A Guide to Caring for an Irish Doodle Puppy

Irish doodle at the beach

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Irish Doodle Breed Overview

The Irish Doodle mixed dog breed has become very popular in recent years, and there has been a lot of demand for mixing Poodle dogs with other furrier breeds. Because the Poodle has hypoallergenic fur, they are an excellent mix for any dog breeds like the Irish Setter, which make lovely little pets. Thankfully the Poodle breed has such a wonderful temperament and health overview that they often make the perfect match for breeds like the Irish Setter dog.

Many mixed breeds adopt multiple names since they aren’t given an official breed name by any large kennel clubs like the American Kennel Club (AKC). This hybrid breed is no different, and often people might refer to it as Irish Doodle Setter, Irish Poo Setter, Irish Setterdoodle, and Irish Setterpoo. This newly popular hybrid breed has found a family in tons of different homes, and they’re especially popular with families who love sports like hunting.

Irish Doodle puppies are great dogs for people who have experience training animals. Irish Doodle puppies are brilliant and would be great for first-time owners as long as they are up to the challenge of exercising these dogs. This hybrid comes from two different hunting breeds, so they have a lot of mental and physical stimulation needs, and without proper care, they’re likely to get into trouble. Any potential owners should do their research to ensure they can adequately care for these lovable dogs.

History of the Irish Doodle Dog Breed

The hybrid breed known as the Irish Doodle is fairly new, and it is bred on purpose today. However, the two breeds this dog stems from are not new and have fairly long histories working alongside their owners.

Irish Setter dogs started in Ireland, where they hunted birds and other prey with their owners. Irish Doodle puppies are great at this job because they have such a keen sense of smell. When they catch onto their intended mark, they will ‘set’ their head to alert their owners of the target’s whereabouts. When the dogs ‘set’ their heads, they lower them to almost touch the ground and point their nose in the intended direction.

These dogs were prevalent in the early 1700s because they hunted with farmers before people began hunting with guns. Since the breed’s birth, they have relaxed its role as a hunting dog and moved into a new role of being one of the most popular family dog breeds. These dogs are still wildly popular in their home country, but they have made their way into plenty of homes in the United States.

While the Irish Setter began in Ireland, the Poodle breed began in Germany. Even though these puppies are a staple of French culture, they only became popular in France once King Louis XVI brought home a Poodle puppy with him from his travels to Germany.

Most dog breeds as old as the Poodle have a long history of working alongside families to complete tasks for their owners. Poodles were beloved by royalty and commoners alike and were hard-working water hunting dogs.

Poodle puppies developed their coveted fur type because of their job as waterfowl hunters. Poodle puppies would catch ducks, fish, or whatever prey their owners were after by swimming in the cold German waters and retrieving something for their owners. Today’s stereotype hairstyle that many Poodles rock is also a signature look from their time as hunting dogs. Owners wanted their Poodles to be able to swim as fast as possible but didn’t want them to be too vulnerable at the same time. The compromise was shaving a Poodle in specific areas to allow them to be slicker but leaving bunches of fur on more sensitive areas on their body.

Poodles eventually moved away from their water hunting days and became great performing animals and family pets. These dogs were famous for performing in the circus, in dog shows, or just being part of the royal family. When Louis XVI brought his Poodle home, many French noble families began rescuing dogs of this breed too, and the Poodle dog breed became a huge impact on French culture and still stands as one of the most famous breeds in France.

Irish doodle

Irish Doodle Full Grown Size

Irish Doodle puppies can weigh anywhere from 40 to 75 pounds and can stand between 22 to 28 inches tall at their shoulders. Some of these dogs are undeniably large, and families will need to ensure they have the space for dogs in this breed. Even though Irish Doodle puppies can get up to 75 pounds, they are still quite adaptable and can live in apartment buildings as long as owners are sure to get their dogs out on a walk outside daily.

Many Poodle mix puppies come in a wide variety of sizes specifically because Poodles can come in about three different size standards. The Poodle mix parent can be a Standard Poodle, a Miniature Poodle, or a Toy Poodle. This is great because not many dog breeds come in such versatile sizes, which is also a large part of why so many hybrid breeds are mixed with Poodle puppies. There are simply too many good traits to pass up the opportunity of creating such a great hybrid breed as the Irish Doodle.

