Bernedoodles are wonderful dogs that are mixed between the Bernese Mountain Dog and Poodle. They are a rarer mix of Poodle that many people are unaware of, but owners of this dog have nothing but high praises to speak about them.
One common question that is commonly asked but difficult to answer is when the Bernedoodle stops growing and reaches its mature size and weight. Depending on their parentage, your Bernedoodle will reach full size and weight by 2 years of age.
When bringing a new dog into our homes, we want to ensure that we can care for them, have enough room for them, and be happy, especially if all they will ever know is you and your home. As the Bernadoodle is a relatively new breed that was only first bred in 2003, there isn’t much information about them out there yet.
Finding a straight answer about this can be challenging. The internet throws up conflicting information, leading you down random and unnerving paths before you give up, feeling more confused than you did before.
If you want to know when your Bernedoodle will stop growing, keep reading our article. Today, we are here to tell you when your Bernedoodle will stop growing and provide you with all the information you need about these lovely dogs.
A little about Bernedoodles
Depending on how much research you have already done on Bernedoodles, you might not know much about them at all.
As we’ve already mentioned, Bernedoodles are mixed breed dogs, with their parentage being a Bernese Mountain dog and a Poodle. They are intelligent, playful, and often the perfect companion dog for many people.
They are suitable to live in homes with children or other animals and, depending on their size, are fine to live in apartments or homes with gardens. They are affectionate dogs that are easy to train and the ideal addition to your family!
These dogs are a fairly new breed, having only been bred since 2003, meaning we don’t know everything about them yet. However, more information is coming out about this breed all the time and giving us a better understanding of this lovely dog.
Due to their fur, too, they tend to be hypoallergenic and therefore suitable for owners who have allergies to fur. The coat on these dogs and their color can vary from curly and wavy to straight and range from light to dark.
Just like any dog, they require exercise and playtime. One walk should be enough for the majority of Bernedoodles, although they might require a second depending on their size and energy levels.
Bernedoodles come in three different sizes: Tiny Bernedoodle, Miniature Bernedoodle, and Standard Bernedoodle. The size of these dogs is determined by the Poodle parentage (with Poodles coming in Toy, Miniature, or Standard).
There can be some discrepancies in how big they grow, depending on the breed and heritage of the Poodle, but you can expect them to grow between 12 to 29 inches tall. We have a whole article dedicated to how big Bernedoodles can grow, be sure to check that out here.
Now that we have covered what a Bernedoodle is, let’s move on to look at how long it takes for a Bernedoodle to stop growing.
When do Bernedoodles stop growing?
When Bernedoodles stop growing varies depending on the type of Bernedoodle that you have. As with other breeds of dogs, larger dogs take longer to grow and reach adulthood, meaning they will take more time to reach their mature size, so you can expect a Standard Bernedoodle to continue growing longer than a Tiny Bernedoodle.
For those after a quick answer to get on with their days, we won’t keep you in suspense any longer. You can expect a Bernedoodle to stop growing between 1 to 2 years of age. But, of course, that answer is a broad generalization, and some factors can impact this. Keep reading to find out more; go on, you know you want to.
As Bernedoodles are mixed breeds, the numbers we give today might not be entirely accurate. As we mentioned, these dogs haven’t been bred for very long, so we don’t have as much information as we do for other breeds.
We also have to consider other factors that can impact the growth rate, such as the lineage of the Bernedoodles parents and any health complications during their life.
That being said, you can use the numbers listed today as a clear guide and indicator of how long it takes Bernedoodles to stop growing. Let’s look at the different types of Bernedoodles and how long it takes for them to be fully grown.
Tiny Bernedoodle
Let’s start with the smallest of Bernedoodles, the Tiny Bernedoodle. They are created when a Bernese Mountain dog is bred with a Toy Poodle and tend to be the smallest and lightest of the Bernedoodle breed.
Tiny Bernedoodles will stop growing between 12 to 18 months. At this point, they will reach their full height of 12 to 17 inches and weigh roughly between 10 to 24 pounds.
You can expect your Tiny Bernedoodle to be roughly half their final weight and size between 4 to 8 months of age. However, when they are puppies, they seem to grow quite quickly, and it can be both wonderful and surprising to see.
It does slow down after this time and should stop around the one-year mark. Some Tiny Bernedoodles will continue to grow until the eighteen-month mark, but you are unlikely to notice them growing in size every day or week; it becomes more gradual as they age.
