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Last Updated on February 12, 2023
When it comes to rearing crossbreeds, there are still plentiful of crossbreeds that have been designed by humans. One of the latest crossbreeds to grace our earth is the cross between a Poodle and the Bernese Mountain Dog, giving you the Bernedoodle dog breed. Let us dig a little deeper to find out more about this dog breed.
Where Did The Bernedoodle Come From?
The Bernedoodle is a recently developed and engineered crossbreed. It is the brainchild of Sherry Rupke, the owner of SwissRidge Kennels. It is believed that she is the first in the world to introduce this cross. It all started in 2003, where Shery wanted a dog breed that is healthy, have a calm disposition and having a nice tinted coat.
As this is still a relatively young crossbreed, there isn’t a large enough sample size to correctly determine the Bernedoodle’s temperament and characteristics. What we can do, however, is to infer some of the positive traits that the Bernedoodle could inherit from its parents.
Poodle
The Poodle is generally known to be one of the more intelligent dog breeds that you can find. Due to its high intelligence, the Poodle is easy to train, and that is why Poodles are commonly chosen as show dogs. Poodles are generally calm too, but they can be susceptible to the occasional bout of separation anxiety.
The poodle is a playful dog breed that adores attention from their owners. In order to burn off its excess energies, it is encouraged that owners bring their Poodles out for regular exercises so that the dog will not destroy furniture when it is feeling bored!
When it comes to shedding, it is well known that the Poodle has a non-shedding coat, hence making it a breeze to own, especially if you abhor the hassle of clearing loose hair. The single-layer coat is dense, hence it does require the owner to comb the fur regularly to prevent tangles.
As for the Poodle’s size, they do come in three variants, namely the standard, miniature and the toy poodle.
Standard Poodle: Exceeding 16 inches in height and 60 pounds in weight
Miniature Poodle: Maximum of 10 to 16 inches in height and 12 to 30 pound
Toy Poodle: Maximum of 10 inches in height and weighing up to 10 pounds only
Bernese Mountain Dog
The Bernese Mountain Dog is an extremely beautiful dog breed that comes in a tri-coloured coat. It is also fairly intelligent, hence training this dog will be a breeze. They are commonly reared as family pets as the Bernese Mountain Dog is a loyal dog that guards its family fiercely.
As the Bernese Mountain Dog originates from the Swiss Alps, it is of little wonder that the dog thrives in cold climates. Perhaps the dog’s double coat does help to insulate them from the cold. Do note that the double-coat results in this dog breed shedding heavily.
The Bernese Mountain Dog is pretty powerful, and that is why the dog does double up as a good guard dog. However, their immense strength does mean that you will need to bring them out to exercise and expend their energy. Their strength is particularly useful when it comes to herding or trekking.
For the size, the Bernese Mountain Dog can grow up to 30 inches in height, weighing up to 120 pounds at the heaviest.
Possible Characteristics Of The Bernedoodle
When it comes to breeding the Bernedoodle, it is very possible for the crossbreed to have the best traits from the parent dogs. This is possible if the breeder does its due diligence in selecting the best parents to breed. The result will be having a Bernedoodle that is a healthier, smarter, and beautiful dog that rivals the prettiest dog that you can find.
Temperament
If the breeder does its job well, the Bernedoodle will be docile like the Poodle, yet being fiercely loyal like the Bernese Mountain Dog, hence making them the perfect family, domesticated dog that is friendly with its owners, yet having a sense of loyalty that will enable them to be good guard dogs.
Care of the Bernedoodle
The Bernedoodle requires regular grooming to keep their coat in top condition. They shed minimally, but their coat can become matted if not brushed regularly. They are also prone to ear infections, so it is important to keep their ears clean and dry. They do not require excessive exercise, but they do need daily walks and playtime to keep them happy and healthy.
Size
As the Poodle comes in three different sizes, it really depends on the size of the Poodle that you choose to be the parent. Typically, the Bernedoodle can come in three different variants.
- Standard Bernedoodle: Ranging from 24 up to 31 inches and weighing from 75 to 110 pounds
- Miniature Bernedoodle: Ranging from 17 to 23 inches and weighing from 30 to 50
- Toy Bernedoodle: Maximum of 16 inches in height and weighing up to 23 pounds only
Appearance
It is highly possible that the Bernedoodle’s coat takes after either of the parents. As a result, the Bernedoodle could have a long wavy coat that resembles the Poodle or the long fine coat that resembles the Bernese Mountain Dog. Most of the time, the Bernedoodle will have a tri-colour coat, consisting of black, white and brown patches.
Training
As both parents are intelligent and easy to train, the Bernedoodle will be easy to train too. However, since the Bernese Mountain Dog can be pretty stubborn, it is very possible that the Bernedoodle is a little tougher to train! All you need, however, is a little bit of patience.
Indeed, the Bernedoodle is a highly intelligent breed, making them quick learners and easy to train. They respond well to positive reinforcement techniques, such as treats and praise, and are eager to please their owners. They are also highly social, making them ideal for obedience classes and other training activities. It is important to start training your Bernedoodle as soon as possible to ensure they develop good behavior and socialization skills.
Exercising
When it comes to exercising the Bernedoodle, the amount of effort that you need when it comes to exercising the Bernedoodle really depends on their size. For toy Bernedoodle, they wouldn’t need much exercises as they probably have little bouts of energy spaces. For the larger Bernedoodle, you can expect them to have a higher energy level, perhaps on par with the Bernese Mountain Dog. The larger Bernedoodle will make a good hiking partner when it comes to long walks or hikes.
