Breeds Doodle Mixed / Cross Breeds Poodle

The Saint Berdoodle Is ‘Large & In Charge’ Weighing in at 120 Pounds

Rocky Kanaka |

Apr 21, 2023

If you’ve always wanted a huge, living teddy bear in your home, the Saint Berdoodle might be your dream dog!

Absolutely enormous with most individuals weighing more than 120 pounds, the Saint Berdoodle is a fascinating (and possibly risky) cross of a Saint Bernard and a Standard Poodle. Where Saint Bernards are known for being patient, slower-moving dogs who enjoy independent quiet time, Poodles are known for being full of energy, loving to socialize, and having superior intelligence.

So, what do you get when you combine these breeds? Keep reading to find out!

Meet 5 St. Berdoodles from Instagram

There is a lot of variety amongst St. Berdoodles, with individuals ranging in size, color, body type, coat type, and personality. To give you an idea of just how wide-ranging the world of Saint Berndoodles is, we’ve gathered five adorable examples of the breed whose humans like to show them off on Instagram.

1. Cooper

^Source:^{@Cooper.Saintberdoodle}

If you couldn’t tell just by looking at him, Cooper is an absolutely giant Saint Berdoodle! An F1 Saint Berdoodle from Edmonton, Alberta in Canada, Cooper is a big goofy boy who loves his humans more than anything.

2. Tuxedo

^Source:^@Saint_Tux

Tuxedo is a multigenerational Saint Berdoodle from Nevada whose parents gave him the perfect name to match his dignified markings!

3. Carmela

^Source:^{@Carmela_Macchiato}

This beauty is Carmela, a 6-year-old Saint Berdoodle rescue living with her family in Virginia. You’d have no idea looking at the size of her smile or the blur of her wagging tail, but Carmela recently finished chemotherapy treatment and is in remission from cancer! Congratulations Carmela—wishing you a long, healthy life!

4. Bessie

^Source:^{@Bessie_The_Saint_Berdoodle}

Bessie is a 3-year-old F2 Saint Berdoodle from California who absolutely adores spending time with her doggy (and kitty cat!) friends. Bessie hit 110 lbs at just one year old, but she’s gentle as can be! A mostly black Saint Berdoodle, Bessie still has the beautiful patterning of her Saint Bernard ancestors.

5. Rayne

^Source:^{@Pups_Freya_And_Rayne}

Rayne (right) is a 2-year-old Saint Berdoodle who likes to spend most of her time with her sister Freya (left), a Portuguese Water Dog! Goofy and super sweet, Rayne loves every dog and human she meets.

6. BONUS: Remedy

^Source:^{@RemedySaintBerdood}

We added Miss Remedy to the list so you can see the difference between a Saint Berdoodle and a Mini Saint Berdoodle like Remedy! Front and center in this picture, you can see that Remedy is bigger than the French Bulldog next to her, but not towering over them.

Saint Berdoodle Basic Info

So, what is a Saint Berdoodle, exactly?

When most people talk about Saint Berdoodles, they’re referring to a Saint Bernard mix with Poodle. In the dog world, a dog that is a 50/50 Saint Bernard Poodle mix is called an F1 Saint Berdoodle.

Because Saint Berdoodles (and all Doodles) are not purebred, breeders have needed to develop a method of categorization that describes what “generation” a dog belongs to. Here’s how a Saint Berdoodle breeding program would categorize their puppies.

*Saint Berdoodle Generation Classification*
Parent Pairing		Resulting Generation
Purebred Poodle	Purebred St. Bernard	F1 Saint Berdoodle
Purebred Poodle OR St. Bernard	F1 St. Berdoodle	F1b Saint Berdoodle
Purebred Poodle OR St. Bernard	F1b St. Berdoodle	F1bb Saint Berdoodle
F1 St. Berdoodle	F1 St. Berdoodle	F2 Saint Berdoodle
Purebred Poodle OR St. Bernard	F2 St. Berdoodle	F2b Saint Berdoodle
Purebred Poodle OR St. Bernard	F2b St. Berdoodle	F2bb Saint Berdoodle
F2 St. Berdoodle	F2 St. Berdoodle	F3 Saint Berdoodle
Purebred Poodle OR St. Bernard	F2 St. Berdoodle	F3b Saint Berdoodle
Purebred Poodle OR St. Bernard	F3b St. Berdoodle	F3bb Saint Berdoodle
F3 St. Berdoodle	F3 St. Berdoodle	Multigenerational Saint Berdoodle

Each generation will look a little different, and because this is not a standardized purebred breed, every individual Saint Berdoodle will be as unique aesthetically as they are in personality.

Saint Berdoodle Temperament

Crossing two breeds can produce unpredictable results, especially when you cross dissimilar breeds like the Poodle and Saint Bernard. While some Saint Berdoodles are lazy, easygoing, and friendly to strangers, others can be quite the opposite.

“[My Saint Berdoodle] is very friendly and loves all people and dogs. He has a loud bark that would be scary if it came from a dog that didn’t look like a big teddy bear,” said Reddit user themikeguy1161 in a discussion on Saint Berdoodle temperament. Though this user’s puppy has been well socialized, he’s not the lazy pooch some might expect. “He is an extremely curious dog that has trouble self settling. We have to force him into naps though he is getting better at this. Teething has been tough and he was very very bitey the first few months we had him.”

Other Reddit users on the same thread echoed this sentiment, with one, in particular, adding details of their experience with a rescued Saint Berdoodle puppy.

“You have to be careful to socialize properly. Ours wasn’t socialized before we adopted/rescued her at 9 months. She is slowly getting better, but her first impulse is to growl when someone tries to pet her from outside of our family,” said Leilanmay in their comment. “Since she’s so big, she really scares a lot of people. She has never snapped or bitten anyone. It’s just her way of showing she’s scared.”