Miniature Bernedoodle
Miniature Bernedoodles are slightly bigger than Tiny Bernedoodles and come from a Miniature Poodle and Bernese Mountain dog parents. These dogs take a little less time to grow than the smaller Tiny Bernedoodle, and you can expect your Miniature Bernedoodle to be fully grown between 11 to 13 months.
Around their one-year birthday, you can expect your Miniature Bernedoodle to reach their full height, although some do take a little longer. At this point, you can expect your Miniature Bernedoodle to be between 18 to 22 inches tall and weigh between 25 to 49 pounds.
Their weight tends to gain fairly quickly when they are young, and they should be weighing roughly 27 to 28lbs when they are between 5 to 6 months old. This weight gain will ease off and become more steady as they continue to grow in size.
The same can be said for their height. You will notice your Miniature Bernedoodle growing quite quickly in the first five or six months of their life; then, it will become more gradual. You might not notice any dramatic changes in their height and weight, but they should continue to grow and fill out slowly.
Standard Bernedoodle
Finally, we have the largest of the group, the Standard Bernedoodles. These feature a Standard Poodle and Bernese Mountain dog as their parents and take the longest to reach their full size.
You can expect your Standard Bernedoodle to reach its full height between 18 months and two years. Of course, as these dogs are larger, they take longer to grow, and the process for them to reach their full adult size can seem slow, but trust us, they are still growing.
Once your Standard Bernedoodle is fully grown, you can expect them to be between 23 to 29 inches tall and weighing 70 to 90 pounds. They reach half their height and weight when they are between 5 to 6 months old like we saw with the Miniature Bernedoodles, and then continue to grow at a slower rate.
It takes almost an entire year for Standard Bernedoodles to go from 90% of their height and weight to 100%. Therefore, you are highly unlikely to notice much of a difference during this period, but please be assured, your Bernedoodle is still growing.
During their first few months, you will notice a fairly rapid growth and it might seem like you blink and miss their next growth spurt. However, don’t be alarmed if you don’t; all dogs grow at slightly different rates.
After the six-month mark, the growing rate is eased and becomes slower, but you should notice some changes to their height and weight.
What can impact their growth?
As we mentioned earlier, these are mixed breed dogs. So while we can offer estimates of how long it will take them to grow, these can be only ballpark figures that aren’t set in stone.
In addition, a few factors can impact their growth, and you should consider these when determining whether your dog has stopped growing or not.
Lineage Plays a Role
The first to consider is lineage. As we mentioned, a Bernedoodle gets its size from the Poodle parent, and the type of Poodle determines the type of Bernedoodle it is. But if the Poodle being used for breeding isn’t a purebred Poodle, then other breeds and their size and growth rate will impact the time it takes for your dog to grow.
Toy or Miniature Poodles are bred to get their small size with other dogs, adding more breeds into your Bernedoodle’s lineage. This can affect how long it will take for them to reach full maturity as different breeds can influence this feature.
Poodles grow fairly quickly, whereas Bernese Mountain dogs take longer (anywhere from 2 to 3 years to grow fully). This depends on the dog and the lineage they have.
It might be that your Bernedoodle follows its Bernese parent and takes slightly longer to grow, or the Poodle genes will take charge, and they will grow quicker.
It could be helpful if you purchased your Bernedoodle from a breeder to find out more about their lineage to help provide a clear answer. We considered lineage when giving our dates, which is why there is some leeway there.
Weight Gain
Although your Bernedoodle is unlikely to grow any taller once they are fully grown, their weight can still increase. Weight gain can continue for the first few years of your Bernedoodles life after they have finished growing.
Provided that they are not exceeding the weight for their size; there is no need to be alarmed. Ensure that you or your vet weighs your Bernedoodle regularly to keep an eye on and ensure they aren’t putting too much weight or being underweight.
Ideally, you should be able to feel your Bernedoodles ribs slightly, but they shouldn’t be seen through their fur. If you have any questions about this, it’s best to speak to your vet, who can offer tailored advice.
Final Word
As you can see, it takes Bernedoodles between 11 months to 2 years to stop growing, depending on their size and growth rate. The first six months of their life will see the most rapid growth, but it will then slow down considerably. You might only notice these growth spurts every now and then, or not at all.
After two years, your Bernedoodle should stop growing and become an adult dog that will stay with your family for years. They might have the occasional growth spurt every now and then after two years, although these should be much less common.