BONUS: All About Bernedoodles!

The most requested Doodle breed breakdown- Bernedoodles! This year marks the 20th anniversary of their intentional breeding and they have rapidly become one of doodle lovers' favorites!

This episode is an interesting discussion of the history of the Bernedoodle and their size, lifespan, temperament, colors, personality, health issues, and much more!

This episode will answer questions like:
- Is a Bernedoodle a good dog?
- Why not to get a Bernedoodle?
- Can Bernedoodles be left alone?
- Is a Bernedoodle right for me?
- Bernedoodle vs Goldendoodle
-Why is my Bernedoodle jumping?

Listen to Episode #17 for more information on dogs, like bernedoodles, who have protective natures and what that instinct can mean for suburban and urban families. https://thedoodlepro.com/17

Find full show notes including a picture of this episode's Doodle Of the Week at https://thedoodlepro.com/29

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Transcript

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On today's bonus breeds episode. We're going to dive into your most requested doodle mix- Bernedoodles! 

I have a feeling we're going to have a Bernedoodle at some point as our personal family dog. And you'll have to listen to hear why. 

Doodle-breed Dogs are easy to love, but can be challenging to parent. I'm Doodle Expert Car Gearhart, also known as the Doodle Pro, and I'm here to help doodle parents have a more fulfilling and rewarding experience with their doodles. No one has professionally worked with as many different doodle breeds or has more experience with doodles than I have, and I love to share my expertise in a fun, compassionate, and non-judgmental way.

From my years of work and education in the pet care and dog training industry, I have an incredible network of skilled training. Grooming and veterinary professionals to share their knowledge with you and give you the doodle-specific answers you are looking for. I hope you enjoyed today's episode as I help you parent your doodle like a pro.

 As this is a bonus episode, why not have a bonus doodle of the week? Listen to mini Bernadoodle Tai's  loving mom and adoring sister explain why Thai is so deserving of this award. 

 My name is Elaine and b it's with me, yang. And, hi, we live in Englewood, Colorado. Our doodle is Tai Yang, and he's a Bernedoodle. And we feel one of the best parts about having Tai in our family is that we find a little bit of each of us within Tai, right? And he's just the best kisses every morning.

He greets us each morning. The, you call it belly belly rubs. Belly rubs. We give Tai, lots of belly rubs and he's been the best first dog of our life. As a family. Yes. Every day. Say to ourselves, what would our lives be like? We didn't have Thai cause he's so special.

anything else? Thank you

Isn't that just the sweetest. I can say confidently to you that Ty wonders every day, what would his life be without you as his family? I adored highlighting. Your precious dogs. Congratulations, Thai. While Labradoodles and Goldendoodles, where the first doodles on the scene recently burned. The doodles have made the biggest splash. They're actually celebrating their 20 year history of being purposely bred. This year Year

Perfect timing for this bonus episode. And it has been our listeners' most requested breed breakdown. 

This is also the next doodle mix. My husband has declared. We will have next. Every single Bernadoodle that meets him. Falls in love with him and frankly, 

he's a bit jealous of our kava poos. Utter devotion to me. He wants to turn. Now genetics matter. And while a tri-color doodle looks adorable, it's important to know what genetics have been used to make this precious-looking pup. So I'm going to dive into the history of Bernese mountain dogs first. 

Affectionately referred to as burners. Bernese mountain dogs originated 2000-plus years ago. From Mastiff and guard-type breeds. 

And their name was derived from the content of Bern in Switzerland, where they lived, they were developed for guarding farms, pulling carts, hurting, and driving cattle. And they excel at drafting and carting. So if you have a Bernedoodle and they like to pull on walks, It's in their nature. They have been bred to pull and hard. 

That doesn't mean they need to pull you on walks, but it does mean they're going to need some more intentional training to have well-mannered walks that are comfortable for both of you. 

When other working dogs were imported into Switzerland in the late 18 hundreds. We almost lost this breed for good. Luckily for us, the breed was brought back from the brink of extinction as a companion. And show dog. Finally being recognized by the AKC and 1937. Bernese mountain dogs were built to be strong workers and do well in cold weather. 

They're easily recognized with their blocky build and tri-color luck. With the black and white coloring with rust colored accents. One of the other reasons people love Bernie's mountain dogs is their deep-seated need to please. And be with their family. They love you and they love to be with you. 

So they are not meant to be a dog that stays in the yard of the field. Well, they know how to work. They also know that their place is by your side. They can be quite challenging at teens and their adolescents can feel long. 

Then they calm down into this. Beautiful sweet spot. They are sensitive and gentle with kids, but if you look at their breed description, you'll see them described as reserved with strangers. That means they're bred to be discerning. And suspicious. Dogs don't know the difference between bad guys and good guys. They know the difference between familiar and unfamiliar or family member and outsider. 

