What is a Bernedoodle – All About Bernedoodles
There are so many reasons why you should get a Bernedoodle, but to sum it up: they’re awesome!. We know, that doesn’t really give you a whole lot of information. But don’t worry; this blog post will answer the question “What is a Bernedoodle” and give you 9 compelling reasons why a Bernedoodle might be the right fit for you and your family.
What is a Bernerdoodle? – Origin and Appearance
The story of the Bernedoodle begins with a purpose – first, too create a dog that doesn’t trigger allergies for those sensitive to allergies. The second, was to create a dog that had the social and gentle disposition of the Bernese Mountain Dog. The idea was to combine the hypoallergenic qualities of certain Poodle traits with the gentle and approachable nature found in Bernese Mountain Dogs. This combination of traits was meant to make the Bernedoodle an ideal addition to families or individuals looking for a sweet and allergy-friendly four-legged friend. We’ll discuss how this mix has the potential to be hypoallergenic later in this article.
Depending on its blood line, a Bernedoodle can fall into different size categories, such as Standard, Miniature, or Tiny (sometimes called Toy). The coat of a Bernedoodle is what catches our eye: it can be either wavy or curly and comes in various shades, including black, white, and brown. What’s interesting to us is that their coat often features a combination of three colors, which is a nod to their Bernese Mountain Dog blood line.
9 Reasons You’ll Be Falling in Love
Now that we’ve answered “What is a Bernedoodle” we want to share 9 of our favorite traits of this lovable breed that will have you falling in love. We chose to not rank these reasons because the characteristics of a particular dog breed (eg: being hypoallergenic vs. being good with kids) can vary from person to person or family to family. As such, everyone’s idea of their ideal dog differs. So without further ado, here’s why you should get a Bernedoodle.
SMART – The Intelligence of Bernedoodles
It shouldn’t come as a surprise, but the Bernedoodle is a very smart breed. Why? Because they’re the result of breeding two highly intelligent dogs: The Poodle and the Bernese Mountain Dog. The Poodle ranks second among dog breeds for its smarts while the Bernese Mountain Dog is in the top 20 or so as far as intellegence is concerned.
So what does it mean when we say a dog breed is “smart”? It means they’re able to learn new commands/tricks quickly and obey. If training your dog to learn a variety of tricks or particular tasks beyond just the basics, the Bernedoodle is a great breed for that.
Although not a Bernedoodle, Cooper, who is an Australian Mountain Doodle, just learned how to high five in a mere hour. All it takes is some time, patience, repetition and treats. With a smart breed like the Bernedoodle, you’ll be able to train your pup in no time.
Another thing to consider is that Bernedoodles, like their Bernese Mountain Dog parent, instinctively herd. This is sort of like a “built in” intelligence that the Bernedoodle is born with, making them great guardian dogs. They enjoy being given tasks, pleasing their owner and they’re great with kids (more on that later).
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE – How Bernedoodles Connect with You
Related to smarts is emotional intelligence, which has less to do with learning new tricks but rather how well your puppy connects with you, your family friends, strangers and other animals. Bernedoodles are highly compassionate dogs and can sense your emotions. So much so that they’ll actually feed off of your emotions.
Feeling especially excited about something? You can expect your Bernedoodle to be bouncing off the walls. Feeling a bit under the weather? In that case, you can expect some snuggles and attention from your Bernedoodle.
Beyond just how you’re feeling, your Bernedoodle will react to you based on your gestures, tone and body language. This level of emotional intelligence comes from both parents, but especially from the Poodle side.
Just recently, Cortney slipped on some ice and hyper extended her knee. Not good! When she was icing it later that evening, Cooper came over to hang out on the couch. Instead of jumping up, he gently let himself on and laid his head down below her knee to comfort her. He is such a sweat heart!
If you’re still not convinced of why you should get a bernedoodle, we’re ready to tell you more. And that leads us to the next reason why you should get a Berenedoodle: Loyalty
LOYALTY – The Devotion of Bernedoodles
Bernedoodles are a very loyal breed. As you might expect, your puppy relies on you for everything. They rely on you for food, shelter, taking them to go potty and more. You’re at the center of their world. Without you, they would have a hard time surviving.
While this is true of any dog, a Bernedoodle is very loyal to its owner. They will see you as a pack leader and treat you as such. Therefore, they will become very attached to you and want to please you as much as possible. They get this trait from the Bernese Mountain Dog parent.
Loyalty feeds into their desire to please you as their pack leader which then correlates with them being easy to train. They like seeing their pack leader happy, which can be vocalized to your pup afrter they successfully perform a trick.
And with loyalty comes affection… which leads us to the next reason why you should get a Bernedoodle.
AFFECTIONATE – All the Cuddles
Bernedoodles are super affectionate dogs. They want to be around their owner and please them. So when you’re hanging home binging your favorite show, you can expect to have a snuggle buddy.
I know one thing some people are worried about is licking and slobber. While licking really depends on your dog’s personality, we can say anecdotally that Cooper is not much of a licker and doesn’t slobber very much either. He may give a kiss here or there when we’re playing or ask for one, but he generally doesn’t lick much at all. The slobber is also limited compared to some of the slimy we baths other puppies provide. Part of the reason he doesn’t lick much is because we didn’t allow him to lick our hands when he was a puppy. Therefore, it was never a habit that formed for Cooper.
