About Australian Mountain Doodles, aka Aussie Bernedoodles

What is an Australian Mountain Doodle?

An Australian Mountain Doodle is another name for the Aussie Bernedoodle. This name has become slightly more common due to a couple very large scale breeders adopting this name.

What is an Aussie Bernedoodle?

An Australian Mountain Doodle is another name for the Aussie Bernedoodle. This name has become slightly more common due to a couple very large scale breeders adopting this name.

What is an Aussie Mtn. Doodle or Swiss Doodle?

An Aussie Mountain Doodle is also another name they go by. Aussie is the abbreviated nickname for Australian Shepherds. The Swiss Doodle is a slightly less common name which includes the Bernese origin of the Swiss Alps. It may also refer to the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, Shepherd and Poodle cross.

What is a Doodle?

A Doodle is a hybrid dog, purposely bred to combine the characteristics of two or three recognized breeds. The goal is to “better the breed” and select for the traits, confirmation, intelligence, temperament, coat and hypo-allergenic qualities that will make an ideal family companion.

What is an Australian Shepherd?

The Australian Shepherd as it is known today was developed in California in the 19th century. It was extremely popular with ranchers who prized the breed's ability to work sheep and handle cattle and other livestock. They are commonly known by their abbreviated name of “Aussies”.

What is an American Shepherd?

American Shepherds were originally named miniature Australian Shepherds but were differentiated and given their own name in 1993. They were bred from Australian Shepherds, selectively chosen for their smaller stature.

What is a Bernese Mountain Dog?

The Bernese Mountain Dog is a large and powerful breed developed in the agricultural region of Bern, Switzerland. In addition to being good family dogs, Berners were valued as all-around farm dogs, used for droving, drafting, herding and protecting the farmyard.

Which Breeds Do We Have at Blue Skye Doodles?

We currently focus on Bernedoodles and Aussie Bernedoodles for their intelligence, loyalty, eagerness to learn and good-natured personalities which make them wonderful family dogs as well as service and therapy dogs. We began our breeding program with our foundation dogs Ryver (our Aussiedoodle) and Skye (our Bernedoodle) in late 2015. As the first to do this cross, we decided to call them Aussie Bernedoodles. As they have grown in popularity, they have become more commonly known as Australian Mountain Doodles.

Whichever one you choose, your new doodle will have the best start in life and is sure to be a beloved friend and family member. Like Reese’s Pieces, most people can’t stop at just one.

Note: We do not breed Australian Bernedoodles (Australian Labradoodle, Bernese Mountain Dog & Poodle). The Australian Labradoodle is comprised of 6 breeds - the Poodle, Labrador Retriever, Irish Water Spaniel, Curly Coat Retriever, American Cocker Spaniel and English Cocker Spaniel) so you can have any combination of these 8 breeds in this Doodle type.

How Big Do Aussie Bernedoodles Get?

Micro Mini (Toy) = range from 10-24 lbs

Mini = range from 25-39 lbs

Medium AMD’s range from 40-54 lbs

Standard AMD’s will be 55 lbs or larger

What Size AMD’s Do We Breed?

Blue Skye Doodle Australian Mountain Doodles are typically in the mini range of 25-40 lbs. We occasionally have micro mini (toy) sizes also.

While the size and genetics of the grandparents always come into play, we plan our pairings with mostly multi-generational parents in order to achieve greater consistency in the adult size of our Doodles.

Why do we breed this size?

We have a strong preference for the 25 to 40 lb size for a variety of reasons.

They are not too big. Under 40 lbs is a comfortable size in case you need to pick them up, carry them to a car or put them in a tub or on a grooming table. They tend to have fewer hip and joint issues than larger sized dogs. They cost less to feed. Since veterinarians price some of their services based on a dog’s weight, you will often pay less for a dog in this size range. Groomers also charge more for larger dogs and some grooming shops and mobile groomers don’t have a bathing tub or grooming table sized for larger breeds which limits your options.

They are not too small. This size range is sturdy and appropriately large enough to be safe with children. They can jump into a car on their own and are less likely to injure themselves getting off of a sofa or bed. They aren’t prone to some of the issues commonly found in tiny dogs (weak bones/joints, yappiness, off bites/poor teeth alignment and more).

Do Australian Mountain Doodles Shed?

Our AMD’s will be low to very low shedding. We carefully evaluate and genetically test our parents to ensure we are producing low shedding and low allergen puppies. Some puppies from specific pairings may have more or less low shedding/low allergen properties, so it is important to communicate your needs and preferences with us.

