What is a MOUNTAIN DOODLE?
“AMD” “Swiss doodle” “Aussie Mountain Doodle” “Australian Bernedoodle”
“Bernese Mountain Dog, Australian Shepherd, and Poodle hybrid- intelligent, loyal, eager to please, easy to train, medium energy level, therapy and service dog potential, mellow, social and outgoing.”
Mountain doodle
Breed Traits & Characteristics
At Stokeshire Designer Doodles, the term Mountain Doodle encompasses both the Golden Mountain Doodle (GMD) and the Australian Mountain Doodle (AMD), as well as unique pairings that blend the two. A Golden Mountain Doodle is a mix of Bernese Mountain Dog, Poodle, and Golden Retriever, known for its affectionate nature, soft wavy coat, and therapy dog potential. An Australian Mountain Doodle, on the other hand, combines Bernese Mountain Dog, Poodle, and Australian Shepherd, bringing added intelligence, agility, and striking merle patterns. Some of our Mountain Doodles are a combination of both GMD and AMD lineages, offering a blend of Golden Retriever loyalty, Aussie trainability, Bernese affection, and Poodle intelligence. At Stokeshire, we carefully track and share the genetic percentages of each parent breed, allowing families to select a Mountain Doodle that best fits their lifestyle and preferences.
Size: Mini (20-35 lbs), Medium (35-50 lbs), Standard (50-70 lbs)
Lifespan: 12-15 years
Trait Description Size: Mini (20-35 lbs), Medium (35-50 lbs), Standard (50-70 lbs)
Lifespan 12-15 years
Coat Types: Wavy, Curly, or Straight
Colors: Blue Merle, Red Merle, Traditional Tri, Phantom
Shedding: Low to Non-Shedding
Energy Level: Moderate – Enjoys activity but also loves downtime
What is a Mountain Doodle?
The Mountain Doodle is a designer hybrid breed that combines the Bernese Mountain Dog, Australian Shepherd, and Poodle, creating an intelligent, loyal, and affectionate companion. Known for their balanced temperament, social nature, and versatility, these dogs excel as family pets, service animals, and therapy dogs. With a medium energy level and a low-shedding, hypoallergenic coat, they are well-suited for a variety of lifestyles, from active individuals to those seeking a gentle and trainable companion.
Why Choose a Mountain Doodle?
✔ Highly Intelligent & Trainable – Quick learners, excelling in obedience & agility.
✔ Loyal & Social – Strong family bonds, great with kids & other pets.
✔ Low to Moderate Shedding – Allergy-friendly coat options.
✔ Great Therapy & Service Dog Potential – Calm demeanor, adaptable to different environments.
✔ Multiple Size Options – Available in Mini, Medium, and Standard sizes.
The Mountain Doodle is a versatile, loving, and adaptable breed, perfect for families and individuals alike. Looking for your ideal Mountain Doodle? Explore our available puppies today!
Red Merle Tri, Traditional Tri, Blue Merle Tri Australian Mountain Doodles
Origins of the Australian Mountain Doodle
The Australian Mountain Doodle (AMD) is a carefully bred hybrid that combines the best traits of three exceptional breeds:
Bernese Mountain Dog – Friendly, affectionate, and loyal. Contributes a calm temperament and striking tri-color coat.
Australian Shepherd – Highly intelligent and athletic. Adds blue merle/red merle coloring, agility, and strong trainability.
Poodle – Low-shedding and hypoallergenic. Enhances intelligence, adaptability, and coat variety.
This unique blend creates a well-balanced, intelligent, and family-friendly companion, known for its stunning coat patterns, trainability, and longer lifespan compared to traditional Bernedoodles.
What is the energy level of an Australian Mountain Doodle? - Moderate
Mountain Doodle Temperament
Friendly | Intelligent | Affectionate | Adaptable | Loyal 🐾
The Australian Mountain Doodle is a naturally social, people-oriented, and eager-to-please breed. They thrive in family environments, forming strong bonds with children and other pets. Their high intelligence makes them easy to train, excelling in obedience, agility, and service work. While they love adventure and play, they also enjoy cuddling and relaxation with their loved ones, making them the perfect balance of active and affectionate.
