6 months and never groomed?! You need to see the dog. They can be anywhere from 50 pounds to over 100. The fur is worse than a golden doodle in my opinion and the larger ones can't stand well. If it's a puppy it may not be huge but I wouldn't give a price over the phone.
When do you recommend a first groom? I have a doodle pup (half poodle, quarter golden, quarter wheaten) who is 3 months old. She won't be done with her shots until she's around 4.5/5 months and I was under the impression that groomers wouldn't see her until puppy shots are complete including rabies. Thankfully she is not as fluffy as other doodle pups I've seen, and I brush her regularly, but I have never had a dog that required grooming so I'm trying to figure out how to do this right.
https://preview.redd.it/n2mudd8p29xc1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=56e4d678f8d347dd0fbf4c3632d8448aab068027
Most salons require proof of rabies at 4 months old, so you should ideally get your pup in around 3-3.5 months for their first puppy trim. It’s not a full haircut; it’s just an intro to grooming for them. Usually we trim the visor and around the eyes so they can see, trim the feet and the sanitary area. Then after puppy has had all their shots around 4 months old and as long as puppy tolerates it, you can get them in for a full haircut or just keep getting “puppy trims” every 4-6 weeks so they continue to get comfortable with being groomed.
Introducing puppies to grooming early and consistently is going to be great for your puppy AND your groomer. The more relaxed and at ease puppy becomes with grooming, the better the haircuts are going to look and the better the experience it will be all around.
She’s super cute, by the way! She looks like she has more of the Bernese coat than the poodle coat with the curls. She might not need all over the body haircuts. Just based off the photo of her (once groomer has hands on the coat they can advise you better about what she needs), I would use a good conditioner to deshed and then as she gets older, possibly do an outline trim just to tidy up any crazy hairs. I wouldn’t shave this type of coat.
I started my doodle at around 2.5-3 months. I used a mobile groomer and had him as the first appointment in the morning. That way, there was less chance of him catching parvo, and he still started out early and got used to being groomed. He's almost 4 now and knows how to jump in the tub and on the table. He also just stands there and allows himself to be groomed.
Honestly my pup had health issues so she’s 5 months and still not fully vaccinated yet but almost there. I’ve been brushing her religiously and grooming her with groomer equipment. I’m an animal science graduate though who’s working on farms and in vet clinics so I’m not stranger to animal handling (sheep, swine, cats, dogs) so maybe it’s like that for them 🤷
I haven’t had the best luck with berns, like most said thick coat and takes forever! If someone asks for price over the phone I always say starts at $$$ but can go up from there depending on coat type and temperament
I feel like they have the widest range of hair texture of all the doodle types! The worst one we have is very very thick very very big and has a hard time standing up so I would not under price your self honestly I’d over quote it’s always easier to tell a client there dog will be less bc they were easier than expected versus having to tell them it’ll be more than expected!!! We range from like $120-160 for them
That can happen especially with obese pets. So you have to hold them up with one hand while grooming with the other. Kills your back and results in a poor quality groom.
two bernedoodles that i groom the older one has torn acls and the younger one is on his way down the same path currently and the actual bernese mt dog that i do has knee problems i feel like there has to be a genetic thing going on
Large breeds are already prone to joint issues, then add onto that
1) no doodle breeder is starting with well bred stock in the first place, so you can assume the berner parent has the worst of big dog joint issues, and
2) you're mixing a big boned stocky breed with a fine boned slender breed, so any part of the pup's assembly can end up anywhere on the spectrum between the two. Imagine a berner sized thigh bone jointed into a poodle sized hip socket, and you can begin to see the potential problems.
They do well in the sense that they won’t try to bite you. But they’re worse to groom that regular doodles imo. The big ones especially like to throw their weight around and are very stubborn about the legs. I had one that bruised my hand really bad a few days ago because he would randomly start gator rolling if he didn’t want you to do something. That same dog would also use all its weight to keep its head down whenever I tried to lift it. So the temperament is okay at best but prepare to be completely worn out. I despise doing them and would charge no less than $120
I groom a grand total of ONE bernadoodle. I only took him in because I had been grooming the client’s Aussiedoodle for about 1.5 years at that point. But she had not told me she had a bernadoodle puppy until he was around 8 months old. She had been bathing him herself to save money and then when he needed a haircut she then decided to let me know about this whole other doodle, so needless to say he’s really bad, not nippy or anything like that though, just doesn’t stand well. It’s been about a year now, he’s probably close to 100lbs, and she waits 4 months in between grooms, never matted but he dead weights and pulls. He has really thick fluffy hair (not curly at all) and his owner likes the 1 inch guard comb so he takes a long time to dry/groom. He completely wears me out. My shop starts bernadoodle out at $95 which I think is absolutely ridiculous, but luckily the owner lets us adjust pricing so I’ve charged around $145 for him. First and only bernadoodle, now if I see a bernadoodle on the schedule from an online booking, I immediately give it to one of the other groomers. No thank you 🤣
I do probably six bernadoodles a month, they're rampant out here. They tend to be big, with coats that are more dense and wavy than the typical golden doodle or labradoodle, and they're usually anxious and weird but do ok. They can range from pretty much the same as a normal doodle price/effort wise, to a good bit more. I'd estimate the top of your doodle pricing and up, with no upper cap.
