Often, those of us with the field type goldens are told that our dogs are golden-Irish setter crosses. Actually, all goldens are part setter, but whether it is Irish or red gordon is up to conjecture. The Tweedmouth line has two “red setters” in the kennel records as outcrosses. These dogs were named “Samson” and “Jack,” and they added birdiness and the setter’s very strong sense of smell, as well as the dark red color. One can deduce that at least one of them was an Irish setter.
Why? Because Irish setters, the field lines of them in particular, still produce throwbacks of their red and white ancestors. The original red Irish setter was also a bit heavier dog than we have today. They had shorter ears, and they often had white on them.
Governor Baxter of Maine (who served from 1921-1925) had a dog named “Garry Owen.”
Garry Owen looks retrievery. In fact, I would probably have a hard time recognizing him as a setter. If he did not possess that big white spot on his chest, I would’ve thought him a dead ringer for Don of Gerwn. The white spots often appear on the chest, feet, tail tips, and as flashes and blazes on the muzzle and between the eyes. These white markings occur in Irish setters that are bred for work. It also appears in field type goldens in exactly the same places. It is because of these flashes of white and the location of those marks, that I think that at least one of the setters used in the Guisachan kennels was an Irish setter.
It is easy to see how the first goldens were mistaken for Irish setters. The Irish setters were more retrievery in those days, which broader skulls, shorter ears, and heavier builds.
Today, my type of golden is once again mistaken for the setter mix.
However, there people who are breeding this cross, and we have an idea of what the crosses will look like (photos courtesy of Sweet Liberty Kennels)
Others are actually gold:
And some really look retrievery:
This dog reminds me of a golden pup that born in one of our litters. He was dark and lithe and retrieving at 6 weeks. He was pick of the litter and was given in lieu of a stud fee. I am always looking for a dog like him.
Here’s a pure field type golden:
The dogs look so similar that it is very hard to tell whether a dog is a dark field-type golden or an Irish setter-golden cross. Part of the problem is that the breeds were interbred and that Irish setters once looked more like retrievers than they do now.
My suggestion is that if you find one of these red retriever types, assume it is a field type golden. Irish setters are hard to find in the United States, when compared to golden retrievers. Finding a golden-Irish setter hybrid is even rarer.
Goldens have the St. John’s water dog coat, while setters do not. Setters do not shed as much as goldens do, and the crosses may not have the golden’s propensity to “blow coat.” But other than that, unless you want to pay for a DNA test, assume that a red long-haired retriever is a field type golden, especially if you live in North America or the UK.
Crossing setters and retrievers was a common practice in the past. Hutchinson’s Dog Breaking (1869) has a depiction of some early retrievers. The dog in the lower left hand corner is a setter/water spaniel cross. It has the broad head of the old type Irish setter, something we see in field type Irish setters and virtually all golden retrievers. The dogs along the lower right are setter/”Newfoundland” (St. John’s water dog) crosses.
Thank you for interesting insite into the breed – I particularly enjoyed seeing the photos. There is no doubt something ‘retrievery’ about Gary Owen.
I loved reading about the Golden Irish dogs but was doubly excited to see my dog Packer in your pictures. He is the sleeping dog in the sunshine and also the picture taken on our deck with snow on his nose. He was only a few months old when those pictures were taken. He is now over a year and smart as can be. We live in Alaska and he always has snow on his nose. He is an exceptional dog who was bred by Sweet Liberty Kennels.
I’m glad you like him. Goldens are smart dogs, but they get their intelligence from Irish setters. Irish setters are portrayed as idiots, but they really aren’t. Maybe 20 years ago there were overbred, scatty ones, but this is changing. Maybe mixing the two brings out the old type Irish setter hidden in both of their genes, which was always written about as the most intelligent of the setters. It had a broader skull and shorter ears than it does now. It looked a lot like a golden retriever of the field type.
I had a full golden dog puppy that could pass for the golden Irish in the blog post. He was a very dark dog, what is called a “mahogany” golden. He was out of a tawny field type dam.
Also, check out this early champion golden that dominated the ring and obedience right after World War II:
We have a beautiful Irish Setter and hansome Golden Retriever that we bred. They have produced the most amazing dogs. I appreciate the insight into the cross, it explains why the offspring owners have been so delighted with the intelligence of their dog.