Brown Tri Australian Mountain Dog from Stilly x Bowser
Green Eyed AMD
Mountain Doodle – Coat & Grooming Needs
Mountain Doodles can have a range of coat types depending on their genetic makeup. Coat type plays a significant role in grooming needs, shedding levels, and overall maintenance.
Curly Coat
The most allergy-friendly option. This coat sheds very little but requires frequent brushing to prevent matting.
Wavy Coat
Low-shedding, soft, and more forgiving than a curly coat. This is often the easiest coat type for families to maintain.
Straight Coat
Shedding varies and is typically higher than curly or wavy coats, but still lower than most double-coated working breeds.
Grooming Recommendations
Brush 2–3 times per week to prevent tangles and mats
Schedule professional grooming every 6–8 weeks to maintain coat health
Clean ears regularly and trim nails as needed to prevent infections and discomfort
Bathe every 4–6 weeks, or as needed, to keep skin and coat healthy
Training & Exercise Needs
Training
Mountain Doodles are intelligent, people-oriented, and eager to learn, making them highly trainable when guided correctly.
Positive reinforcement methods work best, using rewards and praise rather than correction-based training. Early socialization is essential to help puppies grow into confident, well-adjusted adults. Foundational obedience training from puppyhood sets the stage for long-term success.
Exercise Requirements
Mountain Doodles thrive with a balance of physical activity and mental engagement.
Daily walks of 30–60 minutes help meet their physical needs. Mental stimulation through puzzle toys, interactive games, and ongoing training is just as important. Many enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking, fetch, and agility-style play.
Health & Longevity
Mountain Doodles are generally healthier than many purebred ancestors, though they can still inherit certain genetic conditions common to medium and large breeds.
Common concerns may include:
Hip and elbow dysplasia
Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), which is monitored through regular eye screenings
Bloat (GDV), which can be mitigated through proper feeding practices and avoiding rapid eating
Allergies or skin sensitivities, often managed through diet, grooming, and environmental care
All puppies from Stokeshire Designer Doodles undergo comprehensive health testing and are bred from carefully screened parents to reduce the risk of inherited conditions.
Why Choose Stokeshire Designer Doodles?
Stokeshire Designer Doodles is committed to intentional, transparent breeding with a focus on health, temperament, and long-term family compatibility.
Our program includes:
Ethical, health-tested breeding with parents screened for genetic and temperament stability
Early puppy development, including Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS), sound desensitization, and foundational routines
A personalized placement process to match each puppy with the right family and lifestyle
Clear pricing and straightforward contracts, with no hidden fees
Quick Facts About Mountain Doodles
Breed Type: Hybrid (Bernese Mountain Dog × Australian Shepherd × Poodle)
Size: Mini (25–40 lbs), Medium (40–60 lbs), Standard (60–90 lbs)
Coat Type: Wavy, curly, or straight (low to moderate shedding)
Temperament: Intelligent, loyal, friendly, and affectionate
Energy Level: Moderate; well-suited for active and adaptable households
Trainability: Highly trainable and eager to please
Lifespan: Approximately 12–15 years with proper care
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Our Australian Mountain Doodles come in a variety of sizes. The best indicator of size is the size of the parents. We predict the weight of all of our puppies using an equation that gives us the best estimate for adult weight.
Male Standard Australian Mountain Doodles average 60-100 lbs and average 18-27 inches tall at healthy adult weight. Female Australian Mountain Doodles will weigh on average 50-80 lbs and will average 15-25 inches tall.We use Miniature American Shepherds, Toy Poodles, and Mulitgen Bernese to decrease the size of our Mini Australian Mountain Doodle puppies to get them less than 50lbs and 20 inches tall.
Our focus is to produce medium size dogs that are around 40-50lbs.
Our AMD Standards:
STANDARD AUSTRALIAN MOUNTAIN DOODLES (AMD)
Height: 20 -28 Inches
Weight: 50 + lbs
MINI AUSTRALIAN MOUNTAIN DOODLES (AMD)
Height: Less than 20 inches
Weight: Less than 50 lbs
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At Stokeshire, we breed for what we consider to be a standard doodle coat, which is wavy. We want our puppies to have one copy of the furnishing and one copy of curl.