Irish Doodle Temperament

The Irish Doodle temperament is based on the traits they inherit from its parent breeds. Many dog breeds mixed with Poodles have the potential to adopt the Poodle breed’s loyal and playful personalities. When a Poodle is mixed with another intelligent and active breed like the Irish Setter, the result is an Irish Doodle temperament that is a loyal, lovable, affectionate, and energetic animal.

Irish Doodle puppies are good dogs if they get the proper amount of socialization and exercise. These dogs can be great, friendly pets or temperamental and noisy boys if they aren’t trained correctly. It’s essential when getting any dog to provide socialization training. Allowing your dog to explore your house, new people, or new environments is one of the best ways to ensure their best personality traits shine through. Without proper socialization, your Irish Doodle temperament might become overly sensitive, skittish, or rowdy.

These active dogs need plenty of playtime and attention to be happy. If you work a regular eight-hour job away from home, you might find it challenging to be able to give these animals the attention they require. Although, if you have a 9 to 5 job and you’ve had other dogs where you are positive you can provide the proper amount of exercise and stimulation, then you can absolutely still manage to rescue one of these dogs. The Irish Doodle temperament is at its best when they receive plenty of attention. Any potential owners need to be realistic about the time and energy they have to devote to caring for their pet, as the Irish Doodle is not a dog you can let constantly sit inside.

Irish doodle playing with another dog on the beach

The Intelligence of the Irish Doodle Hybrid Breed

As stated earlier, this mixed breed comes from two of the smartest hunting dog breeds. Irish Setter dogs are known for their amazing sense of smell and direction, and the Poodle breed excels in its sense of loyalty and drive to please its owners. Combining all these traits creates a wonderful dog breed that does great in obedience training, tracking, or agility competitions.

Owners will find that Irish Doodle puppies are at their brightest when they receive regular and consistent training sessions at home. If you aren’t sure if you can provide regular training sessions, then the Irish Doodle is not your breed. Irish Doodle puppies are incredibly naturally intelligent, and while it might seem counterintuitive, their intelligence is the reason they need consistent training sessions.

More mentally active breeds like the Poodle and Irish Setter require more mental stimulation to stay healthy. Without enough regular mental challenges, Irish Doodle puppies will destroy furniture, urinate or defecate in the house, or become deeply depressed. Providing fifteen minutes of training alone can be a great way to ensure Irish Doodle puppies get their required amount of mental stimulation.

Dog owners should keep in mind that they should never chastise their dog for not completing a command and instead focus on always providing positive feedback and responses. If you command your dog to sit, and they refuse, getting cross with them will only result in them disliking training sessions. Owners can really get the most out of training sessions if they keep them 15 minutes or shorter and only provide positive communication, praise, and treats. It’s also a great idea to give your dog a treat at the end of your regular training sessions.

Irish Doodle Shedding

Irish Doodle puppies have varying shedding habits thanks to the fact that they’re half Poodle. This hybrid breed can be born with hypoallergenic coats, but they likely have the same chance of being born without any of the hypoallergenic qualities of a Poodle. The majority of hybrid breeds do not claim all of their traits from one of their parent breeds, but they don’t split any features equally either. It’s much more likely that any hybrids in this mixed breed will develop a cross between the Irish Setter’s shedding habits and the Poodle breed’s habits.

While no dog is truly 100% hypoallergenic, Poodle dogs are so popular because of their hypoallergenic tendencies. People that are allergic to dogs will have their allergies ignite because of any saliva, dandruff, or dead hair they may come across. Even though Irish Doodle puppies don’t shed nearly as much as purebred Irish Setter puppies, they still will have some dead hair falling off them. Anyone with dog allergies looking to get an Irish Doodle puppy should visit their potential pet and spend plenty of time with them to make sure they don’t irritate their allergies.

