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Well-bred Bernedoodles tend to blend the best attributes of the Bernese and the Poodle. They are fun, friendly, playful, goofy, sociable dogs. In other words, the perfect companion dogs! Gentle around children and the elderly, these dogs just seem to know what people can handle. In fact, they make excellent therapy dogs as they are easy to train, very intelligent and love to work. Bernedoodles do need to be taught right from wrong. Because they are very intelligent and sociable, a lack of training or human interaction can lead to problems. Purebred Bernese Mountain Dogs can be strong-willed, and that trait may also show in the Bernedoodle. Training and exercise will make both owner and Bernedoodle happy. Most Bernedoodles have a moderate activity level. They love to play, run, hike and fetch, but when it’s time to relax, they definitely have an “off” switch. These are social, loyal dogs, and do best when fully integrated in your life. Like most dogs, they want to be with you and part of the action.

Bernedoodles tend to be pure black, black-and-white, black-and-brown or tri-colour (black, white and brown). I’ve seen other colours, but they are uncommon.

Bernedoodles come in different sizes, depending on the parents and the vagaries of genetics. Females are usually smaller than males. Standard Bernedoodle – results from crossing a Standard Poodle with a Bernese Mountain Dog; will generally be 50 lbs. and up, and around 23-29 inches at the shoulder. Most standards are in the 70-90 lb. range. Mini Bernedoodle – results from crossing a Miniature Poodle with a Bernese Mountain Dog; will generally range from 25-49 lbs. and be 18-22 inches at the shoulder. Tiny Bernedoodle – results from crossing a Toy Poodle with a Mini Bernedoodle; will generally range from 10-24 lbs. and is about 12-17 inches at the shoulder. These ranges capture the averages; sometimes a pup will fall outside the expected height and weight.

Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) is a process we started doing that introduces mild stresses to very young puppies in a controlled way. These stresses help stimulate the neurological system which improves the growth and development of the pup's immune system, cardiovascular system, and stress tolerance. Tests showed that later as adults, these same animals were better able to withstand stress than littermates who were not exposed to the same early stress exercises. As adults, they responded to stress in “a graded” fashion, while their non-stressed littermates responded in an “all or nothing way.”

Bernedoodle: 12 - 18 years Cavapoo: 12 - 15 years

Cavapoos and Bernedoodles will need a trim every 3-4 months and brushing a few times a week to keep tangles at bay.