40 pounds and stand roughly 15-22 inches tall. The Standard Irish Doodle, will weigh approximately 40-70 pounds and stand about 22-28 inches tall.
Although the coat of an Irish Setter Poodle Mix can be range of many colors or even a mix, the most popular color is a shade of red or brown. Their fur can range anywhere from straight and shaggy, like the Irish Setter to curly like the Poodle and usually is of longer length.
How curly your dog’s fur is dictates how often they must be brushed. A minimum of brushing once per week is required for Irish Doodles, with the ideal frequency being every other day if not every day for more curly-haired dogs.
Are Irish Doodles Hypoallergenic? Do Irish Doodles Shed?
Due to the presence of the Poodle’s genes, Irish Setter Poodle Mix puppies are sometimes promoted as being hypoallergenic and/or non-shedding. While this can be true, due to the unpredictability of genetics, there is no guarantee that any particular dog, or litter of dogs will be hypoallergenic. Some individuals’ allergies are more sensitive to certain breeds than other breeds, but there is no scientific evidence that shows that certain hybrid breeds are universally more or less hypoallergenic than others.
With that being said, as a rule of thumb, the larger the percentage of Poodle is in a dog’s heritage, the more likely they are to be hypoallergenic or non-shedding. So an F1BB Irish Doodle (87.5% Poodle) is more likely to be hypoallergenic than an F1B Irish Doodle (75% Poodle) which is more likely than an F1 or F2 Irish Doodle (50% Poodle).
A healthy and well-cared-for Irish Doodle’s life expectancy is around 10-13 years.
Irish Doodle Dog Breed Common Health Concerns:
Irish Doodles may be susceptible to the common health problems of both the Irish Setter and the Poodle. However, due to the genetic diversity from crossing these two breeds, the result may be a lower chance of developing these inherited health concerns. Some of the more common genetic disorders to be on the lookout for in a Poodle Irish Setter Mix include Cushing’s Disease, Epilepsy, Boat, Hip Dysplasia, Addison’s Disease, and Von Willebrand’s Disease.
Due to the cost of treating these common health concerns, we highly encourage all dog owners invest in pet insurance. We recommend getting a free online quote from Healthy Paws Pet Insurance.
Irish Doodles are energetic, intelligent, and loving companions. They love to learn which makes them extremely trainable. However, this can work both positively and negatively as once an Irish Setter Poodle Mix learns a new habit, it’s hard for them to unlearn it. In most cases, this breed is good with other dogs and children however sometimes they can be quite sensitive so a slow and gentle acclimation is a must.
Irish Doodle Dog Breed Activity Requirements:
Irish Doodles require plenty of activity to stay healthy and happy. At least 60 minutes of exercise at a minimum, with extra preference to families with larger houses or yards to play.
