Rough Collie vs Irish Doodles - Breed Comparison | Petzlover

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.

Many people have seen the movie ‘Lassie’, and of course this movie made the Collie popular and famous.

Apart from the Rough Collie, you also get the Smooth Collie. The Rough Collie’s origins start in the 1800’s in Scotland and Wales but unfortunately, the Rough Collie's exact origins are shrouded in lack of information.

These dogs were used as herding dogs in real-life and in movies, and it was in 1879 that the first English Rough Collie was imported to the USA, but it is the UK from whence the dog comes.

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.

The Rough Collie or Long-haired Collie is considered to be a medium to large sized dog with a long, double-layer coat.You’ll find the coat mainly as tri-colored – white, fawn and dark brown and black.

The Rough Collie stands at between 51 to 61cm in height and weighs between 18 and 30kg. The long, thin muzzled dog has semi erect, semi-floppy ears, sweet, gentle eyes and a long, plumed tail.

Temperament:

Rough collies are loving, gentle dogs who thrive on spending time with their human families. Their kindly nature makes them good therapy dogs.They don’t do well when left in the back yard on their own day after day. They’re social dogs who love playing with the children in the home and they get on well with other family pets.

The Rough Collie is highly intelligent and he is easy to train. With training and socialization he becomes so well behaved you can take him anywhere.

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.

The Rough Collie is such an intelligent dog, but he is loving and devoted too. He can slot into life in the city or countryside because all he really wants is to be close to his human family.

Wherever you live with your Rough Collie though, he will need to be well exercised. He is sweet but slightly timid and will want to be with a family that isn't too noisy in terms of lots of shouting.

People who have had Collies say these dogs make he most awesome pets, and in the right environment these wonderful intelligent dogs will make splendidly loyal, loving pets and companions,

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.

The Rough Collie can reach 12 to 14 years of age with good care. There are always some health issues to be aware of such as hereditary eye diseases. Also, as with most larger breeds, hip dysplasia is always a concern.

Other illnesses to look out for include cancer, skin allergies, bloat and Grey Collie Syndrome. As a responsible dog owner, get your pet to the doctor when you notice a change in his behavior – tiredness, vomiting, lethargy, unusual lumps, swelling and a feeling of depression.

Gray Collie Syndrome:

This is a form of canine cyclic neutropenia which affects the Collie breed. There is a low concentration of neutrophils in the blood. It can be hereditary or it can develop because of a side effect of chemotherapy for instance. It is essentially caused by a defect in the bone marrow stem cells. Affected dog will always battle with gastrointestinal problems and infections of the eye.The life expectancy of a Collie with this ailment will be less than 3 years.

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.

Your Rough Collie does shed so he will require a good brush twice a week. The long silky hair can matt so this grooming session will be important.

Exercise:

Your film-star collie is an active, athletic dog. He has always been used to herding sheep, and instinctively he wants to be active. His bright eyes are always alert to some action, and his exercise needs go beyond just allowing him to run around in your back yard.

He is the kind of dog that wants something more energetic such as going on hikes or long walks and running after sticks or balls on the beach.

Diet:

A Collie is an energetic dog and will require the best dog food there is. If you give him commercially manufactured food make sure it is the right food for his size, his breed and his energy levels.

To add some variety, feed him some home-made food occasionally which can be added to his dry kibble twice a week. Boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and spinach, sweet potatoes and carrots are a healthy choice for your pet. Try and feed him some raw meat occasionally. Ensure there is always a bowl of fresh, cool water for him.