All dogs are different and this is true even with the amount of shedding. As is the case with many traits, the degree of shedding is not strictly regulated by a single gene, but rather by a combination of genes functioning together. Further research has identified a link between furnishings or improper coats (F locus) and shedding. Thus, understanding the dog’s furnishing genetics can help determine the dog’s overall degree of shedding. Dogs without furnishings (having a smooth muzzle with no beard) have a higher propensity to shed. This is where it is important to have an experienced breeder with the genetic knowledge who does the testing necessary to create that adorable Doodle look while maintaining the hypoallergenic properties.

Regardless of coat, all dogs benefit from regular brushing and occasional visits to a professional groomer. Light-shedding dogs will leave some hairs behind, especially after just being brushed or bathed and you will see plenty of hair in the brush itself.  But you will notice significantly less than from a regular coated dog.  It can be difficult to determine how much a dog will shed until it is at least a year old.  In general, the curly/fleece coats (like a poodle’s), are less likely to visibly shed as any loose hair curls into itself instead of dropping to the floor. 

Are Australian Mountain Doodles Hypo-Allergenic?

Doodles are typically hypoallergenic but NOT non-allergenic.  Hypo-allergenic means having a decreased tendency to provoke an allergic response.  No dog is 100% non-allergenic (meaning a dog that does not produce an allergic response). Most allergic responses to dogs are triggered by proteins in the dog's saliva and to a lesser degree their urine. So dog's that drool heavily or soil in the house are poor choices for people with allergies. These proteins end up in the dog's dander which then stick to the hair.

Some breeds carry a lot more of these allergy-triggering proteins on their hair than do others due to seborrheic levels rather than hair length. Seborrheic dogs produce more sebum which is the oily substance produced by the gland at the base of the hair follicle which lubricate and waterproof the hair.

High seborrheic dogs like Labrador Retrievers carry the highest levels of these proteins. Less oily haired breeds produce less dander. The Poodle is one of the least oily haired breeds which is why Poodles (and consequently Doodles) are more hypoallergenic and also have NO doggie odor. It is also why our AMD’s and BD’s are typically better for allergies than a Labradoodle.

Allergies are often caused by dander, the dead skin cells shed by all dogs and dog saliva, causing itching or hives when licked. People with mild allergies often find they can tolerate low shedding dogs who produce less dander and breeds which drool less frequently and have less oily (waterproof) coats. 

Experienced doodle breeders know the genetics of the dam and sire and test for furnishings etc. so they can produce furnished puppies that will be the lowest allergen, lowest shedding possible.

What Type of Coats Do AMD’s Have?

The AMD coat can be straight, wavy or curly. The type of coat they have will depend upon the genes received from both their parents. We can typically tell at birth if the puppy will have a curly coat or a straight/wavy coat. Confirming if the coat is genetically straight or wavy requires testing by a professional geneticist as they often look identical.

The AMD coat is typically soft to the touch. They will require regular brushing and combing to keep knots/mats from forming. The curly coat is considered to be the most low shedding and allergy friendly and is usually kept clipped fairly short. If you prefer the look of a longer, shaggy Doodle but still need the lowest allergen coat, we will consider furnishings and coat genetics to make a recommendation. Coats vary within the same litter and can change as they grow out their puppy coat and their adult coat comes in. 

Having the right breeder matters. They should know the coat curl genetics of their parents and be able to direct you to a puppy with the right coat for your preferences.

What Generations of AMD’s Do We Breed?

We work almost exclusively with multi-generational parents in our program. That means our puppies are typically F3 or higher. We have done genetic coat and color testing on every parent, so we know what we are working with and what to expect. All puppies will have furnishings (the doodle beard).

An F1 generation is the “first” generation between a Poodle parent and another breed. It will almost always produce a puppy with one copy of furnishings (F/IC or F/f) and one copy of coat curl (-/+) resulting in a wavy coat and a fluffy Doodle face. An F1b is a first generation Doodle crossed “back” to one of the parent breeds, usually the Poodle side. This results in more puppies with two copies of furnishings (F/F), 3/4 of a litter of curly coats, and a much higher breed content of Poodle. It is better than the F1 generation in terms of being hypo-allergenic/low shedding. An F2 generations results when both parents are F1 Doodles. This pairing can produce un-furnished puppies and is not recommended.