Is your family trying to choose the perfect puppy?
If so, you are probably researching your puppy options. And at Infinity Pups, we'd love to help you out! Today we would like to tell you all about one darling dog breed you might just fall in love with: The Bernedoodle.
This cross between the Poodle and Bernese Mountain Dog could be just the ticket for you!
Read on to find out if the Bernedoodle is the right dog for you.
Bernedoodle History
To understand any breed, you need to understand its history.
The Bernedoodle is a cross between the Poodle and Bernese Mountain Dog, so let’s briefly look at these two parent breeds.
Poodle
Poodles originated in Germany, where they were bred to be water retrievers. That’s right, despite the stereotype that Poodles are stuck up and fussy, they were actually hunting dogs! Nothing stuck up there.
Because of their high intelligence and trainability, Poodles soon became popular with French nobles and became the dog of aristocrats. (From whence comes the "stuck up" stigma.)
Today, Poodles consistently rank among the most popular dog breeds because of their high intelligence, balanced personalities, and hypoallergenic traits. These hypoallergenic traits are one of the main reasons they are a popular choice for cross-breeding.
Bernese Mountain Dog
Bernese Mountain Dogs come from Bern, Switzerland, where they herded cattle and performed other farm work. Their large size made them perfect for protecting livestock and pulling small carts.
As agriculture became modernized, farmers didn’t need their Bernese Mountain Dogs anymore, and their numbers began to dwindle. As the gene pool diminished, the overall health and quality of Bernese Mountain Dogs dropped, and genetic issues began to develop within the breed.
Today, Bernese Mountain Dogs are mainly family pets known for their easy-going personalities, loyalty, and fun-loving puppy attitudes.
Bernedoodle
When breeders crossed the Poodle and the Bernese Mountain Dog, they hoped to breed a companion dog with low shedding tendencies and hypoallergenic traits. And often, that's exactly what you get with this mix!
The Bernedoodle gets a fun-loving, easy-going attitude from its Bernese parent and (hopefully!) low shedding tendencies and hypoallergenic traits from its Poodle side. However, it’s important to note that it’s hard to predict what you will get with a designer breed, and you may get a puppy that favors one side more than the other.
Bernedoodle Temperament
Because the Bernedoodle is a designer breed, it’s hard to predict what Bernedoodle puppies will be like, both in appearance and temperament.
However, here are a few traits you might find in a typical Bernedoodle puppy.
Loyal
Bernese Mountain Dogs were bred to take care of the farm and the family, and have a strong sense of loyalty. Bernedoodles may inherit this sense of devotion to their families.
Kid-friendly
Although they are big, Bernese Mountain dogs are known for being good with kids, especially kids they know well. Because of this, Bernedoodles usually make great family dogs!
Wary of strangers
Because of their intense loyalty and devotion to their families, Bernedoodles may initially be a little suspicious of strangers. Poodles can be a little skittish, too, especially with strange kids, so Bernedoodles get this trait from both sides.
If you socialize your Bernedoodle well at a young age, you shouldn’t have problems with aggression.
Smart
Bernedoodles get intelligence from both sides of their family! Poodles are usually considered the second most intelligent dog breed after Border Collies, and Bernedoodles have plenty of brains too.
Puppy attitude
Bernedoodles are smart, but they can have a bit of an immature streak too. Their bodies seem to grow faster than their brains, and they just mature slower than some breeds. This comes mainly from their Bernese Mountain Dog genes.
So don’t be surprised if your Bernedoodle comes across as a puppy in an adult dog’s body for a few years! Don't worry--he'll grow up eventually.
Stubborn
Bernese Mountain Dogs also tend to have a bit of a stubborn side. So while your Bernedoodle will definitely be smart, training them may require some patience.
Goofy
With that Bernese Mountain Dog “puppiness” comes a fun, goofy attitude! Bernedoodles love to play and clown around, even as adults.
Hardworking
Both Poodles and Bernese Mountain Dogs can work hard. Poodles were originally hunting dogs, and Bernese Mountain Dogs were made for hard farm work. Your Bernedoodle may inherit the same traits.
