Appearance of the Irish Doodle
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The Irish Doodle is a medium to large dog with a square build and a fairly narrow, elegant head and long muzzle that can be square and robust like the Red Irish Setter or straight and fine like the Poodle. They have medium to dark brown eyes that can be almond-shaped or oval, and their ears are set slightly below eye level and hang over the sides of their face. The Irish Doodle's coat can vary somewhat from dog to dog, both in composition and color. The Poodle parent has a single-layer coat that is soft and curly and can be long, cut short or even corded, a style that closely resembles dreadlocks and can be available in several solid colors. The Red Irish Setter, on the other hand, has a double coat that consists of a soft, dense undercoat covered with shiny, flat hairs that generally come in several shades of dark red, although large patches of color on white can sometimes appear. As a rule, the coat of offspring puppies is similar to that of the Poodle. |
Temperament of the Irish Doodle
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The Irish Doodle is an intelligent, energetic but sometimes sensitive animal that craves human companionship. They are extremely intelligent and love to learn, making them an exceptionally trainable dog. In fact, some can resemble the Red Irish Setter, and once they've learned something, you'll find it hard to get them to unlearn. This trait can apply both to things you want them to learn, like obedience and manners, and sometimes to things you don't want them to learn, like how to get into drawers and cupboards. Both the Red Irish Setter and the Poodle are extremely good with children in most cases, although some Poodle lines are more physically sensitive than others, surprising easily and excessively with stimuli such as quick actions, unexpected touches and loud sounds. Irish Doodles with these traits may not handle children well and may become depressed or otherwise emotionally disturbed in a home with lots of conflict or too much chaos, and need to be extensively but calmly socialized to help them learn to deal with external stimuli. In most cases, however, this combination will result in a carefree companion who loves to play and learn. |
Needs and activities of the Irish Doodle
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The Irish Doodle is an energetic, athletic animal and, as such, requires a fairly substantial time commitment to exercise. In order to be at their healthiest and happiest, this eager-to-learn puppy should get at least 90 minutes of vigorous exercise a day. This can take the form of walks or jogging, advanced obedience training, agility classes or even swimming. Because of their trainability, you may be able to acclimatize a mature Irish Doodle to apartment life if you provide extra exercise every day, but for the most part they are too active and vocal for this type of environment and will be much happier in a larger home with a yard to run around in. |
Maintenance of the Irish Doodle
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Bathing need not be frequent with these dogs, usually a few times a year, but thorough brushing and styling will usually be required on a regular basis. The type of grooming tools that will be needed for this dog may vary a little, depending on the parent breed it most closely resembles, although most will need to be trimmed or trimmed on a regular basis. Crosses that inherit the single-layer Poodle coat are less likely to shed and, in some cases, may even be weak enough to be considered hypoallergenic, however, the Red Irish Setter coat is decidedly not hypoallergenic, and the full coat composition may not reveal itself until your Irish Doodle has reached maturity. It's also very important to check and clean this dog's ears regularly, as they can be prone to internal and external infections. |