Frequently asked questions about our Golden Irish puppies


1. So what are the benefits of the Golden Retriever - Irish Setter cross?

• First: Health. Raising a hybrid dog is one of the ways to help the genetic health of a puppy. Hybrids are less likely to receive a high dose of any specific purebred genetics that lead to inherited diseases.
• Second: Looks. The Golden Irish has a very striking appearance; one look at its dark gold to red coat with medium feathering is enough to make nearly anyone agree. Begin with the golden retriever- a very handsome dog with thick build and dark gold coat. Add in the mahogany and feathering of the Irish Setter and you get a dog with a magnificent physical presentation!
• Third: Personality. The Golden Retriever is known for its ideal disposition for a family dog. The Irish Setter is known for being very loyal and people loving. So you can't go wrong when you cross the two!
• Fourth: Less shedding. Golden Retrievers have a double coat and have been noted for their shedding. Breeding in the Irish Setter, which lacks the double coat, lessens that undesirable characteristic.

2. What do the different generations mean? 

• There are two different generations of Golden Irish that we raise at Rock Creek: F1 and F1B.
•  F1: This is a breeding between two purebred parents. In our case a purebred Golden Retriever and a purebred Irish Setter would be the parents.
•  F1B: This is a breeding between an F1 parent and a purebred parent. The F1 parent is 50% the same breed as the purebred parent. In our case a Golden Irish and a Golden Retriever would be the parents.

3. Should I get a male or female Golden Irish puppy?

• There is little proven evidence that one gender has a different personality than the other. However, there is the need to consider the option of spaying/neutering your dog. If you do plan to alter your dog,  spaying a female will cost more and will take more time for recovery, while neutering a male will be cheaper and the dog will rebound much quicker. If you don't "fix" your female dog, you will deal with a heat cycle every 6 months that will last about 3 weeks each time. She will leave a bloody discharge wherever she goes during this time. She may also tend to be moody during those few weeks. You will also have to keep a very close eye on her during this time and never allow her to roam or go outside without supervision in case an unwanted visitor show up (such as neighbor's male dog). An unaltered male may tend to be more aggressive toward other dogs. He will also develop the habit of "marking" when urinating. 

  4. What is the size of an adult Golden Irish?

• The weight of one of our adult Golden Irish adults tends to be in the 55-70 pound range. You will find an occasional large puppy that gets to be 75-80 pounds.          

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  5. Do you currently have any Golden Irish puppies for sale?

• Check out our Puppies page! This will inform you of any Golden Irish puppies currently for sale and of any upcoming litters of Golden Irish litters. We keep this as current and accurate as possible.