Bernedoodle Puppies: Adopt or Buy?

What exactly is a Bernedoodle?

A Bernedoodle is a cross between a Bernese Mountain Dog and a Poodle: a Standard Poodle, or a smaller Poodle in dogs advertised as “mini” Bernedoodles, so ask which one was used. It is not a breed in the formal sense. Dogs Australia publishes a breed standard for each purebred breed it recognises, describing size, characteristics and temperament, and the Bernedoodle is not on that list. For a buyer that means:

• No standard to measure a puppy against. Adult size, coat and temperament depend on the parents, and can vary within one litter.
• No breed club. Nobody sets minimum health checks for Bernedoodle litters or publishes a reference price, the way purebred clubs do.
• No Dogs Australia registered Bernedoodle breeders. That has its own section below.

Ads often carry labels such as “F1” (a purebred Bernese parent and a purebred Poodle parent) or “F1b” (an F1 dog crossed back, usually to a Poodle). These are breeder shorthand that no registry checks. University of Sydney geneticists, writing about Labradoodle research in The Conversation, explain that first-generation puppies of two breeds are fairly similar to each other, while later generations vary a lot, so a label is not a promise about coat or shedding.

Should you adopt or buy a Bernedoodle?

Adopt if you can be flexible about age. An adult Bernedoodle or other large oodle in rescue arrives with the vet work done for a published fee, and you can see its size, coat and temperament before you commit, which matters more for a cross than for a purebred. Buy if you need a young puppy and are ready to do the checking that the lack of a breed standard and a breed club leaves to you.

If what you really want is a dog of predictable size, coat and health screening, look at the parent breeds, which have breed standards and Dogs Australia registered breeders. Our Bernese Mountain Dog adopt-or-buy guide covers one side, and oodle breeds compared sets the Bernedoodle beside the Cavoodle, Groodle, Labradoodle and others.

Why is there no Dogs Australia registered Bernedoodle breeder?

Because the state bodies that register breeders for Dogs Australia forbid members from crossing breeds, apart from narrow exceptions. The Dogs NSW Code of Ethics says a member shall not knowingly permit a purebred dog to be mated to a dog of a different breed or a cross-bred dog unless the Board has approved it in advance. Dogs Victoria's code says dogs “are not permitted to be mated to a dog or bitch of a different breed, to a cross bred dog or bitch”. The national Dogs Australia Code of Practice applies the same rule to every member unless their state body approves.

So the Bernese and Poodle breeders who belong to a state canine body are the people who will not sell you a Bernedoodle. Bernedoodle breeders sit outside that system. Some belong to other registries, which Dogs Australia says are not affiliated with it and cannot issue its certified pedigrees. That does not make every Bernedoodle breeder a poor one. It means the checks a breed club would push for are now yours to make.

How big does a Bernedoodle get, and what is it like?

Somewhere between its parents, which here is a wide gap. This is what the parent breeds' official descriptions say:

From the Dogs Australia Bernese Mountain Dog and Poodle breed standards, read 9 to 10 November 2026.

In practice most Bernedoodles are medium to large, people-focused dogs that want to be part of family life and do not suit long days alone. The coat is a long-term commitment: a Poodle-type coat keeps growing and needs brushing and regular clipping, while a looser Bernese-type coat sheds. Our Sydney guide to Bernedoodle grooming and care covers the routine.

Plan for heat as well. The Bernese standard traces that parent to the farms of the Canton of Bern in Switzerland, and a dense coat holds heat in an Australian summer. The RSPCA's heatstroke guidance applies: keep the dog lean, give shade, water and a cool space, walk in the coolest part of the day, and never leave a dog in a car. Constant panting, drooling, weakness or collapse is an emergency: go to a vet now.

Are Bernedoodles hypoallergenic or non-shedding?

No dog is hypoallergenic. The Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) says: “All dog breeds cause allergies, although some do not shed as much dander, and therefore less allergen is spread.” It also says the main dog allergen is saliva. A low-shedding coat can help some people with mild allergies; it cannot remove the allergen.

With a Bernedoodle the coat itself is a gamble, because the two parents have very different coats. University of Sydney geneticists writing in The Conversation explain that a Labradoodle pup that inherits no Poodle DNA at the coat genes has a Labrador coat, and the same logic applies to any oodle. Treat a “non-shedding” or “allergy-friendly” promise as advertising. If anyone at home has asthma or a dog allergy, see a doctor before you choose a dog, spend long, repeated visits with the actual dog, and read our guides to hypoallergenic dogs in Australia and dogs that don't shed.

How long do Bernedoodles live?

No authority publishes a Bernedoodle lifespan, and any figure in an ad is the seller's claim. What is published is the parents. Dogs Victoria gives the Bernese Mountain Dog an average life span of 6 to 8 years, while the RSPCA puts the average for dogs and cats at around 12 years.

Do not assume the cross fixes that. A 2024 study of 584,734 UK dogs by McMillan and colleagues found a median lifespan of 12.7 years for purebreds and 12.0 for crossbreds, and its authors noted that crossbreds are a mixed group, ranging from dogs of complex unknown ancestry to designer crosses such as the Labradoodle. The study did not report Bernedoodles. What lowers the odds of inherited problems is health screening of both parents, not the word “cross”.