Irish doodle puppy

Irish Doodle Health Overview

Every dog breed has health risks they’re predisposed to experiencing. Thankfully breeds like the Poodle and Irish Setter are fairly healthy and only have pretty minor risks attached to their breed. The average lifespan of an Irish Doodle is between 10 and 15 years long.

Even though many dogs in this mixed breed will not experience physical health ailments, many dogs do experience normal psychological health conditions such as stress and anxiety. Dog owners should not stress out about their dog experiencing stress because there is no realistic way to prevent your dog from having anxiety altogether. The good thing is that many owners can easily help their anxious dogs after understanding what causes these conditions in their pups.

Common Psychological Health Conditions

Stress

Stress is fairly common in dogs as it is a natural response they may have to their surroundings. Often animals that are not socialized correctly struggle with symptoms of stress more than others. Irish Doodles that haven’t gone to see different types of people or experience various types of places might because stressed out when they experience anything of the sort.

Signs a dog is stressed are if they have their tails between their legs or if they have their ears held back. Owners can help their stressed-out dogs by taking them into new environments carefully and allowing their dogs to explore at their own pace. Never force your dog to walk towards something if they stop dead in its tracks. Instead, you should be patient and use encouraging words and a positive tone in your voice to comfort them. Of course, using special treats to help them out is a good idea as well.

Anxiety

Like stress, many dogs will face anxiety, and it is more often seen in animals that have come from shelters or faced neglect or abuse. When animals are reminded of traumas of their past, they tend to react by experiencing anxiety. The most common form of anxiety in dogs is separation anxiety. Because of the strong, loyal tendencies of the Irish Doodle puppy’s parents’ breeds, these dogs are at high risk of experiencing anxiety.

The best way owners can help out their anxious dog is to notice the symptoms they may exhibit when struggling with anxiety. Often dogs will have panic attacks when their owners are away from home and might trash the house. Some dogs will whine, bark, urinate or defecate in the house. The more severe the anxiety, the more intense your Irish Doodle’s accompanying symptoms will show. Dog owners can treat their dogs’ anxiety by providing calming supplements.

Calming Dog Products

Some dog owners find the best way to treat their dog’s stress and anxiety is by using calming products. They can use these products to build a safe space for their dogs. Safe spaces are a newer trend where owners dedicate an area in their house to providing their dog with comfort measures. These spaces are supposed to be quiet, isolated, easily accessible, and full of comforting products. Typically, owners will put in a comfy dog bed, freshwater, calming treats, a few toys, and some blankets in their pet’s safe space.

Irish doodle isolated on white background

Common Physical Health Conditions

Hip Dysplasia

A very common health condition that many dogs experience is hip dysplasia. This joint issue occurs at birth, although most animals don’t even experience any symptoms until much later in life. Commonly, dogs with hip dysplasia will show pain in their hip joint, which might cause them to refrain from using the stairs, jumping on furniture, or running. Owners can help their dogs by providing joint supplements to aid their aches and pains and provide more lubrication to their dog’s poor hip joint.

Elbow Dysplasia

Another very common health condition many dogs experience is elbow dysplasia. Elbow dysplasia is another joint condition that many dogs are born with, and Irish Doodle puppies are at risk of experiencing this. Most dogs will experience symptoms of this condition much later in life, and often times it isn’t mild enough to cause much of a worry for pet parents. For example, dogs with these conditions might skip running on their front legs, only to go back to a normal pace seconds after. Some animals will cry or wince when they stand up or get a pet around their elbow joint. Many owners find that joint supplements or pain and anti-inflammatory medications are the best way to treat this condition. Dog CBD is also known to work wonders when dogs are suffering from joint issues.

Von Willebrands Disease

This rare condition is a blood disorder where an animal’s blood is missing a factor that makes clotting blood easier. This is not a severe condition, although it can be more commonly found in mixed Irish Doodle puppies than in some other breeds. Owners can only help their Irish Doodle puppy suffering from Von Willebrands Disease by avoiding rough play and not letting their dog play with other animals too often. This condition has no treatment and is never really an issue unless your dog is getting surgery and you aren’t aware of their condition. Even then, many vets are more than capable of helping a dog with this blood disorder.

