Understanding Our Doodle Breeds
​
Each doodle breed we raise has its own personality, strengths, and ideal home fit. While all are known for intelligence, affectionate temperaments, and low-shedding coats, their differences come from the unique traits of the parent breeds. Here’s a helpful overview to guide you in choosing the best match for your family and lifestyle.
​​​​​
Bernedoodle
A loyal companion with a gentle soul
​
Bernedoodles are a cross between the Bernese Mountain Dog and the Poodle. They are known for their calm, loving nature and strong bond with their people. Bernedoodles tend to be emotionally intuitive, making them wonderful family dogs and excellent companions for children.
They often have a slightly more relaxed energy level, enjoy being close to their humans, and thrive in homes where they’re treated as true family members. Their coats are typically wavy to curly and low-shedding, with classic tri-color or striking phantom patterns.
​
Best for: Families, homes with kids, those wanting a loyal, steady companion
Energy level: Moderate
Personality: Affectionate, intuitive, gentle, devoted
Australian Mountain Doodle
Confident, smart, and joyfully athletic
​
Australian Mountain Doodles combine Bernese Mountain Dog, Australian Shepherd, and Poodle lines. This blend creates a dog that is highly intelligent, eager to please, and a bit more energetic than a traditional Bernedoodle.
They tend to excel in training, enjoy activity and mental stimulation, and often carry a confident, happy-go-lucky personality. Australian Mountain Doodles do best in homes that enjoy walks, playtime, or structured activities—and they shine when given a “job,” even if that job is just being your daily sidekick.
​
Best for: Active families, those who enjoy training or outdoor time
Energy level: Moderate to moderately high
Personality: Intelligent, confident, playful, loyal
​
Cavapoo
Sweet, compact, and endlessly affectionate
​
Cavapoos are a cross between the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the Poodle. They are known for their loving, people-focused personalities and smaller size. Cavapoos are often happiest right by your side and thrive on companionship.
They adapt beautifully to many living situations, including smaller homes, and tend to have a soft, gentle demeanor. Cavapoos are wonderful emotional companions and are especially well-suited for families looking for a smaller dog with a big heart.
​
Best for: Those wanting a smaller dog, companionship-focused homes
Energy level: Low to moderate
Personality: Loving, gentle, affectionate, social
​
​
​
Pocket Bernedoodle
(Cavapoo × Bernedoodle)​
​
The best of both worlds—heart and size combined
​
Pocket Bernedoodles are thoughtfully bred by combining Cavapoo and Bernedoodle lines. The result is a smaller-framed dog that retains the emotional intelligence and loyalty of the Bernedoodle, paired with the compact size and sweetness of the Cavapoo.
These dogs tend to be deeply people-oriented, calm yet playful, and incredibly adaptable. They’re ideal for families who love the Bernedoodle temperament but prefer a more manageable size. Pocket Bernedoodles often make exceptional companions for both busy households and quieter homes alike.
​
Best for: Families wanting a smaller Bernedoodle-type temperament
Energy level: Moderate
Personality: Loyal, affectionate, intuitive, adaptable
​
In Summary
No matter which breed you choose, all of our doodles are bred with intention—prioritizing temperament, health, and companionship above all else. The “right” breed isn’t about better or worse—it’s about which personality and lifestyle fit feels like home. If you’d like help choosing, we’re always happy to guide you toward the perfect match. 💛
Breed Info
SIZE
It's hard to predict adult size. Sometimes, the runt of the litter grows to be the largest. Sometimes a puppy might take on more Bernese genes. Or maybe the puppy stays small! Bernese Mountain Dogs range from 50-120 pounds. Poodles range from 10-65 pounds. Size is never a guarantee. The most accurate way to predict adult weight is to look at previous pairings and see how those puppies matured. If you are set on a mini, your best bet is get a puppy from parents who are similar in size. Most standard x mini breeding's will produce a variety of sizes within the litter.
