If your ideal dog is one that is friendly, loyal, playful but still kept in a relatively small size, the St. Berdoodle might just be the one for you! Think about it, you get all the qualities of a St. Bernard, yet it still has this charming appeal of a poodle.
The St. Berdoodle is a cross between a St. Bernard and a Poodle. One might think that the end result is such a huge dog, but there are actually mini St. Berdoodles. The mini ones usually weigh 20 to 50 pounds and their height is 14 to 18 inches.
Keep on reading if you are interested in getting a mini St. Berdoodle. We are going to talk about their characteristics as well as the difference between a standard and a mini St. Berdoodle. By the end of this read, you will have a better idea if this dog will fit you.
What is a St. Berdoodle?
As the characteristics and temperament of mini St. Berdoodles are the same as the standard size, let us go through the general St. Berdoodle first.
The breeding history of the St. Berdoodle is a bit vague. The same goes for their purpose. A lot of people speculate that this dog was bred due to the need for breeders to produce a dog that can do search and rescue that will not exhaust too many resources.
This line of thinking is connected to the original purpose of breeding St. Bernards. However, for St. Bernards, they tend to need a lot of exercises, they shed a lot, and they also need to maintain a hefty weight.
This speculation is not yet proven, but it is believed that St. Berdoodles were first bred in the United States way back in the 1880s. The St. Berdoodle is a designer dog that came from the cross-breeding of St. Bernard and the Poodle.
They are still unrecognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) but the breed is registered in the Designer Breed Registry, Designer Dogs Kennel Club, Dog Registry America Inc., International Designer Canine Registry, and American Canine Hybrid Club.
The Appeal of St. Berdoodles
In general, the biggest appeal of the St. Berdoodle is the greatest qualities of both of the parent breeds. For the St. Bernard, they are known as a “search and rescue dog.” Meaning, they are very empathetic dogs that can be easily trained. Further, they are also extremely friendly and loyal. In a sense, you can look at them as honest work dogs.
On the other hand, the Poodle is regarded as a charming show dog. They can easily do tricks and are usually owned by rich European families. At the same time, some of them were trained as truffle hunters as they have a keen sense of smell.
When combining the two, what you end up with is a regal, active, and intelligent dog. It is such a versatile dog that even if you just regard them as companion dogs, they will surely excel in that area as well.
Standard St. Berdoodle
The most common size of the St. Berdoodle is called the standard size. Usually, the weight of this size ranges from 40 to 150 pounds. For some, they can also reach 180 pounds.
As for the height, they can be 15 to 30 inches. There are a wide variety of colors to choose from as one of the parent breeds can have the following colors:
- White
- Blue
- Gray
- Cream
- Silver
- Café-au-lait
- Apricot
- Brown
The Mini St. Berdoodle
The mini St. Berdoodle is considered a rare size for the breed, simply because it takes a lot of trial and error to counteract the large breed genes of the St. Bernard. Ideally, a mini St. Berdoodle is produced when you cross a Miniature Poodle and a Miniature St. Bernard
However, it is also a bit difficult to produce a Miniature St. Bernard as they are really large breeds. The weight of the Mini St. Berdoodle can be between 20 to 50 pounds. In terms of height, they can be 14 to 18 inches tall.
Important Things About The Mini St. Berdoodle
Here are some important things to note about the Mini St. Berdoodle. For most of the factors, they are also shared by the Standard St. Berdoodle, except for variations in size, lifespan, and health.
Variation of Size
As we have mentioned earlier, it can be difficult to miniaturize a St. Bernard because by default they are large dogs. Usually, the miniature element is done by producing a miniature St. Bernard first.
This can mean that standard St. Bernards can be crossbred with other smaller breeds like the Cocker Spaniel to produce a smaller size of St. Bernard. Only then it is bred with a Miniature Poodle to produce a Mini St. Berdoodle.
Even if this process is not done, the size of the mini St. Berdoodle will still vary in such a way that some puppies may bigger than others. Again, this is due to the fact that the genes coming from the St. Bernard greatly affects the “mini aspect.”
Health
By default, designer dogs have much vigor in terms of health. The same goes for the Mini St. Berdoodle. However, as they are still part Poodle, their usual health problems are the following:
- Eye diseases
- Gastric dilatation-volvulus
- Hip dysplasia
- Immune-mediated disorders
- Idiopathic epilepsy
- Von Willebrand’s disease
- Sebaceous adenitis
Intelligence
Mini St. Berdoodles are extremely smart. In terms of intelligence, they will rank as the ones at the top. Poodles are inherently smart and St. Bernards are quick to learn things with proper training.
Lifespan
This is actually good news for those who are looking for companion dogs as Mini St. Berdoodles live longer than St. Bernards. Their average lifespan is 8 to 12 years. Just as long as they do not get serious diseases, they can live up to their maximum years.
Grooming
You will get the best of both worlds with the mini St. Berdoodle as they have little to no shedding. Some consider them as hypoallergenic dogs as dander easily gets caught in the skin, so it will not contribute a lot to someone who has allergies. They only need to be brushed twice or thrice a week.
Trainability
Mini St. Berdoodles are a bit on the lounging side of things compared to other mixes. However, they love to please their owners so they are more than open to being trained and be taken out for exercise.
Is the Mini St. Berdoodle For You?
It is decision time! Take a look at the following points to determine if the Mini St. Berdoodle will fit well in your family and lifestyle
Training
Mini St. Berdoodles are naturally curious. Therefore, if you do not train them while they are still puppies, this can result in a lot of destruction purely because of curiosity. You should set aside time to familiarize him with his surroundings and set boundaries early on.
Further, early socialization is key for them to not be socially awkward with other people in the household as well as strangers. The same goes for if you have a baby or toddler in your family, you have to train the Mini St. Berdoodle to get used to them.
Strangers
As they are extremely loyal dogs, they can be a bit aloof towards strangers. This aloofness can sometimes turn into aggression or even anxiety if they are not corrected early on. The solution to this is early socialization.
Allergies
This dog will be perfect for you if you suffer from chronic allergies. They are hypoallergenic dogs so they do not shed as much. Keep in mind that there will still be a bit of shedding and grooming needed, but not too much that it may cause someone in the household to develop allergies.
Exercise
For people who hate walking a dog, it is time to rejoice! They do not need a lot of exercises. In fact, they need moderate exercise. So this can simply be letting them out in the yard or just playing fetch. What is important is they have something in their environment that can stimulate their mind to prevent boredom.
Conclusion
It is easy to understand how someone can fall in love with the Mini St. Berdoodle. They seem to be the perfect breed whether someone wants an energetic or a lounging dog.
In order to enjoy the advantages of owning a Mini St. Berdoodle, you first have to put in a bit of work in terms of training and socialization. But once all of that came to success, all you have to do is to enjoy the company of your dog.
Lastly, keep in mind that one cannot truly have a mini version of this dog as getting to that miniature size can be tricky. With that said, you might get a mini version while they are still pups, but eventually, they can grow into a significantly bigger size that is slightly under the standard size.
