It was about 2018, when we first laid eyes on the beautiful and majestic Bernedoodle.  We were at the Del Mar Fair in San Diego, California (now, it's the San Diego County Fair) and there they were 2 pups in a side by side baby stroller (guess that’s the only way they would let them into the fair).  They resembled giant teddie bears even at such a young age.  It was for that love of that “teddy” we sought and purchased our first female bernedoodle and named her Abi.  Abi is short for Abishag, named after the nurse to King David right before his passing (1Kings 1:3). Being the name of a famous nurse was so fitting to this sweet, loyal, and smart (COVID era) pup who was trained to actually, be my nurse.  I had gone through several surgeries that left me vulnerable to pain and depression and this pup was just what the doctor ordered!  Well, seeing that puppies and dogs are a natural way of releasing oxytocin in our human brains, no wonder I/we formed such a bond with this cuddly creature. Now, years later, she goes with us to church, the store, and even cross country to our new abode in DeLand, Florida.  Once here where space is abundant, we sought another as we had not had our fill.  Abi was good alone but we thought she needed a buddy. That’s where Barli came in. We call him our canine gymnast. He’s goofy, warm, cuddly and a loyal companion.  He’s learned, just like Abi, to be good off leash as well as on.  His breastplate is a cross and that is so fitting as he mirrors the unconditional love of the Messiah. When you search for your companion canine, you must insist on character first. Abi was trainable as a service animal.  She was trained to assist with mental and physical needs. Bernedoodles can and will be good service animals but one must be consistent in their training.

Dam and Sire: with the characters of these two Bernedoodles, we are sure that the mix of the sweet, intelligent Abi and goofy, loyal Barli will be the ideal mix of Bernedoodle for you and your family.  You certainly will not regret making this hybrid breed your family member. Abi is an F1b and Barli is and F1.  Abi has 38% Bernese Mountain dog and Barli has 50% Bernese Mountain Dog. This was a purposeful mix as we wanted to insure a hypoallergenic non-shedding fur baby.

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Coat: The coat will be slightly wavy and soft and will become a little bit less soft when they start to lose their puppy coat. Colors can be tri (Black, white, and buff), Black and white, white, fanthom, mosaic, and the patterns can be all types. Since Bernese Mountain Dogs have eye spots, some if not all of the littler will have them but there is no surety-no worries, ours have these precious and desireable "eye spots!" Despite their non-shedding trait, you will see their hair collect in dust bunnies here and there. Moreover, they still keep the desirable hypoallergenic trait. Taking care to brush and bathe a Bernedoodle is very important.  To prevent matting (and it does happen, even to the best of us) brush daily.  Some people do it everyday and some do it at least once a week and any where in between. Use a slicker brush. Use of a long pinned one is ideal for the longer coat.

 

Temperament: Good with children, families and the elderly. Loyal, loving, goofy, smart.  They enjoy “snuffing/puzzle” toys as well as squeakers. They will also play fetch with you but can be a little stubborn at times because they get bored.

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HISTORY

It’s been a little more than 20 years since a breeder in Canada intentionally bred a Bernese Mountain Dog to a Poodle for the first time, creating the bernedoodle. But the breed’s popularity has soared since then, as the Doodle craze continues and people have found this breed to be particularly IDEAL.

 

The Origin of a Breed

The Bernedoodle was effectively “invented” in 2003 by Canadian breeder Sherry Rupke. After graduating from veterinary technician school, Rupke began a career as a breeder at SwissRidge Kennels. She bred Goldendoodles initially, as well as Bernese Mountain Dogs. But she had a hard time finding good breeding stock for the Bernese Mountain Dogs, and found that they, unfortunately, were cancer-prone, and lived an average of only seven years. A client of hers suggested she try breeding the Bernese Mountain Dog to the Poodle, to see if that would “breed out” some of the sickly genes in the Bernese. And that she did. The bernedoodle lifespan was nearly doubled! What an accomplishment!

The Rise in Bernedoodle Popularity

The breed has slowly but surely gathered steam. Doodles in general are definitely seeing their moment in the spotlight. Mixing beloved breeds with Poodles has created in general, hypoallergenic dogs that also have other desirable Poodle traits like intelligence and loyalty.

But believe it or not, “hybrid” breeding like this was looked down upon initially, but over the course of the 2000s, it has become much more acceptable. As the original Bernedoodle breeder Ms. Rupke says, “It’s becoming more widely accepted that conscientious breeding of hybrids can reduce, if not eliminate, the health problems common in the purebred parent breeds.” Who wouldn't want that, right?

Although the Bernedoodle, in particular, has not been around for as long as other Doodle breeds, it’s becoming quite popular, thanks likely to its beauty and other sought after traits. And the Bernese Mountain Dog’s beautiful coloring and docile, silly personality combined with the non-shedding factor adds a huge plus factor to the breed. They’re also “customizable,” insofar as they can be bred to be whatever size fits your lifestyle and preference. Ours have been bred to be medium in size, 50-60 lbs. for the females and 55-65 pounds for the males.

Bernedoodles are keenly loyal, friendly, and so loving that they actually prefer to always be at your side. Consider this attribute as you carefully decide on this breed. In other words, if you can’t be with them for most of their day, this breed may exhibit behavior that arises from the stress of not being with you.  Keep in mind, that unless you work in a clean room or environment that does not allow service animals near you, you can take this pup to work or with you in your day. In our expert opinion, they settle into most environments readily with good, patient training.