Oregon bernedoodle information
bernedoodle breed overview
Bernedoodles - also known as Bernie Doodles or Bernadoodles - are a hybrid between a poodle and a Bernese Mountain Dog. The Bernedoodle is one of the favorite poodle crossbreeds, impart due to the personable temperaments of both the poodle and the Bernese Mountain Dog. Bernedoodles come in a variety of sizes and coat types, and while each dog is different, there are certain temperament commonalities and trends across the bernedoodle breed.
Hopefully, this will offer a helpful overview of the Bernedoodle generations, sizes, traits, and some of the temperament themes to help you explore whether a Bernedoodle would be a fit for you! Since people will define these differently and there isn’t an officially sanctioned Bernedoodle Breed Club, our standards and classifications are defined by the Goldendoodle Association of North America (GANA), which is the only breed club dedicated to Goldendoodles.
Bernedoodle Sizes
Petite Bernedoodle
Petite Bernedoodles are classified as under 14 inches tall, and less than 25 pounds in weight.
Mini Bernedoodle
Mini Bernedoodles (miniature Bernedoodles) are between 14-17 inches tall, and are approximately 26-35 pounds.
Medium Bernedoodle
Medium Bernedoodles are between 17-21 inches tall, and are between 36-50 pounds in weight.
Standard Bernedoodle
Standard Bernedoodles are the biggest classification of the bunch, being over 21 inches tall and more than 50 pounds.
Bernedoodle Coat Textures
Curly
Sometimes Bernedoodles have a curly coat. This is when the Goldendoodle inherits two curl alleles, so it’s denoted at (+/+). As the name goes, a curly-coated groodle has tighter curls throughout their coat, much like the classic poodle coat. While some people prefer this texture, it may also need more grooming.
Straight
Another Bernedoodle coat variety is a straight coat, and is denoted as a -/- curl. The Bernedoodle’s coat tends to be almost straight, leading it to be more open and a little easier to brush. However, the Bernedoodle coat may not have the same volume as the wavy or curly.
Wavy
A Bernedoodle with a wavy coat - denoted as +/- curl - has a little bit of a curl throughout their coat, but it does tend to be looser, and has more of a flow to it. There can be some variety with this, as some Bernedoodles have more of a crimped look (like Brownie), while others have an open curl (like Rosie).
Flat
A flat-coated Bernedoodle is a little different than the other. This is because it lacks a copy of the “furnishing” gene. Furnishings refer to the long muzzle hair. This leads to a coat that is more similar to a Bernedoodle. Flat-coated Bernedoodle puppies tend to have short muzzle hair and shed more.
Bernedoodle Generations
F1 Generation Bernedoodle
An F1 Bernedoodle is the puppy from the breeding of a poodle and Bernese Mountain Dog. So an F1 Bernedoodle’s genetic makeup is about 50% poodle and 50% BMD. This would be a great option for anyone who would love a strong hybrid of both parent breeds, as F1 Bernedoodles tend to embody a good diversity of both breeds. However, some people can feel that F1 Bernedoodles are more prone to shed than some other generations.
F1b Generation Bernedoodle
An F1b Bernedoodle is what is called a “backcross”. This is because one parent is an F1 Bernedoodle, and the other parent is either a poodle or BMD. The most common backcross is a poodle, and many people favor this because an F1b Bernedoodle can shed less and produce less dander - and have more hypoallergenic properties - than an F1 Bernedoodle. This Bernedoodle backcross would be around 3/4 poodle, 1/4 BMD, and so may more resemble a poodle than a Bernese Mountain Dog.
However, sometimes people do backcross a F1 Bernedoodle with a Bernese Mountain Dog. While these F1b Bernedoodles would resemble BMD’s more than poodles, they’d most likely shed more and resemble the flat-coated Bernedoodle above. So, it would be helpful to confirm which breed is backcrossed with the F1 Bernedoodle for the F1b.
