Irish Doodles vs Goldador - Breed Comparison | Petzlover

Introduced as a designer dog, the Goldador is beautiful – a mix between Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers, two of the most popular dog breeds in the world.

The dog was specifically bred to be an excellent working dog, and in fact today he makes the most wonderful guide-, rescue- and therapy dog.

Known also as Golden Labradors, the Goldador is a dog that has many capabilities, one of which is to make a wonderful family pet. As a designer breed, the dog isn’t recognized as a standardized breed by any of the major kennel clubs.

Known also as the Irish Doodle Setter or the Irish Setterdoodle, the Irish Doodle is a crossbreed – a mix of Irish Setter and Poodle.

This designer crossbreed comes from the United States. There isn't much of a history with the Irish Doodle, though both breeds used to create this dog breed have their own long histories.

Because the Irish Doodle is a hybrid breed, it isn’t recognized by the American Kennel Club. It is however recognized by the American Canine Hybrid Club.

The Goldador is a large muscular dog standing at between 56 – 61cm in height at the withers and weighing between 27 – 36kg in weight.

His double coat is short and smooth but in can also be longer. It comes in shades of gold or yellow with hints of red, but it can be liver or black too. Goldadors are well-balanced dogs, and just the look in their kind brown eyes makes you realize that this beautiful dog can make a wonderful pet.

He has a well proportioned head with medium length floppy ears, a black nose and a long tail.

Temperament:

Loving, intelligent, loyal and playful, the Goldador is the kind of dog that gets on well with everyone. It’s why he isn’t a particularly good watchdog as he is just too friendly with strangers. You have to be careful though – his rambunctious nature, his energy and playfulness can see him being a bit rough around small children or the elderly. It is why socialization and training are so important for him as then he becomes obedient and more relaxed around everyone.

He loves his human family and never wants to be left on his own for too long. Intelligent and alert, he is an easy dog to train as he makes it easier by being a dog that wants to please.

The Irish Doodle is a medium sized dog, standing at roughly 33cm to 38cm and weighing roughly 18kg to 31kg.

Pet owners appreciate that a dog like this is considered to be hypoallergenic and this attractive aspect of this dog comes from the Poodle side. The Irish Doodle's coat is long, soft and fairly wavy with apricot being the most common coat color but other colors include white, cream, brown and black. The head and muzzle is longish, the eyes brown, the ears floppy and the tail long.

Temperament:

The Poodle and the Irish Setter combine to ensure that the Irish Doodle is an intelligent dog and that he has an amicable disposition so that he is good with kids and pets in the home.

He has a host of excellent characteristics that make him a superb family pet and these are friendliness, intelligence, devotion and loyalty. He is easy to train and training and socialization will make him obedient so that he responds well to simple instructions such as come, stay, lie down, sit etc.

Goldadors are intelligent dogs and they’ve been used extensively for guide- and therapy dogs, loving to be useful and busy. Its the kind of dog that thrives in a loving, active family – one that counts him in as a family member.

He makes an exceptional family pet and companion and you can rely on him to be a loyal, loving pet.It’s why the Goldador is becoming such a sought after pet – he simply ticks all the right boxes.

The Irish Doodle is guaranteed to make you a great pet. Every dog becomes better when they have been trained and socialized as they require having interactions with other dogs and people to know how to behave around them later on.

The Irish Doodle is a playful, active, attractive, loyal, fun loving pet who will learn easily.

The most important thing to remember with your Irish Doodle is to get involved in his life. He didn’t ask to come to you, but if you do your part and treat him like a much loved family member, you’ll soon see that your life isn’t complete without a wonderful 4-legged friend like the Irish Doodle.

Goldadors luckily don’t have many health issues, and as a hybrid, he has fewer health issues than pure breds.

You can say with confidence that a nutritious diet, regular exercise, good grooming, lots of love and attention and visits to the vet if your pet is ill are key aspects for maintaining good health.

There are always going to be some common health problems that your Goldie could get -

Ear Infections:

You’ll need to be checking your Labrador Retriever's floppy ears. They don’t get as much air in them as a dog with erect ears. A dog like the Goldador with floppy ears will need to have his ears cleaned for bacteria. Be very careful how you clean your pet’s ears as you can damage them if you probe too deeply.

Spaying and neutering:

Did you know that by spaying or neutering your Goldador can save them from getting some serious illnesses later on? Speak to your vet about it when your pet reaches 9 months to a year of age.

Obesity:

Goldadors can easily put on weight if they aren’t given enough daily exercise to burn off the calories. Some put on weight after being spayed or neutered and it's important to watch their weight after these procedures. Being overweight puts a lot of extra strain on a dog’s internal organs.

Irish Doodles are a robust, resilient breed, and with good care they can live to be 11, 12, 13 or 14 years. Nonetheless you need to know about the more common dog illnesses that any dog can develop.

These are hip dysplasia, eye problems, ear infections, bloat and Von Willebrand's Disease.You can improve your dog’s health by making sure he gets the very best food there is to eat, a warm, dry place to sleep and that he is treated with lots of love and care.

Von Willebrand's Disease:

Von Willebrand's disease is an inherited bleeding disorder. The disorder comes about because of a deficiency of von Willebrand Factor. This is an adhesive glyco-protein in the blood which is necessary for platelet binding or clotting. The condition can lead to excessive bleeding after an injury because the blood can’t clot.

Grooming:

Goom your Goldador regularly. He can either have short- or long hair, but he is a fairly low maintenance dog so a good brush twice a week to remove loose hairs will be good for him.

Diet:

Diet is everything, and by giving your Goldador nutritional food, you can actually lengthen his life. If you’re going to be giving him commercially manufactured food, follow the feeding guidelines on the packaging. Remember there are foods that cater specifically for a dogs age and his energy levels.

Try and give him some home-made food from time to time such as cooked rice, vegetables and chicken as well as some raw meat occasionally as this can ensure his skin and coat remain healthy.

Always provide plenty of cool, fresh water, especially seeing that he will be thirsty after a long walk or other exercise. Dehydration in a dog can be fatal.

Shelter:

Provide your Goldador with a warm, dry place to sleep. Make sure that it offers shelter from the sun and rain and also provides shade.

Even though the Irish Doodle's coat is long, this is a dog with just about no shedding, so a brush once a week will ensure his coat stays in tip-top condition. Some Irish Doodle owners like to take their pet to have the coat professionally trimmed.

Exercise:

The Irish Doodle isn’t one of these dogs where you need to ensure a good dose of exercise every day. He doesn’t particularly need a lot of exercise, so include him in your daily walks and give him a ball game now and then to keep him happy and fit.

Diet:

As a medium sized dog, your Irish Doodle will require a high quality diet that will ensure he is getting all the right minerals and vitamins he needs for his activities.

If you choose one of the wet or dry commercially manufactured foods, make sure it is one of the best quality ones free from fillers, colorants and preservatives. It is to your pet’s benefit to add in some homemade food to his kibble such as cooked chicken, brown rice, pasta and vegetables.

Raw meat is expensive, but if you can, give him some raw meat occasionally too as this promotes bright eyes, a wet nose and a healthy skin and fur.

Fresh, cool water must be provided every day non-stop.