Which health checks should a Bernedoodle breeder show you?

Results for both parents, from each parent breed's own list. Dogs Victoria lists hip and elbow dysplasia, bloat (gastric torsion), degenerative myelopathy, eyelid problems and certain aggressive cancers as conditions that occur in the Bernese. For the Poodle side it lists the tests below.

Sources: Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America health statement (requirements approved November 2017) and the Dogs Victoria Poodle profile, read 9 to 10 November 2026. A buying checklist, not veterinary advice.

Degenerative myelopathy is on both lists, which is a reason to see both parents' results rather than one. The Dogs Australia registration rules make hip or elbow x-rays compulsory for some purebred breeds, but there is no such rule for the Bernese, and none at all for a cross. Bloat is an emergency in any deep-chested dog: a swollen belly with retching that brings nothing up means go to a vet immediately. Our city guides to Bernedoodle health in Sydney and the national Poodle health guide explain what to watch for once your dog is home.

What does a Bernedoodle cost?

We cannot give you a breeder price we can stand behind. For purebred breeds we read the prices that Dogs Australia member breeders publish on their own websites and report the range. That method has nothing to measure for a Bernedoodle, because member breeders cannot breed one, and there is no breed club guide either. Any figure on a listing site is one seller's asking price, not a benchmark, and a high price does not buy health testing. Ask what the price includes.

What we can show you is what rescues publish:

Reference only, not a quote. These are the fees each rescue published on the date shown; fees change and some dogs are priced individually, so check with the rescue. Adoption fees normally include desexing and microchipping, which you would pay a vet for after buying a puppy.

The purchase price is the smaller number over a dog's life. Feeding, clipping, insuring and treating a large dog adds up, so run it through the dog cost calculator and read our guide to cheaper vet care before you commit.

What do Bernedoodles in rescue look like?

Mostly young adults and adults, now and then a puppy. They are listed under several names (Bernedoodle, Bernese x Poodle, Poodle cross, sometimes just “doodle”), so search more than one, and widen the search to other large oodles and Bernese crosses. Large, coated dogs tend to reach rescue when the grooming, the size or the time alone was underestimated, or when a family moves somewhere smaller.

An adopted adult answers the questions a puppy cannot: its coat has grown in, its size is settled, and you can see how it behaves with people and other dogs. The rescue will usually have had it vet checked, desexed and microchipped. What you usually will not get is its parents' health results, so book a baseline vet check in the first weeks. Large dogs of every type are listed by city here: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide. Our guide to adopting a dog in Australia walks through the process.

How do Bernedoodle scams work, and how do you check a seller?

Scamwatch says scammers set up fake websites, social media profiles and marketplace listings for popular breeds and pets that do not exist, and that if a pet is very cheap, it is likely a scam. It advises viewing the pet in person or on a video call. A Dogs Victoria fact sheet says popular breeds and mixes feature commonly in scam ads, and warns that ads may display microchip, source or membership numbers lifted from legitimate breeders. Bernedoodle versions of the pattern to watch for:

• “Guaranteed non-shedding” or “hypoallergenic”. ASCIA says all dog breeds cause allergies, so a guarantee is a sales line.
• Size promises for “mini” or “micro” puppies. With no standard, nobody can promise an adult size. Meet both parents.
• Health talk without paperwork. Ask for both parents' certificates from the table above, with names that match the litter.
• Photos of someone else's litter. A reverse image search and a search of the ad's exact wording often find the same material elsewhere.

Because a Bernedoodle breeder cannot be a Dogs Australia registered breeder, the check that matters most is the one every breeder must pass: the state number. That is a breeder identification number in NSW, a Pet Exchange Register source number in Victoria, a supply number in Queensland or a DACO breeder number in South Australia. Look it up on the official register yourself and confirm it matches the seller and the microchip. Our puppies for sale guide sets out every state's scheme and what to do if you have already paid. Dogs Australia also suggests asking whether your own vet can check the puppy before you buy.

Is a Bernedoodle the right dog for you?

Be honest about four things before you apply anywhere: room for a dog that may be large, time at home with it, a grooming budget for life, and a plan for every summer. Not sure the cross fits? Try the what dog breed is right for me quiz and the adoption readiness check, and browse the best family dogs in Australia.

Weighing other breeds too? Our other adopt-or-buy guides in this set cover the Basset Hound, Koolie, Bull Terrier, German Shorthaired Pointer and Rhodesian Ridgeback.

Find a Bernedoodle near you

Each page shows Bernedoodles listed right now by rescues in that city, and each listing links to the rescue where you apply directly.

• Bernedoodles for adoption in Sydney
• Bernedoodles for adoption in Melbourne
• Bernedoodles for adoption in Brisbane
• Bernedoodles for adoption in Perth
• Bernedoodles for adoption in Adelaide

Local Bernedoodle adoption guides, with the rescues that serve each city: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Perth, Adelaide.