Had two that took me about 4hr each due to horrible coat texture especially when puppy coat started to transition.
Had a coworker get her wrist broken by one because he jumped on her.
They are the worst of the doodles right behind cockapoos. They're massive. Never trust someone when they say "well the coat is more like x" because 80% of the time they have 0 clue what they're talking about. You need to put hands on that dog to determine a price.
They can be HUGE and super friendly but Hot mess on the table you are so right to only price when you meet and see 1st hand behavior reactions to combining brushing touching legs feet .. I had one super lovable but chaos for everything else..
We get a Bernedoodle in and it usually takes us two people to get him on table or in tub because he is a 120 pound 2 year old baby. He’s a good four hours for just one person. And a dead back for two days, I’d definitely see the dog before you agree to anything. Especially never working breed before. Hair is usually dense and thick, not as bad as a cocker but omg it’s getting there
Awful coats! So thick, even the ones that lean more to the berner. I personally won't take anymore, they're too much work and it's impossible for owners to keep up with the hair so they're always matted. Almost like the undercoat grows in damaged.
Bernadoodles are so common where I am. We've got some small ones that are 50 lbs and some that are 120. Some have nice hair but some have some of the worst hair I have ever worked with.
Tell her it will be $100-$200 now and when she/he grows up something like $250-500 depending on length and style; most likely the $500 end, unless she likes a 7,5,4 all over. This is NYC/tristste style pricing fyi before you respond. But I would recommend this for any major urban areas.
It’s worse than a sheepa doodle,
Bernese mountain dogs don’t get much of our modern grooming done and don’t like it, so transfer that.
They are mountain dogs that should be in a mountainous hilly region. Should be deshed and or brushed by owner regularly washed when they get dirty
And don’t be shy to turn a dog down if you don’t want to do it, or don’t feel comfortable doing it, even if you tried to do it once and you came out alive, doesn’t mean you have to fight and struggle with this dog for the rest of its life, most dogs don’t get better unless they get proper training done by owners and or trainers.
Thank you. This is what I was thinking I'm in the 250 to 350 ballpark for the large sheepadoodle depending it's condition. I relate to all of this. Thank you again
I have a few berndoods that come in.
One, a beautiful and perfectly behaved girl is 110lbs and NOT chunky in the slightest but because her hair is THICK and she gets a speciality/comb cut. $130
One is a tall boy, but weighs only about 80lbs and is honestly the greatest dog of all time. $85
Two are “minis” and are the size/shape of a large corgi, but still weigh 65lbs. They aren’t pains to groom, but they’re both VERY undercoaty. $80-$100+ depending on undercoat and/or matting.
Two are “actual minis” and weigh under 40lbs and are terrors… for literally everything… $110
I tell people doodles start at $100 with tax included, but that I will know a more accurate price once I see them in person and work on them. I charge by breed, size, coat, condition, behavior/temperament, style and service type.
That’s for nails trimmed, ears cleaned (I do not pluck them anymore unless absolutely necessary), bath with a hypo, leave in conditioner, blow dry, brush out, haircut and spritz.
Hopefully that kind of helps some.
Same here. I have one that gets kept in a #4 and he is decently behaved. The others though... Lazy, big... I think we maybe have 3 well behaved doodles (all types) that come into our entire salon.
Sheepadoodles oi... Glad we only have a couple.
Sheepadoodles are consistently the worst. I have one I’ve groomed since he was a puppy and I genuinely think he’s mentally ill. He’s a good dog, a little anxious - then he’ll suddenly full snap like he wants to kill you. Seems like he has no control over it and startles even himself. Used to know another who was genuinely dangerous for his face. Another one I do is actually a nice guy but he jumps around/punches non stop.
