What is a Sable Bernedoodle? [Photo Gallery & FAQs]
Photo courtesy of @aspen.the.bernedood on Instagram.
Bernedoodles come in many unique and beautiful color combinations, one of those being “sable.” Since this isn’t a common term, many prospective owners have no idea what a sable Bernedoodle is and how it differs from other options like phantom, parti, brindle, merle, etc.
So, what is a sable Bernedoodle? A sable Bernedoodie has a coat consisting of black-tipped hairs with roots of any solid color. No particular pattern or location is required for these colors. It’s often described as a “burnt toast” pattern to make it easy to visualize.
A sable Bernedoodle’s puppy coat will often look drastically different as they age from newborn to puppy to adult. As a result, it can be difficult to recognize a sable puppy without the help of a breeder.
Sable puppies may appear to be solid black or look similar to a phantom Bernedoodle as newborns. You’ll start to see evidence of their sable fur anywhere from a few days to a few weeks in age.
If you choose a sable Bernedoodle puppy, remember that their coat will almost certainly lighten and possibly fade to an almost solid color as they become an adult.
Sable is a fading gene, so if you aren’t prepared for your Bernedoodle to potentially look significantly different full grown than they do as a puppy, this probably isn’t the right option for you.
Remember, sable is more of a combination than a color itself. The tips of the hair must be black, but the roots of the hair can be any other color. This allows for many beautiful variations of sable Bernedoodles!
The most sought after is the sable tricolor Bernedoodle also referred to as a sable and white Bernedoodle. There are also both light and dark sable Bernedoodles, which you’ll see examples of below!
Photos courtesy of @that__dood_iggy on Instagram.
Iggy is a standard F1 apricot sable and white Bernedoodle. As she’s grown older, her coat has faded to a cream sable and white color but she has kept her black-tipped ears.
Photos courtesy of @olive.the_bernedoodle on Instagram.
Olive is a cream sable and white Bernedoodle. As a puppy, you can see her cream color was more of a darker brown.
Photos courtesy of @cooldoodstanley on Instagram.
Stanley is a standard F1 brown sable and white Bernedoodle. From the first to the second photo, Stanley’s brown has faded to more of an apricot color. Still only 6 months old, Stanley’s coat could lighten even more.
Photos courtesy of @bailey_irishcream_bernedoodle on Instagram.
Bailey is a light sable Bernedoodle. Even starting as a cream sable color puppy, you can still see how her coat has lightened further over time.
Photos courtesy of @aspen.the.bernedood on Instagram.
Aspen is an F1 sable tricolor Bernedoodle whose fur contains brown, black, and white as a puppy. Over time, that brown has faded into a beautiful cream color but he still retains those distinctive black-tipped ears and tail.
Photos courtesy of @lyradoodledoo on Instagram.
You can see how Lyra’s coat has lightened in the roughly 18 months between these photos. A red sable and white Bernedoodle as a puppy, that dark reddish/brown fur has faded to a cream as an adult.
Finding a Sable Bernedoodle Puppy for Sale
One of the main reasons people choose to get a Bernedoodle is because of their beautiful, unique coat colors and patterns. As such, your coat color preferences play a big role in determining where you’ll get your Bernedoodle puppy from, how much you’ll pay, and how long you may have to wait for one to be available.
Sable coats are fairly common in Bernedoodles, however, this coloring option is a very popular choice for new puppy owners. By limiting yourself to only sable puppies, you may experience a longer waitlist or pay premium prices.
The average price of a Bernedoodle ranges between $3,000-5,000. Bernedoodle prices are based on five main factors:
Size (Toys and Minis Usually Cost More)
Generation (Backcrosses & Higher Generations Usually Cost More)
Color / Pattern (Tri Colors and Rare Patterns Usually Cost More)
Geographic Location & Cost of Living
Reputation of the Breeder / Supply & Demand
Are sable Bernedoodles more expensive? How much a sable Bernedoodle costs often depends on how many colors their coat contains. Sable tricolor Bernedoodles will be more expensive than sable bicolor Bernedoodles. In general, sable dogs tend to cost more than solid color dogs.
While I always encourage considering rescuing a Bernedoodle, you won’t get the luxury of being selective about coat colors.
Caring for a Sable Coat
Your puppy’s coat color doesn’t play a factor in caring for your Bernedoodle. Instead, whether their coat more closely resembles that of a Bernese Mountain Dog or a Poodle as well as how much your Bernedoodle sheds will be better indicators of what type of grooming regimen you should have.
