1. We live in a high rise building with no yard, are these breeds adaptable to this lifestyle?

Yes, these breeds do well in city life, but they must be walked often. When potty training a new puppy to this lifestyle, many people will purchase an outside doggy potty station that can go on a porch or inside, as your puppy may not have the ability to “hold it” while you are getting them down the stairs/elevator and out to an appropriate area to eliminate. There are many manufacturers of these potty stations and they can be very useful even beyond puppyhood.

2. We live a rural/country area and are frequented by wildlife, is this dangerous for my puppy?

Areas frequented by deer, raccoons, coyotes, foxes, and birds of prey . . .

Yes, this is dangerous in many ways. Your puppy is not able to defend itself at a young age, so it may be prayed on by wildlife such as coyotes, so you will need to provide a safe fenced area or escort your puppy on leash until they are grown. Even after grown there is still a risk, so do your best to ensure your puppy/dog has a safe space protected against wild predators.

This is also dangerous from the aspect of disease and parasites. Many wild animals suffer from disease and parasites, and your puppy sharing the same space can result in them contracting some of these diseases or parasites. Common diseases are rabies, leptospirosis, and parvo. Your puppy will have some resistance to parvo based on their first 2 vaccinations, but they are not old enough when they go home to have had leptospirosis or rabies vaccines, so you must be diligent to ensure they are not exposed. Common parasites are giardia and coccidia; these are intestinal parasites that may cause diarrhea, vomiting, and lethargy…..but not all puppies/dogs will show symptoms.

Keep in mind that all dogs have low levels of giardia in their systems, but when it gets out of control it can cause big problems and will require treatment. Because they carry this in their system naturally, episodes of high stress can also cause it to multiply and get out of control. The fact is, any parasite problem should be treated with approved medications. In areas with heavy brush and trees, you will also need to be diligent about checking your puppy/dog for ticks. Tick born diseases are as deadly to dogs as they are to people.

3. My puppy is eating grass, is that normal?

Puppies are like small children and they explore all of their new surrounding by sight, smell, and taste. It is not uncommon for puppies to eat grass, but please keep an eye on this as too much can be harmful to their digestive system. Be careful that the grass has not been treated with any fertilizers or pesticides…..as these will definitely be harmful to your puppies system.

4. Is it ok to change my puppy’s diet?

Yes, your puppy will thrive on any good quality food and we do not dictate what food you must feed. However when changing their diet, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. A puppies digestive systems are not fully mature, so any change in diet can cause upset stomach and diarrhea. You must make the change slowly by mixing in small amounts of the new food with their current food. Over time you slowly change the mixture to more of the new food, until you completely change over. If done properly, this will take about one month.

5. Are all puppies big chewers?

Not all of them are, but any that take on the Bernese Mountain Dog or Labrador Retriever side of the family will definitely be bigger chewers. Standard Poodles tend to be less destructive as puppies, so the higher generations of puppies that have a higher percentage of Poodle in them do tend to be less destructive as puppies (in our experience).

Please keep in mind each puppy is an individual and the statement above is a general one. You will need to teach your puppy what is acceptable to chew on (toys) and what is not appropriate to chew on (furniture, etc.). We suggest that you keep a variety of chew toys available for your puppy, as not all puppies like the same textures, and their preference may change with the day. We like deer/elk antler, bull horns, Nylabone (in various harness), and Kong rubber toys.

6. Are Labradoodle and Bernedoodles food motivated when it comes to training?

Yes, these breeds are food motivated, but they are also praise motivated. They want to make you happy, so praise is usually enough. If you do use treats, be careful what and how many you feed them, as this can cause upset stomach and diarrhea. We recommend boneless skinless chicken breast cooked and cubed; this is easy to digest and will typically not cause stomach upset.

7. How long does it take to potty train our puppy?

Training a puppy solely depends on you. Puppies need a regular routine and oversight to be successful in potty training. Keep in mind that your puppy only has the ability to “hold it” for a few hours when he/she first goes home. A good rule of thumb is that they have enough bladder control to “hold it” about an hour for every month of age. So when your puppy goes home between 8-10 weeks of age, in general….they will need to go potty every 2 hours or so. If a puppy is forced to hold it longer (crated) it can result in bladder and urinary infections.

8. Do Bernedoodles retrieve and swim?

Yes and No. Because the foundation breeds are not both retrievers, the puppies inherited traits will vary. Based on our experience, about 50% of our puppies enjoy a good game of fetch and love the water.

9. Do Labradoodles retrieve and swim?

Yes and No.
a. The American Standard Labradoodles are natural retrievers and swimmers. This is due to the fact that both foundation breeds (Labrador Retriever & Standard Poodle) were both bred to be water retrievers.

b. The Australian Labradoodles may or may not be natural retrievers or swimmers. This is due the extended foundation breeds that have been infused, such as Cocker Spaniel, Wheaten Terrier, and several other. Several of the foundation breeds in the Australian Labradoodles were not bred for the purpose of retrieving, therefore each puppies inherited traits will vary.

10. Are all Labradoodles allergy friendly?

No, although breeders have been crossing Poodles with other breeds for many years, they were typically first generation crosses; which are still common today. As with any breed, it takes many generations of careful breeding to produce dogs with repeatable traits. Even after 100’s of years, purebred dogs with still occasionally produce a pup with what is termed as a throwback trait to one of its founding ancestors.

Thankfully, most of our puppies are several generations along and therefore most of our puppies are allergy friendly. If you are allergy suffer, please know that we have many years experience in both the Labradoodle & Bernedoodle cross breeds and are happy to help guide you to the puppies with the best coat qualities.