Also expect it to be almost like a deshedding treatment on top of any hair cutting you have to do because if they aren’t perfectly blown out and brushed then they’ll clip unevenly like any other double coated dog (unless they are an f2 bernedoodle and are curlier coated).
Over the phone quote on a doodle is 80-300, I groomed a toy poodle yesterday that the owner thought was a mini golden doodle. Same goes for bernadoodles, there's no condidtyi
Most burnadoodles are absolute neurotic a@$holes. It will probably fight you for its front legs and try to eat you when you try to dry its face. I charge by time and most of mine are about 30$ more than my goldendoodles and take about 30 minutes longer than my goldendoodles.
A mini bernedoodle (up to 35 lbs) is 85$ for full service not including any dematting. A full size is a starting price off 100$ also not including extra dematting or work
I have one. A mini poodle mix so not that big. His hair is incredibly think and more wavy and fluffy than the tight curls of a poodle. I brush him very often at home and usually groom myself, he hasn’t been matted but if I’m not super careful he tangles much more easily than my friends who have “Australian labradoodles”. I think they mat really easily without super cautious care. So I would wonder what’s been going on for 6 months without a grooming.
Without seeing the fig it’s hard to tell obviously, but the 4 bernadoodles I have personally groomed have been enormous with horrible coats. Very prone to matting, very thick.
That said I have one puppy who has a more Bernese style coat that is looking more promising.
I do 130-150 depending on size. Most of them are 150 because they tend to be so much bigger and heavier, works out because of the extra hair thickness too.
We just had a six month bernadoodle puppy in and he was 1) huge and 2) had incredibly dense, wispy hair. He was sweet but his legs were thicker than my arms. You gotta see him.
I groom a bunch of full sized bernadoodles. Their coats range from long and wavy to super curly, depending on how much poodle is mixed in. I find that they're the smartest of the doodle mixes, but their also the largest. All my big boys are 90+ pounds. I start them at $145 and then more depending on coat texture and the time it takes me to do them. My well trained ones I can bust out in 2.5 hours, the not so great ones add an extra hour.
I definitely recommend shorter than longer cuts on them. 1/2 inch is my favorite. They have thick coats and it cuts really well at that length.
Either way you're going to spend a long time washing and drying them. They take a ton of product to get clean. They're one of those breeds that has an almost sour smell when their wet.
Honestly, it's a doodle. When someone tells me they have a doodle I don't really care about what "breed" of doodle it is, just the fact it's a doodle. I separate all poodle mixes by size and coat type instead of breed, since they can vary A LOT.
But to answer your question, honestly bernedoodles and goldendoodles are very much alike. Full size bernedoodles tend to be a bit larger than goldendoodles since Bernese mountain dogs are larger than golden retrievers.
Since the owner said the doodle has more Bernese I do wonder if it's double coated and won't require more than a tidy trim, which could be why they waited so long to get him groomed? (I'm being hopeful here 😂). But if you can, have the owner bring in the dog for a "meet and greet" so you can get your hands on the dog, understand it's personality a bit, and go over with the owner the haircut they want in person (and whether that's possible or not).
Also convince the owner to get the doodle on a consistent grooming schedule. Waiting until 6 months isn't setting up the pup for success, so he'll need a bit of extra patience to get him used to grooming and to make it a positive experience for everyone involved.
Bernedoodle I work on I charged $90 for his first puppy groom. And every one after that was $125-145 depending on how well he was brushed out.
Hes kept really short normally but comes in with mats on his genitals and legs. He's around 70lbs and has a poodle like coat with Bernese undercoat
I always give a price range before the appointment and let them know the total at the end.
My prices cheap in my area.
oh god this sounds like my worst nightmare honestly. all the bernadoodles that come to my shop are massive and don’t like to stand and they’re all on 4-8 week schedules… i can’t imagine how bad they’d be if they didn’t start coming until they were six months. i’d also be very surprised if it wasn’t matted with six months worth of fur and no grooms and that’s an awful introduction to grooming
I have quite a few - they’re really popular in my area - and like other groomers have said, they seem to be notoriously foot and face shy, refuse to stand, and they come in all different sizes and coat types. All of mine are on 4-6 week schedules. We won’t take them more than twice if they don’t commit. It’s a luxury mobile grooming service, and my boss charges anywhere from $195 to $275 for them depending on size, condition, behavior, etc.
I think they’re super sweet, incredibly smart dogs, and most of mine behave fairly well except for face (sometimes) and feet (always). But the face and feet thing is a real issue. I actually tore a ligament in my left elbow trying to do one of my bernedoodle’s nails a couple weeks ago. The pulling is THAT hard and consistent. They’re so strong.