Hi! Are you still breeding Golden Irishes? I am very interested in a puppy. Where are you located? I look forward to hearing from you.
yes i breed Golden Irish i have a litter right now that is the first ever 2nd generation with no in or line breeding
Hi Rebecca, when is your litter availible for adoption? I as well am very interested in a Golden Irish. Do you have a website or pictures you could email me?
birth 2/11/2012 i keep them till 2 weeks after weaning to get them more socialised so close to 4/1/2012 depending on weaning. 2 of these males will have the wavy hair on back like their dad rusty they are green and turquoise, MY PUPPIES ARE RAISED IN HOME NOT A BARN AND VET DOES EVERYTHING I DO NOT CUT OF DEW CLAWS AND ONE COMES BACK, I DO NOT BUY THEIR TREATMENTS AT FEED STORE. I AM OVON’S GOLDEN IRISH. the price to ship a puupy is the same all over the usa. they come with health certificate from vet. Imine have absolutely no line or inbreeding which is a cause of much vet expense to buyer. think i have addressed all of your questions give me your email and i will load you up with pictures of these darlings and also have owners of mine get in touch. it is hard for someone that does not have one of them i am sure to beleive me the breeder about how fantastic they are.
My family is very interest in adopting a Golden Irish. Please contact me at eliaswh@aol.com or 310 544-0574
Thanks, Louie T.
I am curious as to how much a puppy with that type of breeding would go for.
Many years ago I had an Irish Setter female. I knew then that the insinuation that Irish Setters were dumb was incorrect when it came to my dog. I would love to get another Irish Setter but as previous stated in this conversation line, they are hard to come by.
deb
my irish setteer female was a deliberate breeding of akc feild chamo on westminister …..the brain and the beauty. these pups are off the charts iq….a pro tyrainer b ought one from me 2 years ago says she is by far the smartest dog he has every had his hands on, he trained dogs for Medasa? ca police dept. i hazve a litter 7 weeks old today i am starting to ship them out Monday. the mix is so fantastic you get the brains, calm, hunter, less shedding , and silky hair…..i had 12 6 still available 4 females 2 males….shipping if 225.00 pup 500.00 i am ovon’s kennels go to golden irish dogs and you can find me i8 have tons of pictures….goldenirish.rebecca@gmail.com
sorry to be so slow to answer 900.00
they are 7 weeks old today and start leaving the nest monday. plane 225.00 pup 500.00
Hi Rebecca,
I would love to speak to you about you puppies! [I do not post comments with telephone numbers for privacy reasons.]
are u still having litters? we are interested in the spring of 2014. Any pix of a recent litter?
do not know when in 2014 probably late in year
were are you located I’m in Central Pa. I lost my big red golden to cancer last dec we are looking for another one His name was Tanner the gentle giant. Very much missed
hello, I am in texas but have a lot of golden irish puppies that are living in the N E portion of our wonderful country. flying is no problem for them, it is temp and pressure controlled dark and quiet they sleep. flight from me to dallas is 1 hr. there they get on direct American flight to you. I have 3 pups already sold out of my next litter. thank you goldenirish@outlook.com Rebecca Ovon
ARE THE PUPPIES IN THE NORTH EAST OF US HOW MUCH DO YOUR PUPPIES GO FOR?
yes as I said I have sold quiet a few puppies to people living in NE USA. Prior to birth my puppies are 1,200.00 paid in 4 installments, of course the crate, and airline actual charges if you do not pick up are added to that in 2013 those things were 250.00-350.00 varied by weight of pup at time of shipping. I can put you in touch with a lot of my happy puppy owners since 2010 please email me goldenirish.rebecca@gmail.com thank you
I AM A BREEDER OF golden IRISH PUPPIES REBECCA
goldenirish@outlook.com
Are you still breeding the Golden Irish Setters? I am very interested. Please contact me at marykolberg@ymail.com
I am a breeder of the Golden Irish dogs. There are very few of us. I have a lot of my puppies that now live on east coast, Flying is no issue, Rebecca goldenirish@outlook.com
do you still have puppies? i’m in pa
MY NEXT PUPPIES WILL BE BORN LATE SUMMER 2014
I purchased a golden about 2 months ago and recently we have doubts of him being pure bread. He was bought from a puppy store and is not akc. He is almost a splitting image of the dog above with the snow on his nose. I would post a pic but I do not know how. I could email a photo to anyone who is willing to give me an honest opinion that would be great..
Shawn smith
Orange park, FL
Send the picture to my e-mail.
It is possible to get goldens that look almost exactly like that Irish-golden in the photo. In fact, the field strain of golden tends to look like that. Also, the original dogs that made up the golden studbook looked like Irish setters. The first dual champion (field and show) champion in the breed was a mahogany golden named Balcombe Boy.
Here are some early show and field dogs from the 1930’s.
Except in that planned cross, Irish setters aren’t normally crossed with goldens.
And there are at least two Irish setters in the golden retriever’s development, not to mention how many Irish setters were crossed into the old flat-coat/wavy-coat breed (which included goldens).
