Crossbreed · Canada, 2003

Bernedoodle

Also called Bernese Mountain Poo, Bernese Mountain Dog x Poodle.

What makes them remarkable

The Bernedoodle was first bred on purpose in 2003, in Ontario, for a Bernese temperament with a longer life.

Gentle
Loyal
Playful
Calm
Intelligent

Get the app 1-to-1 training

Photo by Pexels on Pexels

Size: Large
Weight: 32 to 41 kg70 to 90 lb
Lives: 12 to 15 years
Energy: Moderate
Trains: High
Barks: Low

Training

Training a Bernedoodle

Crossbreed breeds. Train the dog in front of you, not the label. Read both parents, then watch which one turned up.

Grow slowly, train early
Start here
A big dog that will weigh 40 kg. Manners, lead work and calm greetings taught as a puppy, and no hard exercise on growing joints.
Sensitive under the size
Bernese are soft dogs. A firm routine, yes; harshness, never. They shut down rather than push back.
Handle the coat from day one
A curly coat on a large dog is a lot of grooming. Make brushing and being handled part of the daily routine while the dog is small.

The app turns this into five to fifteen minutes a day.

Add your Bernedoodle and it builds the plan around their age, where they came from and what they already know, on video with Atlas and Shango.

Download on theApp Store

Free to start. iPhone. No card needed.

At home

Living with one

Deliberate crosses of two breeds. No standard, so more variety within the cross than within a breed; the two parent pages explain the range.

Gets on with

ChildrenVery High
Other dogsHigh
StrangersModerate
CatsModerate

Breed averages. Early socialisation and the individual dog matter more.

Exercise: An hour a day of steady exercise, more play than mileage while young. Mental work matters as much.
Grooming: Brushing several times a week to prevent matting and a clip every couple of months. Wavy coats shed a little; curly ones barely.
Drool: Low
Coat: Wavy, Curly, StraightTricolour, Black & White, Sable, Phantom, Merle
In a flat: Needs more space than a flat gives.

Health

Things to ask a breeder or vet about

Hip and Elbow Dysplasia
Moderate
Joint conditions in both large parents; scored parents and slow growth
Bloat
Severe
Life-threatening stomach condition in deep-chested dogs; know the signs
Cancer
Severe
Bernese Mountain Dogs have very high cancer rates; the cross lowers but does not remove the risk

Where they come from

History

First bred deliberately in 2003 by Sherry Rupke of SwissRidge Kennels in Ontario, aiming for the Bernese temperament with a longer life and less shedding. Standard, miniature and tiny sizes exist depending on the poodle used. The cross is popular enough in Britain now that training classes see several a term.

The two sides

Bernese Mountain Dog and Standard Poodle

A cross has no standard, so any one Bernedoodle can lean either way. Read both parent pages, then watch which one turned up in your dog.

Bernese Mountain Dog

That powerful build once had a practical job: pulling loaded carts on Swiss farms.

Large · Working

Standard Poodle

The Poodle began as a German water retriever; its name is linked to a word meaning “to splash”.

Large · Utility

Similar breeds

All breeds

Goldendoodle

Temperament is the most reliably inherited thing about a Goldendoodle; the coat is the least.

Large · Crossbreed

Labradoodle

The first Labradoodle, Sultan, was bred in 1989 as a guide dog for a blind woman whose husband was allergic to dogs.

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Old English Sheepdog

Its old job included driving both sheep and cattle to market, rather than just tending a flock.

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Alaskan Malamute

A sled dog built for freight: the Malamute was developed to haul heavy loads over long distances.