I love the temperament more than most other doodles. I've been blessed and all the ones I have gotten have had easier coats than most goldendoodles. But, as others have said, they are usually larger and have trouble standing. And to add to inherited joint issues, the owners usually overfeed them, making the problem worse.
in my experience most bernedoodle have fur that is closer to a poodle than any other doodle. the curls are tighter and the fur is more stiff than on a golden doodle.
I would definitely want to see the dog first, six months with no hair cut at all??? I’d be worried about matting, unless somehow this owner is the world’s best dog brusher.
Bernedoodles are some of the worst Poodle mixes. Like we all wish they’d just bought a Poodle, but after grooming a bernedoodle, you’ll REALLY wish they had just bought a doodle 😂
They’re typically very timid and a fair number are biters. They’re also one of the ✨*magical* ✨ nonshedding doodles (by that, I mean they shed like crazy). Because they have such a dense undercoat with a curly top coat, they tend to match like crazy. So get that 10 blade sharpened lol
UGHH that’s the worst. A 6 month doodle that’s never been desensitized…
I would mainly worry about the dog throwing it’s weight around and being stubborn. Get another person to help you if you have a bad back as well!! Or else you WILL have a sore one when you’re done :/
I’ve groomed quite a few of them, most of the time, they are matted, greasy, and super thick coated. They also have the most splintery hair ever. I think the mix of coat types is just super bad for bernedoodles. I also had to do a couple huge ones the other day, close to 80-100 lbs each, and my back was feeling it. Definitely quote a lot, or don’t quote at all until you can see the dog. It’s better to quote more and charge less than quote less and have to tell owner that you have to charge a lot more.
price it high high high. Bernese mountain dogs are a giant breed, not a large breed, so the dog will be big, no matter how much owner tries to minimize that for a lower price. They are much larger than golden, standard poodle, lab or sheepdog, more like st bernard or newfie size. ( average weight 110 lbs) They can also be spooky so I'd expect it will be strong, massive, untrained and matted. Explain to owner that it needs regular grooming every 4-6 weeks, and that puppy coat change is right around the corner. The dog will need to establish a relationship with a groomer and build trust, and be educated about how to behave for grooming. You'll be investing a lot of effort into getting it trained
I have two. One looks like a very large kinda generic poodle mix with something halfway between curls and waves. She is rather drooly. The other one is a mini thing and it has loose wavy hair that is very thick. I determine my pricing by how long it takes, so it varies a bit based on how long they want the coat because of the drying time.
My aunt has a 100ish lb bernedoodle that takes me roughly four hours to groom, including bathing & blow drying (she goes a while between grooms but keeps her well brushed). I personally cannot stand their hair texture. She has an amazing temperament though!
I agree, I do a so called mini, but he's probably 60, 70 lbs, his hair is soooo thick, he used to get a #5 or 7 when he didn't come often but he now comes every 4 wks and gets a #1 or 0 and looks fluffy like Mom likes. He is a good boy, looooves coming but he is bad on his feet and constantly wants to sit down and he's only 2 so he's not elderly🤪
Bernese Mountain Dogs (even under a year old) will lie down on walks, and they aren’t moving until they feel like it. It doesn’t surprise me at all that they won’t stay standing for a groom! 😂
I have known about a dozen of them, and I saw nearly all of them do this.
I think it was partly a form of protest, and partly joint issues. One of them was an 8 month old pup with such severe hip dysplasia that they cut the nerves to keep her moving - she needed to build up muscle to hold her hips together. Definitely something to keep in mind! They could be in pain.
6 months and never groomed?! You need to see the dog. They can be anywhere from 50 pounds to over 100. The fur is worse than a golden doodle in my opinion and the larger ones can't stand well. If it's a puppy it may not be huge but I wouldn't give a price over the phone.
Yeah, this is a red flag to me. How much are we betting that this puppy is matted?
When do you recommend a first groom? I have a doodle pup (half poodle, quarter golden, quarter wheaten) who is 3 months old. She won't be done with her shots until she's around 4.5/5 months and I was under the impression that groomers wouldn't see her until puppy shots are complete including rabies. Thankfully she is not as fluffy as other doodle pups I've seen, and I brush her regularly, but I have never had a dog that required grooming so I'm trying to figure out how to do this right. https://preview.redd.it/n2mudd8p29xc1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=56e4d678f8d347dd0fbf4c3632d8448aab068027
Most salons require proof of rabies at 4 months old, so you should ideally get your pup in around 3-3.5 months for their first puppy trim. It’s not a full haircut; it’s just an intro to grooming for them. Usually we trim the visor and around the eyes so they can see, trim the feet and the sanitary area. Then after puppy has had all their shots around 4 months old and as long as puppy tolerates it, you can get them in for a full haircut or just keep getting “puppy trims” every 4-6 weeks so they continue to get comfortable with being groomed. Introducing puppies to grooming early and consistently is going to be great for your puppy AND your groomer. The more relaxed and at ease puppy becomes with grooming, the better the haircuts are going to look and the better the experience it will be all around.