The best way to tell them apart is Irish setters don’t shed as much as goldens, and the crosses tend to have the setter’s coat. But shedding amounts tend to be relative. If you dog goes into a point, you probably have good evidence of a cross, although a few field-type goldens will also point. Also, goldens have a distinctive oily odor that setters don’t have, and the setter crossed typically don’t have this odor.
it is pretty cheap to have vet do a DNA blood test
whats your email? I’ll send a couple photos.
Shawn
retrieverman1@yahoo.com
[…] dog is darker than the Irish setter-golden crosses, which is really […]
I am looking for this cross breed in Ontario,Canada
The only breeder I know of is in Washington State.
Hi! I am located in Ottawa, Canada and am also looking for a Golden Irish. Have you had any luck finding a breeder??? Many thanks, Lydia
I have not heard of any Canadian breeders of this hybrid. There are working strain goldens in your area that do look like setter crosses.
i have a litter of golden irish 7 wseeks old leaving nest monday plane usa 225.00 pup 500.00
i have golden irish and a litter 7 weeks old 4 females 2 males still available shipping anywhere in usa a is 225.00 pup 500.00
My “Golden” is just about to turn 2 in September and I did receive the AKC registration on him but did not get the papers on his parents. He also looks like a splitting image of Packer and the dog with the snow on his nose. I have just gotten to the point where I say he is a golden/irish because people don’t believe he is a golden retriever. Is it possible he really is pure Golden? I have pictures of him on my computer. Do you think I could send them to your email and get your opinion?
retrieverman1@yahoo.com
My guess, without seeing him, is that he is indeed purebred. Red colored goldens used to be much more common and were the preferred color in the early days of the breed.
lauren i would like to see your golden.. my golden is a splitting image of the dog with the snow on the nose.. my email is iwant2muchboost@aol.com
ill send you photos of my dog as well..
Send them to me, too!
retrieverman1@yahoo.com
the dog with the snow looks EXACTLY like my Bailey, Very dark red, lithe, cuddliest dog I ever had. Love her to pieces. She is going to be 2 in January 2014.
We brought home a Golden Irish from Sweet Liberty Kennels about 6 weeks ago. Unbelievable how intelligent these dogs are! We see alot of Golden Retrievers around Seattle that actually look like Golden Irishes…it makes sense now after reading your blog. Thanks for the information.
my brother lived in Seattle for years and his golden looks just like packer too and he’s tall and lanky. i always thought he had irish setter in him also
IF YOU DO YOUR RESEARCH ON THE GOLDEN RETREIVER YOU WILL DISCOVER IRISH SETTER IS ONE OF THE MANY BREEDS USED TO CREATE THE GOLDEN RETREIVER.
Our family is in search of a golden irish does anyone know where we could find one near upstate New York for our son?
I don’t know of any.
I do know that there is a good line of working goldens in the Adirondack region.
I’m going to send u another picture of my golden I snapped while in the car.. He has changed a bit as he has gotten older..
Shawn
I still think he’s a golden retriever. He’s probably from field lines or has working dogs close in his pedigree.
Field golden breeders breed for longer legs and shorter feathering. If you live where I do, the heavier bodied type of golden is less common than this type.
You dog looks a lot like a red flat-coated retriever.
Now, it’s actually really hard to tell if a golden has setter in them, because they all have a lot of setter in them anyway. You can even find goldens that will point just like a setter.
My current dog is very lightly built, but no one ever says she’s a setter cross for a very simple reason.
She’s a light gold.
i have litter 7 weeks old today leaving nest monday plane 225.00 pup 500.00
i am in texas will breed and have pups in about 12 weeks
I thin he is a golden too.. My other dog is a large built golden.. He weighs 85lbs.. Fisher the darker one weighs 65lbs.
We got max to keep him company since I had to start traveling for work.. My gf has her hands full with the 2 of them.. Fisher clearly claimed me as his master cause as soon as I left town he started acting up a bit..
This is actually interesting, it talks about above how the setter sheds little but the golden blows their coats seasonally. My Golden’s hardly shed, especially Symbah. He sheds so little that I can’t even gather the fur to spin it into mittens!
My first dog had a more setter-type coat, and she didn’t shed very much at all.
So glad I ran across this site! I love my 6 year old Golden Irish! He can be a bundle of energy even after six years but has been an excellent companion. I have pictures of his parents from when I bought him but hes not registered. If you are considering the breed have no hesitations. He does well in outdoor environments from going to the lake, hiking to retrieving. He gets along extremely well with children and our new borador. When he’s outside hes a bundle of energy but takes well to settling down in the house. The first five years were a bit rough from his energy, I won’t lie. But as hes maturing he’s extremely affectionate and loyal. Eager to please. Really a great breed! I’m gonna send some pics!
