About Australian Mountain Doodles / Aussie Mountain Doodles

What is an Australian Mountain Doodle?

The Australian Mountain Dog (AMD) is a type of Doodle and includes three breeds: Bernese Mountain Dog, Australian Shepherd and Poodle.

What is an Aussie Bernedoodle?

An Aussie Bernedoodle is another name for the Australian Mountain Doodle. It is actually the name we created for AMD’s when we first bred them 9 years ago.

What is an Aussie Mountain Doodle?

An Aussie Mountain Doodle is just another name for AMD’s. Aussie is the abbreviated nickname for Australian Shepherds.

What is a Swiss Doodle?

This is also another name for AMD’s, and includes the Bernese origin of the Swiss Alps. It may also refer to the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, Shepherd and Poodle cross.

What is a Doodle?

A Doodle is a hybrid dog, purposely bred to combine the characteristics of two or more recognized breeds. The goal is to “better the breed” and select for the traits, confirmation, intelligence, temperament, coat and hypo-allergenic qualities that will make an ideal family companion.

Which Breeds Do We Have at Blue Skye Doodles?

We currently focus on Bernedoodles and Australian Mountain Doodles for their intelligence, loyalty, eagerness to learn and good-natured personalities which make them wonderful family dogs as well as service and therapy dogs. We began our breeding program with our foundation dogs Ryver (our Aussiedoodle) and Skye (our Bernedoodle) in late 2015. As the first to do this cross, we originally called them Aussie Bernedoodles. As they have grown in popularity, they have become more commonly known as Australian Mountain Doodles.

Whichever one you choose, your new doodle will have the best start in life and is sure to be a beloved friend and family member. Like Reese’s Pieces, most people can’t stop at just one.

Note: We do not breed Australian Bernedoodles (Australian Labradoodle, Bernese Mountain Dog & Poodle). The Australian Labradoodle is comprised of 6 breeds - the Poodle, Labrador Retriever, Irish Water Spaniel, Curly Coat Retriever, American Cocker Spaniel and English Cocker Spaniel) so you can have any combination of these 8 breeds in this Doodle type.

How Big Do Australian Mountain Doodle’s Get?

Micro Mini (Toy) AMD’s range from 10-24 lbs

Mini AMD’s range from 25-39 lbs

Medium AMD’s range from 40-54 lbs

Standard AMD’s will be 55 lbs or larger

What Size AMD’s Do We Breed?

Blue Skye Doodles are typically in the micro mini and mini range of 20-40 lbs with most being roughly 20 to 35 lbs. Although you always have to consider the size and genetics of the grandparents, by breeding mostly multi-generational parents, we have achieved greater consistency in the adult size of our Doodles.

Do Australian Mountain Doodles Shed?

Our AMD’s will be low to very low shedding. We carefully evaluate and genetically test our parents to ensure we are producing low shedding and low allergen puppies. Some puppies from specific pairings may have more or less low shedding/low allergen properties, so it is important to communicate your needs and preferences with us.

All dogs are different and this is true even with the amount of shedding. As is the case with many traits, the degree of shedding is not strictly regulated by a single gene, but rather by a combination of genes functioning together. Further research has identified a link between furnishings or improper coats (F locus) and shedding. Thus, understanding the dog’s furnishing genetics can help determine the dog’s overall degree of shedding. Dogs without furnishings (having a smooth muzzle with no beard) have a higher propensity to shed. This is where it is important to have an experienced breeder with the genetic knowledge who does the testing necessary to create that adorable Doodle look while maintaining the hypoallergenic properties.

Regardless of coat, all dogs benefit from regular brushing and occasional visits to a professional groomer. Light-shedding dogs will leave some hairs behind, especially after just being brushed or bathed and you will see plenty of hair in the brush itself.  But you will notice significantly less than from a regular coated dog.  It can be difficult to determine how much a dog will shed until it is at least a year old.  In general, the curly/fleece coats (like a poodle’s), are less likely to visibly shed as any loose hair curls into itself instead of dropping to the floor. 

Are Australian Mountain Doodles Hypo-Allergenic?

Doodles are typically hypoallergenic but NOT non-allergenic.  Hypo-allergenic means having a decreased tendency to provoke an allergic response.  No dog is 100% non-allergenic (meaning a dog that does not produce an allergic response). Most allergic responses to dogs are triggered by proteins in the dog's saliva and to a lesser degree their urine. So dog's that drool heavily or soil in the house are poor choices for people with allergies. These proteins end up in the dog's dander which then stick to the hair.

Some breeds carry a lot more of these allergy-triggering proteins on their hair than do others due to seborrheic levels rather than hair length. Seborrheic dogs produce more sebum which is the oily substance produced by the gland at the base of the hair follicle which lubricate and waterproof the hair.

High seborrheic dogs like Labrador Retrievers carry the highest levels of these proteins. Less oily haired breeds produce less dander. The Poodle is one of the least oily haired breeds which is why Poodles (and consequently Doodles) are more hypoallergenic and also have NO doggie odor. It is also why our AMD’s and BD’s are typically better for allergies than a Labradoodle.

Allergies are often caused by dander, the dead skin cells shed by all dogs and dog saliva, causing itching or hives when licked. People with mild allergies often find they can tolerate low shedding dogs who produce less dander and breeds which drool less frequently and have less oily (waterproof) coats. 

Experienced doodle breeders know the genetics of the dam and sire and test for furnishings etc. so they can produce furnished puppies that will be the lowest allergen, lowest shedding possible.

What Type of Coats Do AMD’s Have?

The AMD coat can be straight, wavy or curly. The type of coat they have will depend upon the genes received from both their parents. We can typically tell at birth if the puppy will have a curly coat or a straight/wavy coat. Confirming if the coat is genetically straight or wavy requires testing by a professional geneticist as they often look identical.

The AMD coat is typically soft to the touch. They will require regular brushing and combing to keep knots/mats from forming. The curly coat is considered to be the most low shedding and allergy friendly and is usually kept clipped fairly short. If you prefer the look of a longer, shaggy Doodle but still need the lowest allergen coat, we will consider furnishings and coat genetics to make a recommendation. Coats vary within the same litter and can change as they grow out their puppy coat and their adult coat comes in. 

Having the right breeder matters. They should know the coat curl genetics of their parents and be able to direct you to a puppy with the right coat for your preferences.

What Generations of AMD’s Do We Breed?

We work almost exclusively with multi-generational parents in our program. That means our puppies are typically F3 or higher. We have done genetic coat and color testing on every parent, so we know what we are working with and what to expect. All puppies will have furnishings (the doodle beard).

An F1 generation is the “first” generation between a Poodle parent and another breed. It will almost always produce a puppy with one copy of furnishings (F/IC or F/f) and one copy of coat curl (-/+) resulting in a wavy coat and a fluffy Doodle face. An F1b is a first generation Doodle crossed “back” to one of the parent breeds, usually the Poodle side. This results in more puppies with two copies of furnishings (F/F), 3/4 of a litter of curly coats, and a much higher breed content of Poodle. It is better than the F1 generation in terms of being hypo-allergenic/low shedding. An F2 generations results when both parents are F1 Doodles. This pairing can produce un-furnished puppies and is not recommended.