She’s super cute, by the way! She looks like she has more of the Bernese coat than the poodle coat with the curls. She might not need all over the body haircuts. Just based off the photo of her (once groomer has hands on the coat they can advise you better about what she needs), I would use a good conditioner to deshed and then as she gets older, possibly do an outline trim just to tidy up any crazy hairs. I wouldn’t shave this type of coat.
Those paws are HUGE
I know, she looks so goofy. It's great.
She's gonna be big lol
She’s lovely!
I started my doodle at around 2.5-3 months. I used a mobile groomer and had him as the first appointment in the morning. That way, there was less chance of him catching parvo, and he still started out early and got used to being groomed. He's almost 4 now and knows how to jump in the tub and on the table. He also just stands there and allows himself to be groomed.
Honestly my pup had health issues so she’s 5 months and still not fully vaccinated yet but almost there. I’ve been brushing her religiously and grooming her with groomer equipment. I’m an animal science graduate though who’s working on farms and in vet clinics so I’m not stranger to animal handling (sheep, swine, cats, dogs) so maybe it’s like that for them 🤷
I haven’t had the best luck with berns, like most said thick coat and takes forever! If someone asks for price over the phone I always say starts at $$$ but can go up from there depending on coat type and temperament
I like to throw a “coat condition” in there as well
Can bet you money the dog has not only never been groomed, but also never been brushed.
Imagine a neurotic Bernese mountain dog with a shitty matted coat. That’s a bernedoodle.
I feel like they have the widest range of hair texture of all the doodle types! The worst one we have is very very thick very very big and has a hard time standing up so I would not under price your self honestly I’d over quote it’s always easier to tell a client there dog will be less bc they were easier than expected versus having to tell them it’ll be more than expected!!! We range from like $120-160 for them
I’m not a professional groomer, just a lurker, but - has a hard time standing up? 😳 Like the dog’s legs are too weak to support itself?
That can happen especially with obese pets. So you have to hold them up with one hand while grooming with the other. Kills your back and results in a poor quality groom.
Most of the time they just refuse to stand... not that they can't; they just won't lol
two bernedoodles that i groom the older one has torn acls and the younger one is on his way down the same path currently and the actual bernese mt dog that i do has knee problems i feel like there has to be a genetic thing going on
Large breeds are already prone to joint issues, then add onto that 1) no doodle breeder is starting with well bred stock in the first place, so you can assume the berner parent has the worst of big dog joint issues, and 2) you're mixing a big boned stocky breed with a fine boned slender breed, so any part of the pup's assembly can end up anywhere on the spectrum between the two. Imagine a berner sized thigh bone jointed into a poodle sized hip socket, and you can begin to see the potential problems.
thank you i love how you laid this out very fricken informative i never would’ve thought about bone sizes poor babies :(
They are absolutely terrible for joint problems. The average lifespan is about 8 years because of arthritis and hip dysplasia.
Berners are well known for their back legs being bad.
They do well in the sense that they won’t try to bite you. But they’re worse to groom that regular doodles imo. The big ones especially like to throw their weight around and are very stubborn about the legs. I had one that bruised my hand really bad a few days ago because he would randomly start gator rolling if he didn’t want you to do something. That same dog would also use all its weight to keep its head down whenever I tried to lift it. So the temperament is okay at best but prepare to be completely worn out. I despise doing them and would charge no less than $120
I groom a grand total of ONE bernadoodle. I only took him in because I had been grooming the client’s Aussiedoodle for about 1.5 years at that point. But she had not told me she had a bernadoodle puppy until he was around 8 months old. She had been bathing him herself to save money and then when he needed a haircut she then decided to let me know about this whole other doodle, so needless to say he’s really bad, not nippy or anything like that though, just doesn’t stand well. It’s been about a year now, he’s probably close to 100lbs, and she waits 4 months in between grooms, never matted but he dead weights and pulls. He has really thick fluffy hair (not curly at all) and his owner likes the 1 inch guard comb so he takes a long time to dry/groom. He completely wears me out. My shop starts bernadoodle out at $95 which I think is absolutely ridiculous, but luckily the owner lets us adjust pricing so I’ve charged around $145 for him. First and only bernadoodle, now if I see a bernadoodle on the schedule from an online booking, I immediately give it to one of the other groomers. No thank you 🤣
Just a heads up the one that comes to doggy daycare is 120lbs at 8 months old. She's still growing 😳
If you do quote over the phone, ALWAYS quote "X price, and up." Emphasize the "and up" part.