Just send them to retrieverman1@yahoo.com
on my blog we have pictures of retriever puppy. Our vet said something about him having setter somewhere in his line. I’m interested in your thoughts on him. Just scroll down a little to see the pictures.
mbprattrussum.blogspot.com
They all have setter in them. The wavy-coated from whence goldens and flat-coats came was mostly a setter/St. John’s water dog cross. At least two setters were in the 1st Baron Tweedmouth’s line, and setters were crossed into the old wavy-coated breed (which included goldens) to make the early flat-coated retriever breed (which included goldens.) As the dogs became standardized, most early breeders wanted a more setter-like build in their retrievers, which has continued in working strain retrievers. However, in show-line goldens and Labradors, there has been a move away from that type.
He’s a working strain golden, and he’s likely to mature into a dog that looks like this:
This type of golden is less common these days, but they were once the preferred type. They still are preferred in the working lines of golden retriever.
My first dog looked very much like your dog, and she was a retrieving fool.
Hello,
I’ve got a lovely golden irish I picked up free off craigslist at eight weeks old a few years back up in Seattle. They said they’d bought him in San Diego and driven him up to Seattle to discover their dog permitting lease for the place they were moving into had just fallen through. He’s been a great guard dog, and is cat trained and good with children. He has a very good temperment. He does have a very strong urge to run, and will bolt out the door to run if he can. He will charge other dogs, but has never bitten save once when attacked by an off leash aggressive pitbull who’d begun biting him.
When I’m out hiking or fishing, he has one bark for animals and one bark for people. He is very protective. Some people he will rush and bark at, and some people he’ll allow close. I can tell who it is safe to chat with by his responses to the people.
He has likes and dislikes, and certain people he will always bark at. A few times when someone in the home has been very angry or intense, he’ll simply go up to them and begin to bark at them. He’s tried to make people sounds before, lol.
I’ll include a few pics.
Here he is smiling
And here he is on a hike with me
And here he is chewing on a bone.
Hello,
I wanted to clarify the nature of the behaviors I’d mentioned in my dog before, as I see folk have responded to it and misinterpreted it, and I don’t want to have folk not understand because of my failure to clarify in writing.
Regarding the urge to run and charging other dogs. I feel that is my fault. I walked him multiple times daily as a pup, and he fully leash trained quickly, eager to please and very attentive, and was fine around other dogs. When he was nearing a year old I was divorced and got a job with long hours and a long transit, in addition to a long divorce. His training ceased, and living circumstances were such that he had no yard to play in and had to be chained while I was gone. Eventually I was able to move to a place with a yard, but he was never walked or trained as I continued to work exhaustive hours and do a long daily commute on top for years.
I feel the charging other dogs and trying to escape is the result of boredom and understimulation on his part. When he is walked regularly or taken on hikes/fishing, those behaviors vanish. Owner failure. My failure.
The rush and bark at people when out in the wilderness. He doesn’t do that in the city, or in any other circumstances. But if it is 3am and I am catfishing alone at the river, yes I want my dog to bark initially at strange men who appear. I expect him to. The couple he has continued to bark at after I called him to my side were all intoxicated on drugs, and the one he hated the most settled down to talk to himself nearby on a meth binge.
The likes and dislikes of people. He dislikes two people. He will bark at them when they come to the door. If I let them in, he will not bark or show any aggression. One is a neighbor who had a personality disorder, occasionally abuses methamphetamine, has had the police to her house many times, and the sounds of domestic violence and combat drift over the fence into my yard many times, along with meth smoke. I expect my dog to bark at that woman and be wary of her. I’d think he was a sh**** watch dog if he didn’t. The boy he dislikes is the same kind of person. The neighborhood Dennis the Menace, who likes to smash other people’s toys and throw pine cones in little girls’ faces.
He is more aggressive than other dogs I have had towards other dogs. He is not neutered, and all the other dogs I have had were nuetered. Off leash in a back yard he is fine with other dogs. On the leash he shows aggression now.
I need him to be a guard dog, particularily in the discerning manner he is, where the level of aggression he chooses to display depends on the circumstances. He has never bitten a person or cat, does not snap, has no food aggression, and does not bark or show aggression to people when he is on the leash save for the lone circumstance of late at night in the middle of nowhere when a strange man approaches(he doesn’t bark at strange women).
The website links to youtube, which shows him with our new kitten, who was seven weeks old at the time.
That is good clarification, thank you for taking the time to say that. Unfortunately my dog’s aggressive behaviors are more severe. For example, after my post here last night I was taking the trash cans out to the street. My dog was sitting by fence no problem. Then one of my neighbor’s walked by on the sidewalk and my dog takes off right after him and started barking. My poor neighbor was scared half to death. My dog stopped about 5 feet from him but still it was bad. And it’s hard to take because with us he could not be better.
it’s very rare for goldens to show agression towards people or other animals.. My 2 goldens only get excited when people or other animals are around.. Normally goldens are not good guard dogs unless licking is a good defense..