Colors
Bernedoodles can come in many colors but we focus mostly on producing striking tricolors Black Tri, Merle Tri, Phantom, Merle Phantom, and we hope to add Brown Tri in the future.
Tricolor
Solid color body, Tan points on legs eyebrows, and cheeks. White feet, chest, muzzle, & blaze.
Merle Tricolor
Merle Body, Tan points on legs, eyebrows, and cheeks. White chest, muzzle, blaze.
Phantom
Solid color body. Tan points on legs, eyebrows, and muzzle.
Merle Phantom
Merle Body. Tan points on legs, eyebrows, and muzzle.
White Tricolor
Predominately white body with black splotches & tan points present on legs, eyebrows, & cheeks.
White Merle Tri
Predominately white body with Merle splotches & tan points present on legs, eyebrows, & cheeks.
Ruby Tuxedo
Red color body with white chest, muzzle and blaze and possibly white feet.
​
Blue Eyes
Blue eyes can be present in our puppies who are merle or are Australian Mtn Doodles.
​
curl & Shed
Does curl matter?
That’s totally up to you! A curlier coat requires more maintenance—more frequent brushing (weekly or even daily) and regular grooming appointments. A straighter coat is less likely to mat, but you may notice a few loose hairs here and there.
To keep our adult wavy and curly-coated dogs comfortable in the summer (and to prevent painful matting), we keep them clipped short.
Shedding
Our Doodles will not shed nearly to the degree a Labrador Retriever will, but it’s important to remember: all dogs shed (even humans shed!). That said, you typically won’t find hair all over your clothing or furniture like you would with a heavy-shedding breed.
We breed our Doodles to have at least one furnishing gene—and we can thank the Poodle breed for that! (Read more about furnishings below.)
How doodle “shedding” really works
Hair grows, the hair shaft eventually dies, and then it falls out. With curly coats, the dead hair tends to get trapped in the coat because of the corkscrew curl—so it’s our job to brush it out. If it isn’t brushed out regularly, it can easily tangle and form mats.
Wavy and straight coats may appear to shed more, but what you’re usually seeing is simply hair completing its natural cycle.
Puppy coat change
Most puppies will “blow” their puppy coat somewhere between 7–14 months, and during this phase you may notice more little dust bunnies around the house. This is completely normal, and it’s especially important to keep up with brushing during this coat change period.
Totally normal—and again, nothing like a Labrador shed.
Straight (- -)
-
Straight coats are said to shed more but are easier to maintain and require less grooming.
​
-
Found in F2 & F3/Multigen litters.
Wavy (+-)
-
Wavy coats shed a minimum amount, easy to maintain & need brushing about once a week.
-
Found in F1, F1b, F2 and possibly F3/Multigen litters.
Curly (++)
-
Curly coats shed the least but require frequent brushing & grooming to prevent matting.
​
-
Found in F1b, F2, and possibly F3/Multigen litters
Furnishings
Furnishings (The Teddy Bear Face!)
Furnishings come from Poodle genetics, and they’re what create the shaggy, teddy bear face we all love in Bernedoodles! Furnishings are responsible for the longer hair growth on the eyebrows, muzzle, and beard.
At this time, Boxwood Doodles is focused on producing only furnished puppies.
Furnishings also interact with the curl gene and play a big role in creating lower-shedding coats.
What about “flat coats”?
An unfurnished Bernedoodle is often referred to as having a flat coat. Flat coat Bernedoodles typically shed more and often resemble a Bernese Mountain Dog in both look and coat type.
Furnished/Unfurnished
This is a Bernedoodle & Lab. Labs are not furnished. They have smooth faces.
Furnished Adult
This is Fancy. She has an obvious fuzzy muzzle & eyebrows.
​
​
Early Indicator at 4w
Same dog as a puppy. See the little hairs sticking up from the inner corner of her eye? It's a good indicator of furnishings.
8w old
You can see even more so here, her furnishings are really starting to grow. She is such a doll!