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Saint Berdoodle Breed Info: St Bernard Poodle Mix

St Bernard Poodle Mix

What is a Saint Berdoodle Dog?

Heritage: 

St Bernard Poodle Mix

Other Names:

Saint Berpoo, St Berpoo, St Berdoodle, St Bernard Doodle, St Bernadoodle, Saint Bernard Doodle, Saint Bernard Poodle Mix, St Bernard Poodle Mix

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St Bernard Poodle Mix Breed History

St Bernard Breed History:

In the year 1050, a monk by the name of Bernard founded a hospice to help rescue travelers crossing the Western Alps between Switzerland and Italy.  At 8,000 feet above sea level, crossing this part of Europe was extremely dangerous, with drifts of snow as high as 40 feet.

During the late 1600s, the monks bred powerful working dogs that were able to locate and rescue those trapped underneath the snow.  Supposedly, these dogs never received formal training from the monks, with the younger dogs naturally learning how to perform these heroic rescues from the older dogs instead.

The breed has adapted over the years, with other dogs like the Newfoundland being mixed into it.  It has become larger than before with looks and personality being emphasized over its rescuing ability.  However the St Bernard is still used for this purpose today, alongside being a popular family pet.

Poodle Breed History:

While commonly associated with the French, the Poodle actually originated as a duck hunter in Germany over 400 years ago.  In German, “pudelin” refers to the splashing in water that the dogs would do to retrieve waterfowl.  The Poodle’s curly, weatherproof coat as well as its natural swimming ability and high intelligence made it an excellent retriever. 

Eventually, Poodles made their way from the lake to the life of luxury as they were the breed of choice by French nobles, and eventually royalty across all of Europe.  To this day, the Poodle is still the national dog of France.  The entertainment industry then caught on to the Poodle’s showy looks, intelligence, and ease of trainability and gave them a prominent role in circus acts across the world.

While the Poodle started out as the “standard” variety, eventually the miniature and toy variations were bred.  The Toy Poodle started in the United States in the early 20th century to be a city-dwelling companion dog.  Due to the many positive personality traits and its hypoallergenic coat, Poodles are now commonly bred with a wide variety of other breeds to produce the “designer” hybrid dogs known and loved by many as “doodles.”

Saint Berdoodle Breed History:

The origin of the Saint Berdoodle breed is unknown.

St Bernard Poodle Mix Appearance & Grooming

How Big Do Saint Berdoodles Get?

A Saint Berdoodle’s size is determined mostly by whether the Poodle in its lineage was a standard, miniature, or toy.  On top of that, the gender of the puppy and the genetics of the parents play important factors as well.

Saint Berdoodles are rarely, if ever, bred from Toy Poodles.  A Miniature Saint Berdoodle will weigh in at around 35-70 pounds and stand roughly 18-22 inches tall.  The Standard Saint Berdoodle, will weigh approximately 70-200 pounds and stand about 22-30 inches tall.

Read More: Saint Berdoodle Size Full Grown: How Big Do Saint Berdoodles Get? (Mini & Standard)

Saint Berdoodle Dog Breed Coat & Grooming:

The coat of a Saint Berdoodle is usually a mix of two or more colors, with the most popular being red/white or brown/white.  Their fur can range anywhere from wavy, like the Saint Bernard to curly like the Poodle and usually is of medium length. How curly your dog’s fur is dictates how often they must be brushed.

A minimum of brushing once per week is required for Saint Berdoodles, with the ideal frequency being every other day if not every day for more curly-haired dogs.

Are Saint Berdoodles Hypoallergenic?
Do Saint Berdoodles Shed?

Due to the presence of the Poodle’s genes, Saint Berdoodle puppies are sometimes promoted as being hypoallergenic and/or non-shedding.  While this can be true, due to the unpredictability of genetics, there is no guarantee that any particular dog, or litter of dogs will be hypoallergenic.  Some individuals’ allergies are more sensitive to certain breeds than other breeds, but there is no scientific evidence that shows that certain hybrid breeds are universally more or less hypoallergenic than others.

With that being said, as a rule of thumb, the larger the percentage of Poodle is in a dog’s heritage, the more likely they are to be hypoallergenic or non-shedding.  So an F1BB Saint Berdoodle (87.5% Poodle) is more likely to be hypoallergenic than an F1B Saint Berdoodle (75% Poodle) which is more likely than an F1 or F2 Saint Berdoodle (50% Poodle). For more details, check out our article on doodle generations as the examples apply directly to Saint Berdoodle dogs.

St Bernard Poodle Mix Health & Wellness

Saint Berdoodle Dog Breed Lifespan:

A healthy and well-cared-for Saint Berdoodle’s life expectancy is around 10-12 years.

Saint Berdoodle Dog Breed Common Health Concerns:

Saint Berdoodles may be susceptible to the common health problems of both the Saint Bernard and the Poodle.  However, due to the genetic diversity from crossing these two breeds, the result may be a lower chance of developing these inherited health concerns.

Some of the more common genetic disorders to be on the lookout for in the Poodle St Bernard Mix include Gastric Torsion, Elbow Dysplasia, Hip Dysplasia, Ear Infections, and Wobbler’s Syndrome.

Due to the cost of treating these common health concerns, we highly encourage all dog owners invest in pet insurance. We recommend getting a free online quote from Healthy Paws Pet Insurance.

St Bernard Poodle Mix Temperament & Personality

Saint Berdoodle Dog Breed Behavioral Traits:

Saint Berdoodles are gentle giants and loyal companions who crave constant love and attention.  This is adorable but can go overboard if they become too clingy or develop separation anxiety.  As such, they aren’t a great fit for busy families who aren’t home large portions of the day.

They are excellent with all kinds of pets as well as children as they are quite calm and gentle.  Due to their large size, however, do make sure you keep an eye on them to prevent accidents with small children or elderly family members. 

While not typically aggressive, a Saint Berdoodle dog takes protecting their family seriously and make good guard dogs.  However, they can take this a step too far and sometimes become territorial so it’s important to address this early in training if you notice it.

Saint Berdoodles are fairly easy to train as they strive to please and catch on quickly.  They are quite sensitive though, so make sure to use positive reinforcement and not an overly harsh or loud tone of voice.

Saint Berdoodle Dog Breed Activity Requirements:

While based off their size you would think Saint Berdoodles would require lots of exercise, this isn’t necessarily the case.  Depending how much they take after their Saint Bernard heritage, they can be content with just a short brisk walk each day.  In fact, they actually can make good apartment dogs believe it or not!

St Bernard Poodle Mix Pictures

Saint Berdoodle Dog
Saint Berdoodle Poodle Mix
Poodle St Bernard Mix

Alternative Breeds to the St Bernard Poodle Mix