Hip and Joint Options We Love

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Oral Health

Oral health is one of the most overlooked parts of a dog’s overall health. Many dogs suffer from periodontal disease, a dental disease, and have swollen and sensitive gums that affect them. Typically these symptoms are very mild, and your dog might not even show symptoms. However, poor oral health can lead to several other health issues such as respiratory and heart disease. The best way owners can make sure they avoid risking their Irish Doodle puppy’s oral health is by brushing their teeth multiple times a week. It would be best if you brush your dog’s teeth three times weekly, but once a week with a canine-specific toothbrush and toothpaste is also okay. Owners can use oral health products to help keep up with their dogs’ oral health needs.

Irish doodle with stick in its mouth running on beach

Oravet Dental Hygiene Chews Based On Size

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Irish Doodle Breed’s Needs

Exercise

This active hunting mixed dog breed can become incredibly bored and very hungry simultaneously. They don’t need to be out and about regularly to want to scarf down any scraps they find under the dinner table. This breed is at high risk of developing obesity and needs at least 90 minutes of daily exercise to stay healthy. It’s vital to the Irish Doodle puppy’s health that owners provide plenty of mental stimulation with daily exercise. Irish Doodle puppies need about 20 to 30 minutes of intense/advanced mental stimulation to keep them intelligent, well-behaved, and happy. There are tons of enrichment activities that owners can try with their Irish Doodles that are great at providing both physical and mental stimulation. For example, playing hide and seek around your house for a good hour with your dog can be much more fun than you might think, especially when you can hear your dog run around the house, getting excited to see you.

 Exercise Options We Love

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Nutrition

Irish Doodle puppies will easily eat almost anything they can get their snouts near. It’s important not to overfeed your dog since they tend to gain weight easily. Irish Doodle puppies will need a minimum of two cups of high-quality dry dog food daily to keep them in their best health. Owners need to make sure they count their dog’s daily treats into their calories count. Also, deep-chested dog breeds like the Irish Doodle are at risk of developing bloat, a condition that causes their stomach to twist and can lead to death. While there is no clear cause of bloat, scientists know that eating a lot of food in one sitting can increase the risk of a dog experiencing bloat, so it’s best to feed Irish Doodle puppies in three meal portions daily; four would be even better. The smaller the meals you give your dog, the better, especially if you can give them spaced out equally throughout the day, as this can help them feel fuller.

Dog Food Based On Age

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Grooming

Irish Doodle puppies can have cream, brown, black, blue, silver, red, or gray long, dense fur. They typically have wavy fur and require a little more grooming than shorter-haired dogs. Irish Doodle owners will find that Irish Doodle puppies look their best if they’re brushed daily, but they really only need to brush their pet at least three times a week. Irish Doodle puppies might be hypoallergenic, which means they won’t shed as frequently, but their sensitive and soft fur can get tangled quite easily.

Irish doodle puppy with a red ball

Top Product Picks for Irish Doodle Puppies

New dog owners get so excited when bringing their new dog that they forget this change is a big thing for the dog as well. Even though it’s fun to take home a new pet, often, pets feel stressed and scared in times of change. Big moves like that can make them more nervous, and if you’re prepared to bring your dog home, it can be a great way to make them feel safer upon their arrival. For example, if you bring your dog home for the first time and they already have a food bowl ready for them, they may understand they’re in a good home sooner.

Dog Beds We Love

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Owners will need to buy some items like a collar, leash, and harness for their dogs. Some people choose to wait until after they get their dog to make sure they get the correct size. Many owners also get their dogs a food bowl, food storage container, and plenty of dog treats. Using dog treats when bringing home your new pet can be an excellent tactic to make them feel more comfortable.

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Extra careful owners might think about getting dog toys, a dog bed, or a crate. If you plan on taking your dog out often, you might want to purchase portable bowls and doggy poop bags. There are plenty of fun things owners can buy for their new dogs when bringing them home.

Harnesses We Love

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Other Resources

  1. Irish Setter Club of America

  2. Poodle Club of America

  3. Irish Doodle Rescue

  4. Irish Breed Perfect Dog Breeds

  5. Keeping Pet Irish Doodle

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