That used to be true: https://retrieverman.wordpress.com/2009/01/15/are-golden-retrievers-becoming-more-aggressive/
Most of them aren’t, but there are aggressive individuals that are popping up as a result of stupid breeding practices and poor training.
I should say, though, that I’ve never had an aggressive one, but they do exist.
I was the proud owner of a golden irish mix (3/4 golden & 1/4 setter — his mom was full golden and his dad was a half & half mix). He lived to be 14 1/2 years old. This dog was amazing. His vocabulary must have been about 350 words. He walked off-leash by my side, slept in my bed, loved other dogs & people, was super-tolerant of my child in the newborn-to-toddler-stage, and was an amazing friend. He also was an excellent guard dog and definitely let us know when someone was sneaking around outside!
He was the most amazing dog I’ve ever had and I would sooo love to get another one one day! I’ve been checking out Sweet Liberty Kennel’s website over the last year and one day soon may take a trip to look at their pups.
We have a Golden Irish who will be 2 years old on May 10th. He was extremely rambunctious as a puppy, and even now he is a little bit overly friendly and exuberant. He is very, very bright, and I swear he understands everything we say to him. He is gentle with children, obeys commands very well while on the leash, and absolutely aced house training. I swear he had no more than one or two accidents when he was a very young puppy. He sleeps well, eats well. He is an excellent traveler, good in the car and in dog-friendly hotels. My only complaint now as he nears 2 years old is that he is a bit mouthy still; he loves to chew things up still, and when he tries to get my attention, he sometimes wraps his jaws around my arm, though not in a vicious way. He also still likes to chew up napkins and paper plates, or really whatever he can get hold of. Needless to say, we keep him supplied with many toys and make sure he gets lots of exercise on the beach (we live in a small coastal community). He is big for his breed, according to our vet, and is a beautiful, beautiful-looking dog. It’s hard to distinguish whether he looks more “Irish” or “Golden,” and in fact people ask us all the time which he is. Just thought I’d share my husband’s and my experiences!
Hi, I just found this website and read your entry on your Golden Setter. We thought we had a golden for the last 13 months and then I read about the Golden Irish, and I’m sure thats what he is!
I especially related to your post about the nipping and tearing up paper! Kobe, our pup, is now 13 month and he will tear up anything on the floor (paper napkins, reciepts, toliet paper, newspapers, hangers, clothes!) and when he wants attention, he definitely uses his mouth.
I was curious if you are continuing to have these issues, even wtih your dog being older? We are thinking he is still in the terrible puppy stage because he is really sweet and loving when he wants to be, but when he throws a fit, we just get out of the way! ;)
Any advice you can give would be great! Thanks!!
Whitney
whitney@paralegal.edu
i have liktter 7 weeks old today leaving nest monday i have been a breeder three years and have not changed my name…plane 225.00 pup 500.00
Sorry about the old post reply, but I had a male and was thinking about a female this time around.. I know they are incredible with children but I wonder if a female would be overprotective with my children when the neighbors come to play (daily) or is that just a myth? with females
the females are only over protective when they have a litter of pup. My female is in heat now so i will have another litter of pups
I am so happy to come across this site. I had a Golden Irish (had to be put to sleep a few years ago) named Roy and he was the best dog I ever have known. I was under the belief he was pure Golden until today. I am now certain that he was a Golden Irish mix. He was everything all the prior posts have listed (smart, energetic most of his long life, loyal, and protective). Even the lack of smell and less shedding than pure Goldens (I have one now, and have made those observations before, but now they make sense).
As one post mentioned before, their dog is wary of certain people and will display a certain level of aggressiveness towards those select individuals. My dog was the same way. And he was ALWAYS right, as I found out later on a few instances. We had a rule that was if Roy did not like you, you were not allowed in the house. So trust your dog’s intuition. It may save your butt.
I want to say that I really appreciate the time spent on the site and the info you have provided. It does make me a bit sad to see all the dogs that look just like my old friend. He is missed greatly. Enjoy the time with your Golden Irish dogs. They are the best. Thank you.