Saint Berdoodles can be complicated, but can also be lovely family dogs. “She is super sweet, but she doesn’t like new people,” Leilanmay continued. “She’s an awesome dog that puts up with a lot from our kids. She’s also the biggest lap dog we’ve ever had.”

Overall, we can boil down the Saint Berdoodle temperament to these key traits:

Family-oriented
Independent
Intelligent
Protective
Goofy
Energetic
Snuggly

The best type of owner for a Saint Berdoodle is someone who has some experience with working breeds and/or giant breeds. These dogs require patience, trust, and plenty of work to develop a reliable and solid relationship. Though they can be excellent with children, the Saint Berdoodle is very large, and could easily hurt small children on accident. For this reason, we recommend this breed for a household with older children or adults only.

Saint Berdoodle Size

The Standard Poodle is a large dog breed on its own—cross one with an even bigger Saint Bernard, and you’ve got the giant Saint Berdoodle!

The Saint Berdoodle full-grown typically weighs between 70–170 lbs and stands at around 24—30 inches at the shoulder.

The Mini Saint Berdoodle—which is a cross of a Saint Bernard and a miniature Poodle—is much smaller weighing just 30–60 lbs and standing at 14–24 inches.

Saint Berdoodle Health

Purebred dogs are more likely to inherit genetic disorders than mixed breed dogs (like the Saint Berdoodle), but these pups can still develop health related to their parentage. For example, Poodles are more susceptible than other breeds to the clotting disorder called Von Willebrand Disease. Saint Berdoodles may also be susceptible to this condition.

Some other health concerns to be aware of if you own a Saint Berdoodle include:

Hip and elbow dysplasia
Wobblers Syndrome
Bloat/Gastric torsion
Cardiac issues
Chronic ear infections

Because of their size, Saint Berdoodles are especially susceptible to hip and joint injury as they age. To protect the health of your gentle giant, do your best to prevent them from making big jumps, and feed them a high-quality protein-rich diet.

Where To Find Saint Berdoodle Breeders

A Saint Berdoodle — ^{Source: @stberdudebros}

Unfortunately, rare “designer” breeds like the Saint Berdoodle are difficult to source ethically. Most breeders producing these dogs are puppy mills or backyard breeders not doing the proper health screening to breed healthy puppies. Often, these breeders take advantage of the exotic nature of the “breeds” they’re selling, make big promises that simply can’t be met, and put their Saint Berdoodles for sale at ridiculously high prices.

Now that you know a little bit more about the Saint Berdoodle, you can avoid paying extreme prices to an unqualified and unethical breeder for a puppy of unknown origins.

If you really want to go the breeder route, try to make a connection with another Saint Berdoodle breeder. Getting a recommendation is a good place to start, but you’ll still need to do your own investigation to ensure the breeder is doing their due diligence.

The best way of acquiring a Saint Berdoodle is through an animal rescue, humane society, or local shelter. One of the best places to look will be breed-specific rescues. In this case, we recommend taking a look at Doodle rescues and Saint Bernard rescues. Here are a few to get you started.

Saint Berdoodle FAQ

Do you still have questions about the goliath Saint Berdoodle? Read on to see what others like you are asking about this mixed breed.

Do Saint Berdoodles shed?

Sometimes. Some Saint Berdoodles will be particularly low-shedding, while others will shed slightly more. Though they are often low-shedding dogs, some may have a coat more similar to their Saint Bernard parents and will shed their undercoats twice each year.

How long do Saint Berdoodles live?

The average Saint Berdoodle lifespan is around 7–12 years of age. Large and giant breeds are generally shorter-lived than smaller breeds. This is due to a combination of factors including physical stress and exertion over the course of a lifetime, genetic predisposition, and risk of injury.

Are Saint Berdoodles hypoallergenic?

No. Even if you have a low-shedding Saint Berdoodle, they will still drop dander. Some people with dog allergies may find low-shedding dogs less triggering, but others will find that it makes no difference.

Do Saint Berdoodles drool?

Usually! Some Saint Berdoodles will inherit the tighter-lipped Poodle-like face, but most will inherit at least a little bit of the large-lipped look of a Saint Bernard. Some Saint Berdoodles will only drool a little while others drool a lot, but it’s safe to expect at least some drool with any Saint Bernard mix.

How much should I expect to pay for Saint Berdoodle grooming?

If you choose this breed, be aware that you will likely be paying quite a lot for Saint Berdoodle haircuts!

Mixed breed dogs like the Saint Berdoodle should be brushed daily and professionally groomed every 4—8 weeks. Depending on where you live, you can expect to pay at least $75–$120 per grooming session, assuming your dog’s coat is well cared for between sessions. This price can easily go up, especially if you don’t spend the time to brush your Saint Berdoodle daily.

How much do Saint Berdoodle puppies cost?

In general, breeders advertising Saint Berdoodle puppies for sale will ask for between $1,200–$4,000.

If you find a Saint Berdoodle at a shelter or dog rescue (which is our recommendation!) you’ll pay $350—$750. Remember that taking on the responsibility of a giant breed like a Saint Berdoodle isn’t cheap. You’ll not only pay a hefty price tag for the pup, but you’ll also be paying quite a lot for food each month, veterinary bills, and toys, chews, extra large collars, and so on.

Do merle Saint Berdoodles exist?

No! Saint Berdoodles come in white, brown, tan, gray, and black, but there are no records of merle Saint Berdoodles occurring without the introduction of a third breed.

What’s the difference between a Bernedoodle vs. Saint Berdoodle?

A Bernedoodle is a cross between a Bernese Mountain Dog and a Poodle. A Saint Berdoodle is a cross between a Saint Bernard and a Poodle.