ABOUT BERNEDOODLES
Bernedoodles are a relatively young breed, not yet registered by the American or Canadian Kennel Clubs. They are a cross between the Bernese Mountain Dog and the Poodle, and are considered to be "hybrid" dogs. A hybrid dog is carefully and purposefully bred from two purebred breeds for the purpose of combining the best traits of each breed into one perfect puppy. We believe our Bernedoodle puppies are the ultimate hybrid dog, and the perfect addition to your life!
GENERATIONS
When purchasing a Bernedoodle it's helpful to understand the terminology breeders use to indicate what generation a puppy is. For example, the breeder states the puppy is an "F1" Bernedoodle. The "F" stands for "filial hybrid" indicating how many generations away from their purebred ancestors the puppy is. An F1 is a first-generation Bernedoodle who has purebred parents (Bernese bred to a Poodle). An F2 is a second-generation Bernedoodle who has hybrid parents (bernedoodle bred to a bernedoodle). If the breeder states the puppy is an "F1b," the "b" means the puppy is a "backcross," or one hybrid parent was bred "back" to a purebred parent. This is done to reduce the amount of shedding and produce a more hypoallegenic puppy.
F1 = first generation; 50% Bernese and 50% Poodle
F1b = first gen "backcross"; 25% Bernese and 75% Poodle
TEMPERAMENT
Temperament is largely determined by heredity and early life experiences. Bernedoodles typically have a playful and easygoing temperament, and are attentive to their families without being pushy. They do have lots of energy and agility from their poodle parent, and require daily exercise to be at their best behaviour. Once exercised, they will happily sleep on your feet or prevent drafts from coming in under the door.
We are very proud of our pups, and how they fit into the lives of their new families! They receive lots of socialization just by being raised in our busy home. They get to interact with our other dogs and are handled daily by our children. Our pups have the perfect blend of loving and easy-going Bernese attitude, combined with Poodle agility and loyalty. They are smart and have a strong desire to please, plus a healthy dose of goofiness for everyone's enjoyment!
COAT TYPES & COLOURS
Bernedoodles can have wavy, curly, or straight coats, depending on the generation and precentage of breed mix. At Smoky Ridge we prefer the wavy "teddy bear" look so this is what we strive for in our breeding. The wavy coat of the F1 is low-shedding, while the F1b has a curlier coat and is typically non-shedding. It is recommended that people with allergies to dander adopt an F1b puppy as they are generally considered hypoallergenic. All coat types grow continuously, and require regular professional grooming to prevent matting and skin infections. Smoky Ridge puppies are born with a variety of coat colours including black, phantom, sable, tuxedo and tri-coloured!
SIZE
Bernedoodles come in mini, medium (moyen), and standard sizes. We are currently breeding only standard size puppies as it takes time and careful selection to breed down to the smaller sizes. Our goal is a well-proportioned body, with the strong bone structure of the Bernese and the poise of the Poodle. Typically our standard males are 80-90lbs and our standard females 60-70lbs. We do have one medium sized mom who's pups range from 40-60lbs.
LONGEVITY
The Bernedoodle is predicted to be healthier than their parent breeds, with an expected lifespan of 12-15 years. Breeding a hybrid dog increases the gene pool, and often results in a healthier dog, however, as this is still a very young breed and diseases like cancer may still show up occasionally.