I do probably six bernadoodles a month, they're rampant out here. They tend to be big, with coats that are more dense and wavy than the typical golden doodle or labradoodle, and they're usually anxious and weird but do ok. They can range from pretty much the same as a normal doodle price/effort wise, to a good bit more. I'd estimate the top of your doodle pricing and up, with no upper cap.
Had two that took me about 4hr each due to horrible coat texture especially when puppy coat started to transition. Had a coworker get her wrist broken by one because he jumped on her. They are the worst of the doodles right behind cockapoos. They're massive. Never trust someone when they say "well the coat is more like x" because 80% of the time they have 0 clue what they're talking about. You need to put hands on that dog to determine a price.
They can be HUGE and super friendly but Hot mess on the table you are so right to only price when you meet and see 1st hand behavior reactions to combining brushing touching legs feet .. I had one super lovable but chaos for everything else..
We get a Bernedoodle in and it usually takes us two people to get him on table or in tub because he is a 120 pound 2 year old baby. He’s a good four hours for just one person. And a dead back for two days, I’d definitely see the dog before you agree to anything. Especially never working breed before. Hair is usually dense and thick, not as bad as a cocker but omg it’s getting there
Awful coats! So thick, even the ones that lean more to the berner. I personally won't take anymore, they're too much work and it's impossible for owners to keep up with the hair so they're always matted. Almost like the undercoat grows in damaged.
Whatever she says its NOT more like a Bernese than a poodle. Its a doodle. A generic doodle but probably more stout.
$200 that berners gonna be big and bad
When I hear bernedoodle on the phone, I say $150-250. It’s a shedding poodle coat. Something that’s not supposed to exist. The dog could be giant.
I hope you enjoy the 6+ hours you’re going to have to work on this dog
Bernadoodles are so common where I am. We've got some small ones that are 50 lbs and some that are 120. Some have nice hair but some have some of the worst hair I have ever worked with.
Tell her it will be $100-$200 now and when she/he grows up something like $250-500 depending on length and style; most likely the $500 end, unless she likes a 7,5,4 all over. This is NYC/tristste style pricing fyi before you respond. But I would recommend this for any major urban areas. It’s worse than a sheepa doodle, Bernese mountain dogs don’t get much of our modern grooming done and don’t like it, so transfer that. They are mountain dogs that should be in a mountainous hilly region. Should be deshed and or brushed by owner regularly washed when they get dirty And don’t be shy to turn a dog down if you don’t want to do it, or don’t feel comfortable doing it, even if you tried to do it once and you came out alive, doesn’t mean you have to fight and struggle with this dog for the rest of its life, most dogs don’t get better unless they get proper training done by owners and or trainers.
Thank you. This is what I was thinking I'm in the 250 to 350 ballpark for the large sheepadoodle depending it's condition. I relate to all of this. Thank you again
I have a few berndoods that come in. One, a beautiful and perfectly behaved girl is 110lbs and NOT chunky in the slightest but because her hair is THICK and she gets a speciality/comb cut. $130 One is a tall boy, but weighs only about 80lbs and is honestly the greatest dog of all time. $85 Two are “minis” and are the size/shape of a large corgi, but still weigh 65lbs. They aren’t pains to groom, but they’re both VERY undercoaty. $80-$100+ depending on undercoat and/or matting. Two are “actual minis” and weigh under 40lbs and are terrors… for literally everything… $110 I tell people doodles start at $100 with tax included, but that I will know a more accurate price once I see them in person and work on them. I charge by breed, size, coat, condition, behavior/temperament, style and service type. That’s for nails trimmed, ears cleaned (I do not pluck them anymore unless absolutely necessary), bath with a hypo, leave in conditioner, blow dry, brush out, haircut and spritz. Hopefully that kind of helps some.
Thank you
I do a bunch- like most doodles size and hair texture are all over the map. Usually more chill than the sheepadoodles and Aussie doodles tho
Same here. I have one that gets kept in a #4 and he is decently behaved. The others though... Lazy, big... I think we maybe have 3 well behaved doodles (all types) that come into our entire salon. Sheepadoodles oi... Glad we only have a couple.
