What is a Bernedoodle?
A Bernedoodle is a "designer" dog, an intentional, hybrid cross between a purebred Bernese Mountain Dog and a purebred Poodle. Bernedoodles can be toy, mini or standard, depending on the size of the Poodle. 

 

 

What about their temperaments?
While it varies from dog to dog, the Bernedoodle tends to get the best of both worlds from the Bernese and the Poodle. It has been my experience that Bernedoodles are alert, fun, goofy, loving, playful, sociable and occasionally aloof. I can't imagine a better family dog. Bernedoodles tend to be good around people of all ages, including children, and make excellent companions. I trained my first Bernedoodle to be a therapy dog, and we breed our dogs with therapy/service temperaments in mind. Bernedoodles are very intelligent and pretty easy to train. They are eager to learn new tricks and please their owners by showing off their learned skills. The Bernese and the Poodle can both be stubborn, strong-willed dogs so it is important to train your Bernedoodle to know right from wrong and to establish yourself as the leader in your relationship.  Bernedoodles tend to play when it's time to play, but love to sleep when it's time to sleep. In other words, they have a moderate activity level. Some of the Bernedoodles in our family love to swim, but others prefer to avoid the water at all costs (unless, of course, they're drinking it!). 

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That sounds great, but do they shed?
Every Bernedoodle is different, but most are low to non-shedding dogs. The type of coat generally determines how much your pup will shed. The curlier the coat, the less shedding tends to occur, while the straighter the coat, the more they tend to shed. There are three coat types: curly, wavy and straight. All will shed less than purebred Bernese. The less the dogs shed, the more hypoallergenic it is considered. Most people with allergies relating to dog fur are fine with wavy-coated dogs.

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How often do I have to get them groomed?
Again, the grooming will depend on the type of coat your dog has. Generally, the curlier the coat the more you will have to spend (in time/energy and money) grooming. We take our Bernedoodles to the groomer every 4-5 months. However, because they don't shed much it's important to take care of your doodles coat, so we brush our dogs at least three times a week. 

 

You breed F1, F1b, F2, and F2b Bernedoodles. What does that mean?
These are different generations of Bernedoodles, determined by the breed of the parents.

F1 Bernedoodles are a cross between a purebred Bernese and a purebred Poodle and are the most common.

F1b Bernedoodles are a cross between a Bernedoodle and a purebred Bernese or a purebred Poodle.

F2 Bernedoodles are a cross between a Bernedoodle and a Bernedoodle.

F2b Bernedoodles are a cross between an F2 Bernedoodle and a poodle.

 

How long can I expect to have my furry friend?

While it can't be certain how long your dog will live, it is expected that a standard Bernedoodle will live about for 10-15 years.

 

That's a pretty long time! Are there any health concerns I should look out for?

Bernedoodles tend to be healthier than their parent breeds, but they can still be prone to conditions such as hip and elbow dysplasia and certain eye problems. Skin problems, such as hot spots and allergies, are also seen in this mix.  Their stomachs can also be sensitive, and sometimes it takes a while to find the perfect food for your dog's digestive system. Just like almost every other breed of dog, they can get cancer. 

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What health testing do you do?

While Bernedoodles are less prone to genetic disease, testing is still required. We have tested our parent Bernedoodles and cleared them for:

1. Hips (OFA / PennHip) 

2. Elbows (OFA / PennHip)

3. Eyes

4. Cardiac

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In addition, we test...

- Standard Poodle parents for Degenerative Myelopathy, GM2 Gangliosidosis (Poodle Type), Neonatal Encephalopathy with Seizures, Osteochondrodysplasia, Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Progressive Rod-Cone Degeneration, and Von Willebrand Disease 1.

- Bernese Mountain Dog parents for Degenerative Myelopathy (standard and Bernese Mountain Dog Type), and Von Willebrand Disease 1.

- Golden Mountain Doodle parents for Degenerative Myelopathy (standard and Bernese Mountain Dog Type), Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa, GM2 Gangliosidosis (Poodle Type), Ichthyosis (Golden Retriever Type), Neonatal Encephalopathy with Seizures, Osteochondrodysplasia, Osteogenesis Imperfecta (Golden Retriever Type), Progressive Retinal Atrophy (Golden Retriever 1 and 2),  Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Progressive Rod-Cone Degeneration, Sensory Ataxic Neuropathy, and Von Willebrand Disease.

- Bernedoodle parents for Degenerative Myelopathy (standard and Bernese Mountain Dog Type), GM2 Gangliosidosis (Poodle Type), Osteochondrodysplasia, Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Progressive Rod-Cone Degeneration, and Von Willebrand Disease.