About 3 months ago we have adopted/rescued a golden retriever mix that is about 3 years old. I am pretty sure he is an Irish/Golden retriever mix. My wife and I are really hurt because I think we are going to give him back. He is terrific around us. Sweet. Smart. Fun. But around strangers and other dogs he can be very aggressive. He is so cute that people in public just come up and pet him. And he jumps and growls and nips at them. He has nipped at 5 of my friends. My neighbors have these cute daughters about 8 to 10 years old, they were petting him and he really started barking at them and scared them. I took him to two trainers and talked with a third who all specialize in these type of aggressive behaviors. One trainer put him through some tests and my dog tried to bite him almost immediately. The trainers told us that they could make him better but they did not recommend that we keep him if we are going to have children (which we are). It is really hard because otherwise the dog is great. If we do give him back I think we are going to start with a puppy. We were hoping for a well adjusted young adult but that is probably hard to find. I thought I would share. Thanks for listening. If you have any suggestions I would love to hear them.
Aggression is getting to be a big problem in golden retrievers.
I am not an expert on aggression in dogs, but I don’t think you can make this dog 100 percent bombproof.
You can try crating him and putting him on a regime where the only time he gets food, attention, affection, or access through doors is to sit or lie down.
I would suggest trying the lure and treat methods of dog training, just because if you start pushing on him or using harsh corrections, you are more likely to be bitten yourself.
I would also try this: After he is good at sitting on command. Have him sit in a public place (but not a croweded one), while you have him on a leash. Have a friend walk by. If he stares at the friend or growls, have the friend walk away. If he doesn’t, have the friend approach at a distance but not come up all the way, if he’s fine, give him a treat. Eventually, you can work it up to where he can receive treats from the friend.
He may come out of it, but I don’t think he can be 100 percent trusted around children. Even if you’ve done all of that, it can still be very tough.
You can try the Cesar Millan stuff, but I warn you that it is very easy to get bitten doing things his way and it’s also very easy to make a dog worse using those methods.
Check out this DVD: http://www.amazon.com/Dog-Aggression-Dr-Ian-Dunbar/dp/B0001LQL9C
And these books: http://www.amazon.com/Dogs-Behaving-Badly-Understanding-Behavioral/dp/0553108735
Check out Patricia McConnell’s blog: http://www.theotherendoftheleash.com/
Wow. That was a fast reply. Thanks for the reply and the advice. As hard as the decision is, we are going to give him back. We love him but I just don’t want a dog that is aggressive and has that type of risk. We want a dog that everyone can like and be safe to pet. I am considering a very well dark red Golden Retriever that is about 5 months old. That dog comes from a kennel that specializes in training hunting dogs. But then I came across the Sweet Liberty Kennels website and I spoke with the breeder. We would love to try again with this mixed breed (although two of the posters described behavior that is very similar to our dog). I was hoping for a dog that was a little older than an 8 week old puppy but if we need to get a puppy we will.
I had an Irish Setter years ago, Casey Amber (affectionately known as Casey Clutz!) that I think was a Golden Irish. She was from a farm, didn’t have “papers”, but was supposedly a pure Irish setter. Papers didn’t matter; we wanted her as a pet for our family. She kept us laughing all of the time, was wonderful with our 2 sons, for 13 years. I’d love to adopt a Golden Irish, if my husband can be convinced that there’s a good dog that’s NOT a Beagle! He never knew Casey…she was special! Is there a Golden Irish rescue?
Does anyone know of a Golden Irish quality breeder in the Midwest?
There is a breeder in Indiana, Gorgeous Golden Irish, who had a litter in June. I don’t know if they have any puppies left. Good luck.
I’ve written a lot about this.
One of the early top liver flat-coats was actually half what became golden retriever. There are yellow flat-coats (faulty) that look like goldens– field strain that is.
The golden was a flat-coat through most of its development. The really red color that exists in some goldens, especially in field lines, comes– I think– through the addition of more Irish setter blood into the flat-coat. Black flatties that were carrying red were bred to goldens, which introduced the very dark color.
The golden and flat-coats are mostly derived from crossing the extinct St. John’s water dog (the proto Labrador) with some kind of setter. There were black setters from Wales and the West Country that are often suggested as an ancestor. Devon and Dorset were home to many fishermen who fished off of Newfoundland and brought the black St. John’s water dogs home.
I love liver flatties of that particular color. I call it rusty liver. It’s beautiful.
You should use the search function on this blog to check out the following dogs: Don of Gerwn and his dam named Rust.
They were of this same color, but Don was half golden retriever (or what became golden retriever).
We have a Golden Irish in the UK.
They are very popular around our area and seem to be more popular througout the UK
Fynn is 6 now and came from a litter of 10. He sees his brother Oliver and sister Casey on a regular basis but we have lost touch with the rest of the litter.
They are big dogs the boys used to be nearly 50kg!
We have got the weight down now because they are showing signs of early joint problems.
Very happy dogs with wonderful attitude towards life, they adapt to all situations with no fuss.