There’s nothing better than coming home from a tough day and having a companion who’s excited to see you and spend time with you. And that’s really Cooper in a nutshell. He’s always so happy and excited to see us, and then he wants to play. That leads us to:
PLAYFUL – Get Ready for Fetch and Tug of War
Bernedoodles are very playful, there’s no doubt about that. The Poodle has moderate to high energy levels while the Bernese Mountain Dog has moderate energy levels. This means Bernedooles will have a good amount of energy and they like using up that energy by playing.
You can expect your Bernedoodle will love to play fetch or tug of war, hide and seek and other games that will keep them entertained while also expending their energy. Cooper, for example loves tug of war. In fact, the rope toy is the first thing he goes for when we come in the house.
Because Bernedoodles are smart and playful, they also like treat puzzles. These are a great tool to keep your dog busy if you need to run out or have something important to take care of around the house. It will definitely keep them occupied… at least for a little bit. What the puzzles do is hide treats and require your puppy to find them. Cooper has a circular one with a bunch of little sliders that move back and forth. These sliders cover troughs that you can hid treats in. I’m not sure if it’s the toys or the treats, but either way, Cooper loves it!
Have we convinced you why you should get a Bernedoodle? Not yet? Read on!
FUNNY – Bernedoodles Will Warm Your Heart
And because Bernedoodles are so playful, you can expect plenty of funny moments. From getting excited for treats or seeing you, to missing a treat thrown their way, to walking funny when you put a coat or booties on them for the first time. There will be no shortage of laughs with your Bernedoodle.
In particular when they are small puppies, they tend to be overly clumsy with their big goofy paws and floppy ears. Your puppy just exploring the world can turn in to plenty of laughable moments. There were many times Cooper accidentally slipped while drinking water and ended up giving himself a bath in his bowl (he was NOT thrilled with the outcome!)
Even when your puppy is sleeping, be on the lookout for silly snoring patterns, and acting out dreams in their sleep.
Try taking a video of your puppy trying to catch a ball or a stick in slow motion. You won’t regret it, especially if they miss!
GOOD WITH FAMILIES/CHILDREN – An Excellent Family Dog
This is an important one; Bernedoodles are excellent with families and children. Kids, especially young ones, can be unintentionally rough with their pup. While you try to teach and show them how to be gentle, not pull the dog’s tail or ears, etc, some dogs might not react kindly and could nip. Fortunately, Bernedoodles are very patient and friendly. And while you shouldn’t purposely antagonize your pup, they’re very tolerant of children.
You’ll want to supervise the socialization of your children and puppy. This way, you can ensure they’ll be able to get used to each other at their own pace. The bond they learn as children and puppies will carry through as they age, so you want to get off on the right foot early. And getting your Bernedoodle integrated with your family while they’re puppies is an easier process than if they’re adult dogs.
Cooper gets along really well with the boys. We’re convinced that he thinks he’s a human and that they’re his brothers. It’s adorable watching him herd them when it’s time for dinner or to go to bed. He’s very gentle with them and they loving having him by their side. While the youngest can be a little rough from time to time, Cooper is a great sport and never reacts negatively.
It’s got to be clear why you should get a Bernedoodle. But if not, don’t worry, there are even more great reasons to share with you below.
GOOD WITH OTHER PETS – Companionship
Similar to the previous section, it’s important that if you already have a pet or two, that your new addition to the family will be able to get along with them. Fortunately, Bernedoodles are great with other pets. Of course, you may need to go through a socialization period, but generally Bernedoodles get along very well with other pets.
Similar to the approach with children, it’s best to socialize your Berendoodle with other pets when they’re a puppy. The sooner you get them socialized, the better it will be for you, your other pets and your Bernedoodle.
While we don’t have another furry companion for Cooper, he has a lot of pup friends in the neighborhood. He loves seeing his nextdoor pal, Willy, and there are some other doodles up the road he loves saying hi to.
HYPOALLERGENIC – For All of you Allergy Sufferers
So when we were first looking into getting a puppy, we were intrigued by the prospect of Cooper being hypoallergenic. We thought that meant no allergens. However, that’s not exactly the case. Unfortunately for those with allergies, Bernedoodles can still cause allergies. The allergen comes from your Bernedoodle’s skin which can cause irritation for some people.
However, what hypoallergenic means is that Bernedoodles experience little to no shedding. And for you, that means little to no dusting and picking up of doggy tumbleweeds. The degree to which your Bernedoodle sheds will be directly related to how much Poodle is in your pup. This will be based on if your Bernedoodle was back crossed with a Poodle or not.
Wrapping Up
Hopefully this list gives you more than enough reasons for why you should get a Bernedoodle. They’re a wonderful breed of dog that offer a lot of laughs, loyalty and companionship. Remember to be patient with your puppy and socialize them with your family and pets at a young age. In return, you’re going to have a sweet, smart, loyal companion for many years. And last but not least, ensure you seek out a reputable breeder.
