Irish Doodles vs German Wirehaired Pointer - Breed Comparison

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.

Medium to large sized, the German Wirehaired Pointer is a griffon type dog breed hailing from Germany and developed for hunting purposes in the 19th century.

Known as the Drahthaar in Germany, the dog is a mix of griffon, Deutscher Stichelhaar, German Shorthaired Pointer, Deutscher Kurzhaar as well as the Pudelpointer.

He was imported into the United States in the 1920s, and it was in 1953 that the German Drahthaar Club of America was formed.

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.

Well muscled, this is a medium to large sized dog standing at between 57 and 68cm in height and weighing between 27 and 32kg.

He has a weather resistant wiry coat which is of medium length and which is wiry and harsh. Coat color is liver and white as well as black flecked.The undercoat provides insulation against the cold.

He has quite a bit of facial hair in terms of eyebrows, beard and whiskers.He has webbed feet, typical of German Pointers. His tail is docked to about two-fifths of its natural length, but these days it is often left long.

Temperament:

Lively, playful, affectionate and intelligent, the German Wirehaired Pointer is easy to teach. He becomes wonderfully obedient with training and socialization and responds well to instructions to sit, come and stay.

He is an active dog and likes to be involved in the activities that his human family are involved in. He becomes bored and frustrated when he doesn’t get the exercise and attention he craves.

He isn’t suited to life in the city where the premises are small as he needs plenty of vigorous exercise every day. They do well in the country where they have plenty of place to run and where their hunting skills come into action.

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.

German Wirehaired Pointers make awesome pets as they’re lively, playful, social and loving. They particularly suit living in a home where the people are active, outdoor types.

They make superb jogging- or cycling companions and will thrive on sharing these activities with a family member. He is a dog who has a need to be loved and included in all that his family gets up to. He wants lots of pats and stroking to show him that you care.

Give him the love and care he craves and you’re guaranteed to have the most wonderful loving pet.

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.

German Wirehairs are generally healthy, and when you look after them well they can reach 12, 13 or 14 years of age. Also, if both German Wirehaired Pointer parents have certificates proving they were tested and cleared of hip dysplasia, hereditary eye diseases and blood-clotting disease, then your pet will have less risk of developing these conditions.

Your pet isn’t likely to get sick, but like all breeds of dogs, they're prone to certain diseases and conditions. Hip Dysplasia is something that can be noticed when your pet is still a puppy.

Hip Dysplasia:

This is a heritable condition where the thigh bone doesn't fit properly into the hip joint. Your dog can battle with pain so that he no longer wants to play, he battles to get up after lying down and he may even begin to show signs of lameness. Arthritis can develop too.

Cataracts:

You’ll notice cloudiness on the eye lens that can grow over time. Not all cataracts impair vision, although there are some instances where vision loss is experienced. Cataracts can sometimes be surgically removed with good results.

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 German Wirehaired Pointer isn’t a heavy shedder so brushing his coat twice a week will be ideal for him to rid the coat of loose hairs.

Diet:

Your German Wirehaired Pointer is an active dog and this has to be taken into account when looking at diet. He will require a diet with quality protein. You’ve also got to look at things such as whether your dog is neutered or spayed as they require less calories. On the other hand there are dogs that will require more calories because of their activity levels.

Make sure your German Wirehaired Pointer eats a top quality dog food. Add in some homemade food such as cooked brown rice, chicken and vegetables from time to time as well as some raw meat. You have to constantly remember that your dog’s health depends on the nutrition you provide.