Fynn loves holidays by the sea and chases seaguls till he falls over! has slowed more recently due to “jump down fractures” in his elbows which will need fixing with surgery we think? Thank god for insurance.
Oliver the brother has fused vertebrae in his spine but doesnt seem to slow him any.
Otherwise there seem to be very little else to go wrong with the breed.
I grew up with setters and they were all bonkers so the retreiver really seems to balance them out which makes life easier with a 7 month old son.
They are the best of friends and fynn really looks out for him. He sleeps by his cot and brakes his fall when he climbs out. Bit of a guardian angel to be truthful.
We would’nt be without our golden he turns so many heads and always has to say hello to all his admirers.
Just thought I would share this with you guys so you know your dogs have lots of cousins in the uk
I will try and get some photos for you too
Our 10 year old red Golden girl, the Cricket, passed away in June. A month ago we adopted a 5 year old red mail Golden, Jacob, pictured in the link. He had a very heavy coat when we got him but after lots of brushing he really looks more like a setter. He is blossoming into yet another great older adopted dog for us:)
male not mail:) And here is a picture of our special girl, the Cricket:)
I am looking for a GoldenIrish near Montreal. I want a puppy red male or femelle.
Thank you
Looking for a golden irish on the pacific northwest. In one of the blogs above, Washington State was mentioned.
I am interested in a goden Irish in the east somewhere not to far from Maryland. Any help would be appreciated
I adopted a Golden Retriever two years ago. He is my pride and joy. My favorite part about him is the little white patch on his chest. People always comment on the color of his coat, because it’s so red and he gets compliments all the time. I was very grateful to have come across your blog. I had thought he might have setter in him, but I didn’t realize that was part of the breed. (I really don’t know much about dogs other than their temperaments) He would be a field golden for sure, I think? I would love to send picture and get an opinion on what his blood line might be. I know his mother had official papers, but the father did not.
I wouldn’t care what he was, I love him just the same. It would just be nice to know. The comments we get on our walks has sparked my interest.
Yes, Send it to retrieverman1 (at) yahoo.com
I have a Chessy Irish Mix. He has been a very good dog and he has a great nose for bird hunting I am guessing comes from the Irish. He is 12 now and I am looking to get a Pup this spring and seen this site. Looking for a breeder in the Midwest Minnesota – Wisconsin?
hi, thanks for the grat blog,
i live in the norh of spain and 2 years ago i rescued a dog from a shelter here in spain.
i always tought it looked like a mix of a golden retriever and an irish setter, but thanks to your blog i found out it is a golden irish.. it’s crazy that i found a puppy like him in a shelter…
I really liked your article. My name is Vince Stead and I wrote a book about Irish Setters called ” How to Train and Raise a Irish Setter Puppy or Dog with Good Behavior” that you can get for $2.99 at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Here is a link to it:
You have answered a lot of questions I had about Goldens and Irish Setters. Our current Golden looks so much like some of the Golden/Irish pictures you have posted, mostly Kyla and Packer. We were never given Toby’s papers, the breeder always had an excuse. I’m sure he has the working background you mentioned, although we’ll never be sure and don’t care. He acts a lot like the Irish Setter we had several years ago and less like our last Golden. We couldn’t ask for a better dog. He is also a retrieving fool. What would we do without the Chuckit…
I have a year old golden retriever, irish setter mix. She is an amazing dog. I’ve started a facebook page under “Golden Irish” please post pix/videos and great stories about this awesome mix! I’ve asked breeders of this mix to list info of new litters. Have a great day!
I’ve had 43 Irish Setter mix ( English golden retiver)
I’ll throw up a picture of mom, dad and daughter
ok , how does one post a picture
I don’t have that function here, but you can send it as an attachment to my e-mail (retrieverman1@yahoo.com).
I just lost my 5 1/2 year old golden to cancer (hemangiosarcoma). She definitely had alot of the field line in her breed. She was a beautiful dark golden with a long flat coat and didn’t have alot of odor. She was a great upland bird dog. We are looking for another dog and have been contemplating an Irish Setter due to the high risk of cancer in Goldens. I also have seen the breeder in Wa. that mixes the Irish Setters and Golden retriever and was wondering if the Golden Irish run a higher or lower risk of cancer? What are your thoughts? I am just so heartbroken over losing my dog @ such a young age.
I know your feeling .I had to put down Dakota (the female english Golden Ret.)
in the lead picture here, on Monday , she too died of Cancer at 18 yrs of age .
She had both Breast cancer and Nose Cancer , it was the nose cancer that did
her in in less than 2 months . I’m down to only one dog , the female setter/golden mix.(copper dog )
My Irish setter also died of cancer , almost every dog I hear about is dying of Cancer , just like humans .
18 is an incredibly good age for a golden retriever.