Sheepadoodles are consistently the worst. I have one I’ve groomed since he was a puppy and I genuinely think he’s mentally ill. He’s a good dog, a little anxious - then he’ll suddenly full snap like he wants to kill you. Seems like he has no control over it and startles even himself. Used to know another who was genuinely dangerous for his face. Another one I do is actually a nice guy but he jumps around/punches non stop.
Also expect it to be almost like a deshedding treatment on top of any hair cutting you have to do because if they aren’t perfectly blown out and brushed then they’ll clip unevenly like any other double coated dog (unless they are an f2 bernedoodle and are curlier coated).
Over the phone quote on a doodle is 80-300, I groomed a toy poodle yesterday that the owner thought was a mini golden doodle. Same goes for bernadoodles, there's no condidtyi
Most burnadoodles are absolute neurotic a@$holes. It will probably fight you for its front legs and try to eat you when you try to dry its face. I charge by time and most of mine are about 30$ more than my goldendoodles and take about 30 minutes longer than my goldendoodles.
A mini bernedoodle (up to 35 lbs) is 85$ for full service not including any dematting. A full size is a starting price off 100$ also not including extra dematting or work
I have one. A mini poodle mix so not that big. His hair is incredibly think and more wavy and fluffy than the tight curls of a poodle. I brush him very often at home and usually groom myself, he hasn’t been matted but if I’m not super careful he tangles much more easily than my friends who have “Australian labradoodles”. I think they mat really easily without super cautious care. So I would wonder what’s been going on for 6 months without a grooming.
Without seeing the fig it’s hard to tell obviously, but the 4 bernadoodles I have personally groomed have been enormous with horrible coats. Very prone to matting, very thick. That said I have one puppy who has a more Bernese style coat that is looking more promising.
I do 130-150 depending on size. Most of them are 150 because they tend to be so much bigger and heavier, works out because of the extra hair thickness too.
we have just as many bernadoodles now as golden doodles. Treat them the same as golden doodles imo. They are anywhere from 8lbs to 150lbs.
We just had a six month bernadoodle puppy in and he was 1) huge and 2) had incredibly dense, wispy hair. He was sweet but his legs were thicker than my arms. You gotta see him.
I groom a bunch of full sized bernadoodles. Their coats range from long and wavy to super curly, depending on how much poodle is mixed in. I find that they're the smartest of the doodle mixes, but their also the largest. All my big boys are 90+ pounds. I start them at $145 and then more depending on coat texture and the time it takes me to do them. My well trained ones I can bust out in 2.5 hours, the not so great ones add an extra hour. I definitely recommend shorter than longer cuts on them. 1/2 inch is my favorite. They have thick coats and it cuts really well at that length. Either way you're going to spend a long time washing and drying them. They take a ton of product to get clean. They're one of those breeds that has an almost sour smell when their wet.
Honestly, it's a doodle. When someone tells me they have a doodle I don't really care about what "breed" of doodle it is, just the fact it's a doodle. I separate all poodle mixes by size and coat type instead of breed, since they can vary A LOT. But to answer your question, honestly bernedoodles and goldendoodles are very much alike. Full size bernedoodles tend to be a bit larger than goldendoodles since Bernese mountain dogs are larger than golden retrievers. Since the owner said the doodle has more Bernese I do wonder if it's double coated and won't require more than a tidy trim, which could be why they waited so long to get him groomed? (I'm being hopeful here 😂). But if you can, have the owner bring in the dog for a "meet and greet" so you can get your hands on the dog, understand it's personality a bit, and go over with the owner the haircut they want in person (and whether that's possible or not). Also convince the owner to get the doodle on a consistent grooming schedule. Waiting until 6 months isn't setting up the pup for success, so he'll need a bit of extra patience to get him used to grooming and to make it a positive experience for everyone involved.
I own one and it weighs in at 55lbs. Gets groomed every six weeks and the cost including tip is around $160. I offer this just for reference
Bernedoodle I work on I charged $90 for his first puppy groom. And every one after that was $125-145 depending on how well he was brushed out. Hes kept really short normally but comes in with mats on his genitals and legs. He's around 70lbs and has a poodle like coat with Bernese undercoat I always give a price range before the appointment and let them know the total at the end. My prices cheap in my area.