F1bb Generation Bernedoodle
An F1bb Bernedoodle is a double-backcross, where an F1b Bernedoodle is paired with either a Bernese Mountain Dog or poodle. Breeders may choose the Bernese to increase the amount of BMD genetic material in their line, while they may choose the poodle in order to increase the Bernedoodle puppies hypoallergenic qualities. While F1bb could refer to backcrosses with both breeds, it typically is used to note a double-backcross with the same breed.
F2 Generation Bernedoodle
F2 Bernedoodles are the offspring of two F1 Bernedoodles. Because of this, the F2 Bernedoodle is around half poodle and half Bernese. Some people can prefer this because of the increased amount of BMD genetics, the offspring can be pretty diverse - especially with their coat types where one litter could have any of the four different coats. Due to this increased diversity and spectrum of unpredictability, some breeders avoid breeding F2 Bernedoodles.
Multigen Bernedoodle
A multigen Bernedoodle refers to any generation/mixture that extends beyond these generations (such as the offspring between an F1 and F1b Bernedoodle). While some may try to pursue some exact denotation (such as F2b, F2bb, etc.), the distinctions tend to blend together at this point and not make much of a difference. Multigen Bernedoodles can be a bit of a sweet spot, as these lines will be bred with specific intentions and have a strong amount of both golden retriever and poodle genetics, while optimizing for hypoallergenic qualities.
Bernedoodle Coat Colors
Bernedoodles can have a wide array coat colors; its the same variety of colors that Goldendoodles can have. However, people are drawn towards a few main Bernedoodle coat coloring. First, Bernedoodles most commonly have a tricolor coat. This coat pattern is similar to that of a Bernese Mountain Dog, where it’s a blend of tan, black, and white. With this coat coloring, a Bernedoodle can have a varied amount of white piebald spotting on their coat. If the Bernedoodle’s coat is less than 50% white, it’s referred to as “ phantom abstract”, while more than 50% is called “parti” or “tricolor parti”.
Bernedoodles are also commonly “bi-color” or “black abstract”, where the Bernedoodle puppy will have a combination of only black and white. Finally, Bernedoodle puppies can also commonly be “red/apricot abstract” or “red/apricot parti”, where the Bernedoodle’s coat is a combination of red/apricot and white. Additionally, there can also be brindle Bernedoodles (resembling tiger stripes), merle Bernedoodles (where areas of black and tan coat is diluted in varying amounts), and the classic black Bernedoodle.
One other note; a Bernedoodle’s coat colors can fade over time due to some unknown factors, making apricot Bernedoodle puppies look cream as adults, or black Bernedoodle puppies fading to gray as they age.
Below are some examples of possible Bernedoodle coat colors, however the gallery is far from exhaustive!
Tri-Color
Apricot Parti
Phantom Merle
Bernedoodle Critiques
While Bernedoodles are close to the perfect dog, here are some common critiques of the Bernedoodle.
Stubborn
Bernedoodles can be headstrong at points. A contributing factor is that Bernese Mountain Dogs were bred to be strong independent thinkers as they took care of animals under their watch. So Bernedoodle puppies can have some strong desires about what they’d like to do.
Separation Anxiety
Since Bernedoodles are so socially driven, which makes them an amazing family dog. However, a Bernedoodle can have a tough time being left alone. While socializing and training your Bernedoodle puppy can help, it’s less than ideal to leave a Bernedoodle alone throughout your work week.
Higher Energy
Even though they are lower energy than Goldendoodles, Bernedoodles can have an above average energy level. This means that your Bernedoodle will need daily exercise/activity, lest they become frustrated with their surplus energy, which can result in destructive habits.
A Summary on Bernedoodle Puppies.
We really just covered a lot of ground.
Hopefully all this Bernedoodle information helped you make some decisions and ask some questions when considering a Bernedoodle puppy.
We obviously think they Goldendoodles about as close to angels as you can get. If you too think that sharing life with a Goldendoodle is like heaven on earth, reach out to us at High Desert Family Doodles about our upcoming Bernedoodle puppies!