Loving
At the core, Bernedoodles love to be with their families. They quickly become attached to people and have even earned the nickname “velcro dog.” Your Bernedoodle puppy will be your best friend and eat up any attention you give him!
Bernedoodle Appearance
Designer dogs may take after either side of their family tree, so it’s hard to predict what a Bernedoodle puppy will look like. Even puppies from the same litter may have wildly different personalities and appearances.
However, here are some basics.
There are 3 sizes of Bernedoodles, standard (23-29” tall, 70-90lb), miniature (18-22” tall, 25-49 lb), and tiny (12-17” tall, 10-24 lb). The size depends on what size the Poodle parent was, standard, miniature, or toy.
Bernese Mountain Dogs have a uniform black, white, and tan coloring, but Poodle coat colors vary a lot. As a result, Bernedoodles can have a wide range of coat colors. They are often tricolor like Bernese Mountain Dogs, but they can also be plain black, black and white, or a random mix of spots. Occasionally they will even be blue merle, but that is rare.
Their coats may be curly, like Poodles, or straight, like Bernese Mountain Dogs. In general, the curlier the coat, the less the dog will shed, so curly Bernedoodles can be more sought-after. Their coats are generally thick and fluffy, which enables them to do well in cold weather.
Bernedoodle Care
Bernedoodles are a moderately active breed and need daily walks or exercise to keep them fit. When they are puppies, a good rule of thumb to go by is 5 minutes of exercise for each month of their age, twice a day.
For example, if your puppy is 3 months old, that is 15 minutes twice a day. When your Bernedoodle is grown, 30-60 minutes of daily exercise should be adequate.
You will also need to brush your Bernedoodle regularly. How much grooming your dog needs depends on what coat type it inherits. Straighter coats shed more but does not need brushing as often. A curly coat does not shed as much, but it will need more brushing to prevent matting.
Bernedoodles do not need fancy haircuts, but they should get a trim every few months to keep their fur from getting out of hand.
Sometimes pure breeds are prone to health issues because their gene pool can become limited. The Bernese Mountain Dog is a prime example of this.
However, the good news is that cross-breeding eliminates a lot of genetic issues parent breeds might struggle with. Bernedoodles have this “hybrid vigor” and tend to be healthy dogs. This doesn’t mean your Bernedoodle will never have health issues, but in general, Bernedoodles are healthier than either parent breed.
Want some advice on what to do when you bring your Bernedoodle puppy home? Read our blog article 11 things to do when you bring home a puppy.
The Bottom Line On Bernedoodles
If you are looking for a sweet, goofy, loyal family pet, a Bernedoodle puppy could be exactly what you are looking for! These dogs make ideal family or apartment pets.
But owning a Bernedoodle is not a responsibility you can take lightly. Lots of dogs end up in shelters because their owners didn’t realize what they were getting into. You don't want that to happen to your dog--if you want to get a Bernedoodle, make sure you are ready to take care of it.
If you don't think Bernedoodles are right for you and are interested other dog breeds, read our blog posts about Mini Aussiedoodles, Golden Retrievers, and German Shepherds.
Conclusion
What do you think? Is a Bernedoodle exactly what you've been looking for?
If you are now in love with Bernedoodles and want to pick out yours today, check out our Bernedoodle puppies for sale at Infinity Pups!
Or, if a Bernedoodle doesn’t sound like your style, take a look at our other breeds for sale. You can read about them in our other articles:
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CAVAPOOS
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CORGIS
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE MINI AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD
At Infinity Pups, we strive to offer you healthy puppies that make loving companions for your entire life. To do so, we offer you this guarantee:
- A one-year health guarantee
- Our puppies are NEVER from a puppy mill
- We review and screen all our breeders to make sure they are confident, knowledgeable, and humane.
- Safe, hassle-free, puppy delivery (if needed).
Thankfully, working with us is incredibly simple!
- Find your companion by browsing all puppy breeds or the newly added puppies for sale.
- Interview the breeder directly
- Schedule your puppies for adoption
- Welcome your puppy home!
We hope you enjoy your new puppy!
