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- Bernedoodle board and train in Gloucester, MA
Bernedoodles
Bernedoodle board and train in Gloucester, MA
Bernedoodles combine the Bernese mountain dog, which the AKC calls big, powerful, generally placid and eager to please, with the poodle, which it calls wickedly smart. Plenty of owners describe their bernedoodle as stubborn. This page explains what that word usually means in training, and how a stay handles a strong, unhurried dog on a leash.
The breed
A bernedoodle brings Bernese size and softness together with a poodle's sharp, busy mind
The AKC describes the Bernese as a large, sturdy worker that can stand over 27 inches at the shoulder and thrives in cold weather. It rates the breed four out of five for energy and trainability and five for getting along with other dogs. Its training notes are unusually direct: Berners are eager to please, their feelings are easily hurt, they do not respond well to harsh corrections, and they often become most attached to one person.
The poodle side adds a quick mind; the AKC rates the standard five out of five for trainability and for mental stimulation needs, and asks owners to keep training fun, positive and consistent. Size varies widely in bernedoodles, from small dogs to giants, so not everything here fits every dog. What many share is a soft, people-focused nature in a body that becomes strong well before it becomes sensible.
- Bernese side: big, strong and happiest in cool weather
- Feelings easily hurt, by the AKC's own description
- Poodle side: clever, and best with fun, consistent training
- Size ranges widely, so leash work is planned for the adult weight
Which program
Foundation sets leash habits before the weight arrives; Advanced keeps them working when the world gets interesting
Foundation gives a bernedoodle seven days of obedience and leash basics, place, stay and recall, impulse control, crate and household manners, and daycare integration with enrichment. For a young bernedoodle the leash and greetings come first. A puppy that leans into a stranger or drags toward a dog is charming at 20 pounds and a fall risk at 80. The week rewards slack and four paws on the floor while the dog is still easy to hold. Our board and train page explains how the two programs differ.
The two-week Advanced program keeps every Foundation skill and adds distraction proofing, outings beyond the building, neutrality, confidence building and structured socialization, with two coaching lessons at the end. That suits the adolescent that walks nicely past nothing and plants itself in front of everything. Confidence building matters here as well: a soft dog that hesitates at a new surface or a loud street is supported at its own pace, never pulled through. A dog that is truly fearful may start with Brave & Balanced or private work instead.
- 01
Reward the dog for standing beside you with a loose leash before you move
- 02
Take a few steps and pay at your leg while the leash stays slack
- 03
If the dog plants or pulls, stop, wait for slack, then reward and go on
- 04
Practice turns and pace changes so following you becomes a game
- 05
Add one distraction at a time, at a distance the dog can manage
Stubborn streaks
What looks like stubbornness is usually a reward, comfort or clarity problem that training can solve
When a bernedoodle lies down mid-walk or ignores a cue it knows, owners reach for the word stubborn. Trainers look for causes instead. The reward may not be worth the effort; a slow, heavy dog weighs a biscuit against a cool patch of grass and the grass wins. The cue may have been repeated so often that it means nothing until the third time. Or the dog may be hot, tired or sore, which a Bernese coat in a Cape Ann July makes likely.
Each cause has a fix. Find rewards your dog truly values and pay them generously at first. Say a cue once, wait, and help the dog succeed rather than repeating it. Train in short sessions in the cooler part of the day, follow the AVMA's heat guidance, and ask your vet about a dog that suddenly refuses stairs, jumps or walks. Pulling and pushing a soft, strong dog rarely works, and the AKC warns that harsh methods suit the breed badly.
- Low-value rewards: find what your dog will really work for
- A cue said three times: say it once, then help
- Heat, fatigue or soreness: shorter, cooler sessions and a vet check
- Adolescence: patience, and easier steps for a while
Common mistakes
Common bernedoodle mistakes are tolerating pulling in a small puppy, repeating cues and correcting a sensitive dog
The first mistake is tolerating pulling in a puppy because it is easy to hold. Every walk where pulling gets the dog forward is practice, and by the time it weighs 70 pounds the habit is set. A leash rule that starts on day one is far easier than a rule introduced to a grown dog. The second is negotiation: asking for a sit four times teaches the dog that the first three do not count.
The third is correction. A sharp leash pop or a raised voice may stop a soft dog for a moment, but the AKC says Berners do not respond well to harsh corrections, and a dog that finds training unpleasant gets slower, not faster. The fourth is long stretches alone. The AKC notes that a Bernese left alone regularly for long periods can develop unwanted behaviors, and the same is true of many bernedoodles.
After the stay
After the stay, keep the leash rule on every walk and train big skills in short, cool sessions
The go-home lesson, or the two coaching lessons that close Advanced, put the leash routine into your hands at Dogtown. Then keep the rule on every walk: slack moves you forward, tension stops you. Do two short sessions a day rather than one long one, early or late in summer, and give your bernedoodle a place cue at home so it has a job when visitors arrive and leans on nobody.
Cape Ann's winter suits this dog. The leashed trails of Dogtown Common and the large-dog side of the fenced Gloucester Dog Park at Stage Fort Park are good places to practice once the routine holds. A full-service groom before pick-up is $110 for 51 to 90 pounds or $120 above that. Private sessions start from $94, and the Pup Van collects in Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea for $10 each way.
At Dogtown
A bernedoodle's stay, and what can sit around it
The training program and overnight suite, a groom so the coat goes home clean, and Academy days to keep the manners in use.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
Is my bernedoodle stubborn or just not motivated?
What should my bernedoodle wear for leash training?
My mini bernedoodle weighs 25 pounds. Does this page apply?
Will my bernedoodle miss its favorite person during the stay?
How much does board and train cost for a bernedoodle?
More questions? Read the full FAQ
Sources
Rules and dates change. We re-check every beach, licensing and ordinance page each spring and fall; the source above is the current word.
Keep reading
Next step
Leash manners before the size arrives.
Use the training form to tell us your bernedoodle's age, weight and what walks are like right now. Someone from the training team will reply within the hour on weekdays.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