So that means if you have a friend over or want to host a dinner party, or somebody needs to come in and fix the dryer, your Bernese mountain dogs are going to be suspicious and likely bark and try to protect the home. You can make this less stressful for everyone and lower their anxiety. Through purposeful, positive, and frequent socialization. When they're very young and then throughout their adulthood. To learn more about dogs who are bred to be protective and guard like Bernese mountain dogs, poodles and  Bernedoodle. 

Catch episode 17. Berners are very high shedding. And as they were bred to be a working dog, they need both physical and mental stimulation. With their innate desire to be with their human family, they can not handle being isolated. So this isn't a dog that you can put away in another part of the house or in the yard, and just see at the end of the day. 

They want to be with you. One of the biggest complaints of Bernese mountain dogs, lovers are their health issues. They're especially prone to cancer, also bloat, congenital, heart defects and elbow dysplasia. Their life expectancy is just too short for those who love them. Averaging six to nine years. 

Berner devotees often lament that they get just too little time with their beloved family member. 

 Breeders began crossing burners with poodles, mostly in an effort to have a healthier dog and extend their lifespan. Luckily, this has been working. Remember the burner is only one part of the equation. Of our beloved Bernadoodle. The genetics poodles bring to the Bernadoodle mix is not just their intelligence and non-shedding coat. 

If you're going for a larger bernedoodle, they would be crossed with a standard poodle. Standard poodles have almost doubled the life expectancy of a Bernese mountain dog, 12 to 15 years. So that provides Bernedoodle's parents hope for a much longer time together. Standard poodles are prone to hip dysplasia Addison's disease and bloat. So that means both of these dogs mixed are prone to bloat. 

I encourage you to discuss with your vet if gastropexy is a good choice for your dog, it's a preventative and elective procedure done to prevent bloat. That is commonly done during a spay or neuter procedure. Both breeds are prone to joint dysplasia. So health testing of their parents is essential. 

If you were going for a smaller  Bernedoodle, they likely are crossed with a mini poodle. And many poodles often have higher energy on average than standard poodles. So while you might be getting a smaller dog, remember you're already crossing with a very high-energy pup. Miniature poodles can have high energy for most of their life. And Bernese mountain dogs, high energy fueled adolescence Last two to three years. 

As I mentioned, Bernese mountain dogs are very high shedders. 

So, if you're looking at a puppy, you want to make sure you work with a breeder and consider the furnishings and how much poodle has been crossed in. Because you might end up with a flat or unfurnished coat and have just about the same amount of shedding as a Bernese mountain dog. 

Or they can have a coat that looks more like the texture of the poodle. And the load of non-shedding that comes with Bernese mountain dogs' dense coat and poodles' curly to fleecy code. They're going to need some careful grooming. You might end up with a flat-coated Bernedoodle where they look more like a Bernese mountain, dog, and shed like them. You might end up with a poodle curl. And the lower to non-shedding that comes with it. Or a mix of both. 

Work closely with your groomer to determine the sort of coat your doodle has. And their necessary grooming schedule. No matter what they're going to need consistent brushing, combing, and grooming. But once you've met a Bernedoodle, you're likely to think it's worth it. 

Many people are drawn to what's called the tri-color coat of Bernese mountain dogs and that's the adorable black-white pattern with the rust accents. You do need to keep in mind that poodles often carry what's called the fading gene. 

 And a lot of those rust spots that are there are likely to fade. The dark black usually stays. And of course, the white stays, but anecdotally I've personally found many of the clients we work with that their dogs' rusty red usually fade with age. Often, highly desired. The tri-color Bernedoodles are usually the most popular pick of the litter. But Bernedoodles can come in any of the colors their poodle side brings Including apricot, black, blue, brown, and silver beige. Both poodles and burners are very sensitive. And they're openhearted and do not respond well to aversives or harsh corrections. This is certainly true with  Bernedoodle. While I believe strongly that all dogs work best with humane and positive reinforcement style training, this is especially true for these dogs. 

They were first purposely bred in 2003 in Canada with the aim of extending their shorter lifespan, happy 20-year anniversary,  Bernedoodle. When I'm asked, what's the difference between say a golden doodle and a Bernedoodle? I usually explain while golden doodles are just exuberantly. Happy to meet everyone. 

I find  Bernedoodle to be more goofy. And they just have such an open heart. They're a bit more laid back when they mature than golden doodles. But are more prone to jumping on people and pulling on walks. If you're going for a larger mini or a standard  Bernedoodle you need to do early and consistent training. 

It's sweet. When your 10-pound puppy hops on you. But when they're 70 pounds jumping on you. It's not so sweet. And it's cute when they pull on their Leisha lid on, and they're just starting their walks. But as they're bred to be high drive and strong pillars of carts. It's not so cute when they think that's how they're supposed to pull you on the leash. 

 Bernedoodle are phenomenal. Family dogs. If you have the patience for the first two to three years. If you get through that phase, you're going to come out on the other side with the most loving, goofy, and special best friend. Next week, we'll talk about the latest mix that is trying to upend  Bernedoodle's place as the most popular new doodle cross. 

Sheepadoodles!