She must have had some incredible genetics and great care throughout her life.
So happy to come across this site. I have a Golden Irish that I bought when he was 13 weeks! Such an intelligent and loveable dog and extremely loyal but sometimes is a little stubborn but im sure with more indepth training he’ll be fine. I have had many dogs while growing up and this breed has been by far the best!
Hello! I have a dog from a rescue. She was said to be a golden. Everyone comments on her dark fur and says she looks like she may have been crossed with an Irish Setter. I noticed you talking about the rarity of the crossed breed so I imagine she may be a field golden? I will send a pic!
I grew up with an Irish/Golden and loved her so much. Such a sweet personality! Now that I have a family of my own we are ready to add a dog and I have been holding out for an Irish/golden. Its been over a year and a half that we have been looking. I know she is out there…if anyone has any suggestions or knows where I can find one please contact me. Thank you!
Caroline
Where do you live Caroline? statewise, i might have a suggestion! I have a golden retriever and am looking at getting an irish/golden mix and have found a few over the past few weeks, so exciting so i might be able to point you in a direction.
hi caroline,
i’m not sure where you are located, but there is a litter of irish/ golden pups in creston ,bc (canada). i’m picking up mine next weeek and there are still some left. father is a field line golden, mother is an irish setter. let me know and i’ll pass their contact info to you.
take care :)
Hi Amber,
I am in Calgary, AB and would love to know who the breeder in Creston is. We have been been looking for a Golden Irish breeder in Canada and have not been successful. The only breeders we have been able to find are doodlepuupy.com and redretriver.org. Has anyone had experiance with either of these breeders? redretriver.org used to be Sweet Liberty Kennels.
Thanks,
Jason
i will be breeding in july 2012
Can you send me any info, pictures of mother,father
Located in ottawa ,ontario,canada
We have a Golden Irish puppy who’s 10 months old and was born in a hole in Galway, Ireland. She is wonderful!
I have a soon to be 12 year old Irish red and white setter mix with standard poodle. He is a gorgeous strawberry blonde color not a deep red. He was very birdy as a young dog, and then totally smitten with chasing squirrels. these days he is most happy to wander and eat greens in the woods! A lovely non-shedding coat thanks to his mom the poodle! I will gladly send you a photo of him, he is unique. A golden/irish mix sounds great too.
Great site,I’m getting Jack from nidad later this year and can’t wait!
I would love to have such a wonderful golden irish. Do you know whom I could contact?
Best regards
I’ve been looking since my last little girl Charlene passed july 4,2012.
I have found a few close crosses, but not the exact same crosses in my search that never seems to end , if you use google images , and fill in Irish Setter mix breeds , you’ll get a better understanding , exactly how rare the perfect cross mix is to come by . All the close mixes that I’ve found so far have all been male .
I am a Golden Irish breeder I have 4 month old pups right now in Texas. male and female. 325-500-0069 goldenirish.rebecca@gmail.com
We had two of these wonderful dogs, both lived a to the ripe old age of 16 years. At 10 one experienced bone cancer; a rear leg had to be removed. She recovered fully, and when she took off running you never would have known she had only three legs. ABSOLUTELY GREAT DOGS. Wonderful, loving personalities. Well behaved. Easy to train. Energetic to the end and just about perfect in every way. Miss them every day.
Hi, I’m looking for a breeder of hybrid goldens, in North Carolina, TN, or SC. Please let me know, we have searched everywhere.
there should be 4 males left
http://www.puppyfind.com/view_listing/?list_id=kfd7oicp4w&adv_id=34
Can I send you a picture of my 6 1/2 year old male. I have not DNA tested him (and do not believe that I can get an accurate determination) but I believe he is a Golden Irish. I do know that his mother was Golden (the owner was a backyard breeder). No pedigree was offered and we did not care. We already had a AKC Golden. The differences were clear. Head structure, paw, coat, size, nose/ear length, personality, barking, intelligence (superior) and he was a booger. They said the father was golden (because we had brought our dog with us). Don’t think so. I have even had a woman stop me at the dog park with a pure Irish Setter and tell me he is clearly half. The original AKC Golden we had has since crossed the Rainbow Bridge but we also have three additional rescue Goldens. Frisco is different. He also is my favorite (ok so I admit it). I really believe that he has Irish Setter in him.
Yes. You can send me a photo. retrieverman1{at}yahoo(dot)com.
I am looking for a rescue/shelter or a breeder for Golden Irish puppies in the East coast. Anywhere near Pittsburgh, PA area would be wonderful! Anyone have any info??
Im looking for a Golden Irish pup in near North Carolina, or able to be shipped. Would like to find one anytime between July and Christmas 2014.
jenniferjoanneyoung@gmail.com