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Australian Mountain Doodles can come in a variety of different colors, however, we intentionally breed for a blue or red merle tri-coat.
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Australian Mountain Doodles are eager to please and are generally food motivated with a high human focus. This partnered with their high intelligence makes them great candidates for our Doodle School program.
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Australian Mountain Doodles require a moderate level of exercise and mental stimulation to maintain a healthy weight. Tug-of-war, walks, frisbee, and biking with your dog are some of the ways to expend energy. Overall, Australian Shepherds and their smaller cousins, Miniature American Shepherds (Aussies) are generally fairly active and require a purpose to their everyday lives. Bernese Mountain Dogs can be found lounging and have smaller exertions of energy. Lastly, poodles come in varying degrees of activity levels based on size and lineage. Puppy assessments and parentage can best determine the overall activity level of an individual AMD puppy.
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The Australian Mountain Doodle is the perfect blend between a laidback Bernese, an intelligent allergy-friendly Poodle, and the sporty emotionally attuned Aussie.
Our goal for our Australian Mountain Doodles is to reduce the overall energy level of the Aussiedoodle while increasing the lifespan of the Bernedoodle.
Additionally, we believe the coat structure and texture of an AMD is preferable.
At Stokeshire we wanted the intelligent, eager-to-please, sporty Australian Shepherd heritage to complement the easy-going, gentle nature, of Bernese Mountain Dog. This all partnered with the iconic temperament, trainability, and loyalty of poodles of all sizes.
We uniquely use multiple sizes or poodles and Australian Shepherds to bring down the overall size of the Australian Mountain Doodles.
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Australian Mountain Doodles are often described as low to non-shedding, making them a good choice for allergy-sensitive individuals. However, no breed is 100% hypoallergenic, and shedding levels can vary due to genetics—specifically, the Furnishing Gene (RSPO2), which determines facial hair and coat texture.
The Furnishing Gene & Shedding Spectrum
The presence of furnishings (F allele) impacts shedding levels:
FF (Fully Furnished) – Most hypoallergenic, with a curly or wavy coat similar to a Poodle. These dogs shed minimally and are ideal for allergy sufferers.
F/I (Partially Furnished) – Wavy or looser coat with some shedding. These dogs still shed less than a Bernese Mountain Dog or Australian Shepherd but may produce some dander.
I/I (Improper Coat) – Straight coat with no furnishings, leading to moderate shedding similar to a Bernese Mountain Dog. These dogs are less ideal for allergy sufferers.
Understanding Shedding Variability
Curly Coat (FF, TT) – Most hypoallergenic, requires frequent grooming.
Wavy Coat (F/I, CT) – Low shedding, moderate dander production.
Straight Coat (I/I, CC) – Least hypoallergenic, sheds more.
For allergy-sensitive individuals, selecting a curly or wavy-coated puppy and maintaining consistent grooming practices—such as regular brushing and professional grooming—can help minimize allergens. Learn More!
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Australian Mountain Doodles are considered low to non-shedding, but shedding levels vary depending on genetics, specifically the Furnishing Gene (RSPO2) and coat type. While no dog is completely hypoallergenic, the presence of furnishings (facial hair) plays a significant role in reducing shedding. Here’s what determines shedding levels in Australian Mountain Doodles:
Factors Affecting Shedding in Australian Mountain Doodles:
✔ Genetics: The combination of Poodle, Bernese Mountain Dog, and Australian Shepherd DNA influences coat texture and shedding tendencies.
✔ Grooming Routine: Regular brushing, bathing, and professional grooming can significantly reduce shedding and manage dander.
✔ Diet & Health: A high-quality diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids supports healthy skin and coat, minimizing excess shedding.
✔ Seasonal Changes: Some dogs may shed minimally during seasonal transitions, but it is significantly less than non-doodle breeds.For allergy-sensitive individuals, selecting a curly or wavy-coated puppy and maintaining consistent grooming practices—such as regular brushing and professional grooming—can help minimize allergens.