Bernedoodle Health
For cross breeds, since the best traits have been selected from parents, the crossbreed offsprings generally do have better health than their parents combined. This is a case of Heterosis, or otherwise known as hybrid vigor, where the crossbreed offspring have better genetic traits than its parents.
However, not all Bernedoodle will be perfectly healthy. Generally, the Bernedoodle might suffer from issues such as hip dysplasia, skin allergic problems or even eye issues. It is important to keep your Bernedoodle on a healthy diet and to provide regular veterinary care to ensure they stay in top condition.
Where To Rescue Or Adopt Bernedoodle
Bernedoodle might seem to be an awesome pet to have, but truth is while it is indeed awesome to own a Bernedoodle, it is honestly not easy to rescue or adopt a Bernedoodle as this breed can be considered a rare crossbreed, hence owners who own a Bernedoodle will be reluctant to let go of their precious Bernedoodle.
For the case of breeders of Bernedoodle, a quick check around does show that a Bernedoodle puppy can fetch from $1,500 to more than $7,000. The price fluctuations depending on the size, colour, as well as health issues that the Bernedoodle puppy might have. Some of the puppies might hit the $7,000 region due to their parents’ traits. Some owners are really particular on the traits that the Bernedoodle inherits from the parents, and as such will demand that the parents be of certain pedigree. This will be the top reason why Bernedoodle can fetch a hefty price!
What To Look For When Buying Bernedoodle Puppy
So yes, we have established that it is easier to buy a Bernedoodle puppy than to rescue one from the shelters as the puppies are hard to come by in those places. But while you are prepared to splash the cash to get the Bernedoodle puppy, there are several things that you will need to note or ask before you decide to get one, even when the Bernedoodle puppy is from a reputable breeder.
- Is the breeder reputable? If not, then perhaps you might want to look for other breeders with a better reputation. If the breeder is indeed reputable, you can then proceed to the next few tips.
- You should always ask if the breeder allows house visits, which includes visiting of the parents. This step is important as it allows you to know the condition of the place that the dog is being bred at. A clean house will reflect better on the breeder’s efforts in breeding the Bernedoodle. Also, if you are allowed to visit the parents, you can then have a better perspective of the parents and hence the prospective traits that the crossbreed will have.
- The owner should ask you plentiful of questions. This is because a good breeder will ensure that the pups are in good hands before they allow anyone else to purchase a dog from them. Puppy mills, on the other hand, do not care about this as they are merely breeding for profit.
- The Bernedoodle breeder should test the puppy’s health and health certificates should be produced. The puppies should be properly vaccinated and microchipped too.
If most of the above checks out, then it is cleared to purchase the Bernedoodle puppy from the breeder!
Tips On Raising A Bernedoodle
Granted, now that you have a Bernedoodle, do you know what you should do in order to raise a healthy Bernedoodle? In particular, you will need to know how to control the Bernedoodle’s diet, learn how to groom the dog as well as the tips to train up a Bernedoodle.
As mentioned earlier, the Bernedoodle does come in three different variants. As such, the type of food, as well as the portioning of the food, will play an important role here.
Standard Bernedoodle: As the standard Bernedoodle’s size is big, you will need the food that is meant for large breed dogs. There are plentiful of them on Amazon that is pretty suitable for the dog. Do take note that you should find a large-breed formula that has high protein levels. This will help to build up the dog’s muscles as well as to repair them. It is important that you keep the protein levels high as the standard Bernedoodle is more active than the other two variants.
Miniature Bernedoodle: The Miniature Bernedoodle needs a formula with moderate amounts of protein levels as are not as active as the Standard Bernedoodle.
Toy Bernedoodle: Since the Toy Bernedoodle is not that active as they are simply just playful, you should only feed the toy breeds with formulas that are specially curated for smaller breed dogs. It is this specific as the nutrients needed by smaller breeds are much different from those that are needed by the larger breeds.
While the size of the Bernedoodle does play an important role in the type of dog food that you buy for them, you should be more particular about getting the correct type of dog food from a trusted brand. This is because trusted brands have a good and exemplary track record in ensuring they only deliver high-quality dog food. The impact of quality food can be felt even when the Bernedoodle is at a younger age. In fact, we highly urge you to get high-quality kibbles for your Bernedoodle puppy as the quality of the nutrients that they get at a young age will determine the dog’s development when they are older.
- Home Cooked Food For Bernedoodle
Of course, some owners might prefer conjuring up their own home-cooked food for the Bernedoodle. While this is a good alternative, especially if you know what to give to your dog, it can be tricky if you do not know the requirements needed for your Bernedoodle. Otherwise, there are plentiful of recipes that you can find online for your Bernedoodle!
- Training
We will advocate starting the training phase early so that your Bernedoodle will grow up to be a healthy dog. Some of the different training procedures that you will want to implement will be:
- Basic Commands: The Bernepoo should need to understand some of the basic commands that all dogs should know as this will form the bedrock of the rest of the training programs for your Bernepoo puppy.
- Crate Training: This will allow the Bernepoo to know that the crate is a place that they can seek refuge when they are feeling anxious.
- Obedience Training: Obedience training will allow you to have full control over your Bernepoo when it comes to bringing them outdoors. This is important, especially if you like to bring your Bernepoo for outdoor hikes.
- Housebreaking: This will allow you to have a cleaner house as well as having in-tact furniture. This will also lower your risk of the dog destroying your intricate furnishing.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Bernedoodle is a wonderful and unique hybrid dog breed that is perfect for families and dog lovers alike. With their charming personalities and low-maintenance care requirements, they are sure to become a cherished member of any household. If you’re considering a Bernedoodle, be sure to research the breed thoroughly and choose a reputable breeder to ensure you get a healthy and well-behaved pet.