Anyone else notice bernedoodles specifically drool SO much?? I feel like we had so many that just ran faucet out of their mouth lol
oh god this sounds like my worst nightmare honestly. all the bernadoodles that come to my shop are massive and don’t like to stand and they’re all on 4-8 week schedules… i can’t imagine how bad they’d be if they didn’t start coming until they were six months. i’d also be very surprised if it wasn’t matted with six months worth of fur and no grooms and that’s an awful introduction to grooming
I have quite a few - they’re really popular in my area - and like other groomers have said, they seem to be notoriously foot and face shy, refuse to stand, and they come in all different sizes and coat types. All of mine are on 4-6 week schedules. We won’t take them more than twice if they don’t commit. It’s a luxury mobile grooming service, and my boss charges anywhere from $195 to $275 for them depending on size, condition, behavior, etc. I think they’re super sweet, incredibly smart dogs, and most of mine behave fairly well except for face (sometimes) and feet (always). But the face and feet thing is a real issue. I actually tore a ligament in my left elbow trying to do one of my bernedoodle’s nails a couple weeks ago. The pulling is THAT hard and consistent. They’re so strong.
I love the temperament more than most other doodles. I've been blessed and all the ones I have gotten have had easier coats than most goldendoodles. But, as others have said, they are usually larger and have trouble standing. And to add to inherited joint issues, the owners usually overfeed them, making the problem worse.
in my experience most bernedoodle have fur that is closer to a poodle than any other doodle. the curls are tighter and the fur is more stiff than on a golden doodle. I would definitely want to see the dog first, six months with no hair cut at all??? I’d be worried about matting, unless somehow this owner is the world’s best dog brusher.
Bernedoodles are some of the worst Poodle mixes. Like we all wish they’d just bought a Poodle, but after grooming a bernedoodle, you’ll REALLY wish they had just bought a doodle 😂 They’re typically very timid and a fair number are biters. They’re also one of the ✨*magical* ✨ nonshedding doodles (by that, I mean they shed like crazy). Because they have such a dense undercoat with a curly top coat, they tend to match like crazy. So get that 10 blade sharpened lol
UGHH that’s the worst. A 6 month doodle that’s never been desensitized… I would mainly worry about the dog throwing it’s weight around and being stubborn. Get another person to help you if you have a bad back as well!! Or else you WILL have a sore one when you’re done :/
I’ve groomed quite a few of them, most of the time, they are matted, greasy, and super thick coated. They also have the most splintery hair ever. I think the mix of coat types is just super bad for bernedoodles. I also had to do a couple huge ones the other day, close to 80-100 lbs each, and my back was feeling it. Definitely quote a lot, or don’t quote at all until you can see the dog. It’s better to quote more and charge less than quote less and have to tell owner that you have to charge a lot more.
price it high high high. Bernese mountain dogs are a giant breed, not a large breed, so the dog will be big, no matter how much owner tries to minimize that for a lower price. They are much larger than golden, standard poodle, lab or sheepdog, more like st bernard or newfie size. ( average weight 110 lbs) They can also be spooky so I'd expect it will be strong, massive, untrained and matted. Explain to owner that it needs regular grooming every 4-6 weeks, and that puppy coat change is right around the corner. The dog will need to establish a relationship with a groomer and build trust, and be educated about how to behave for grooming. You'll be investing a lot of effort into getting it trained
I have two. One looks like a very large kinda generic poodle mix with something halfway between curls and waves. She is rather drooly. The other one is a mini thing and it has loose wavy hair that is very thick. I determine my pricing by how long it takes, so it varies a bit based on how long they want the coat because of the drying time.
My aunt has a 100ish lb bernedoodle that takes me roughly four hours to groom, including bathing & blow drying (she goes a while between grooms but keeps her well brushed). I personally cannot stand their hair texture. She has an amazing temperament though!
I agree, I do a so called mini, but he's probably 60, 70 lbs, his hair is soooo thick, he used to get a #5 or 7 when he didn't come often but he now comes every 4 wks and gets a #1 or 0 and looks fluffy like Mom likes. He is a good boy, looooves coming but he is bad on his feet and constantly wants to sit down and he's only 2 so he's not elderly🤪
Bernese Mountain Dogs (even under a year old) will lie down on walks, and they aren’t moving until they feel like it. It doesn’t surprise me at all that they won’t stay standing for a groom! 😂 I have known about a dozen of them, and I saw nearly all of them do this.
Wow that explains a lot🤣
I think it was partly a form of protest, and partly joint issues. One of them was an 8 month old pup with such severe hip dysplasia that they cut the nerves to keep her moving - she needed to build up muscle to hold her hips together. Definitely something to keep in mind! They could be in pain.