Yo-Chon vs Bernedoodle - Breed Comparison | Petzlover

The Bernedoodle is a hybrid cross between the Bernese Mountain Dog and the Standard Poodle. They have been around for many, many years but the first official” cross between the two breeds came from Sherry Rupke out of SwissRidge Kennels. The first Bernedoodle were achieved in 2003. She now has an entire breeding program for this hybrid.

A bernedoodle or a first generation is a cross between a purebred a purebred Poodle and a purebred Bernese Mountain Dog. This is a 50/50 mix. This mix is a very low shedding dog and though no dog is hypoallergenic, the Bernedoodle is as close as it gets. If the cross is true between two purebred dogs, the new breed will have the calm, sweet demeanor of the Bernese Mountain Dog and the intelligent, goofy, playfulness of the Poodle. At the same time the Bernedoodle is a hybrid so there will not be two exactly alike.

With purebred dogs you get a lot of consistency from one dog to another. Not so with the Bernedoodle. Each one will be a little different. Sometimes a hybrid dog can be healthier than their parents. Other times there can be health issues with hybrid. It is all about the breeder and if they breed for the right health traits.

If the breeder is conscientious enough the pup will have the best characteristics of both original breeds. Therefore, the Bernedoodle is happy, smart, playful, friendly and social. Sometimes the breeding doesn’t go as planned and you can end up with a Bernedoodle with the stubbornness of the Bernese or the hyper activity of the poodle. As a new cross breed, the Bernedoodle is not recognized by the American Kennel Club because it is a hybrid. They are recognized by the International Designer Canine Registry, The American Canine Hybrid Club, The Designer Dogs Kennel Club.

The Yorkie Bichon or Yo-Chon as he is fondly referred to as a designer crossbreed hailing from the United States.

Information isn’t readily available on the origins of this cute little dog, but the dog is believed to be a cross between a Bichon Frise and Yorkshire Terrier.

It is thought that the dog was developed in the United States from about 1998 to 2001. As a hybrid, the Yorkie Bichon isn’t recognized by the American Kennel Club.

Since the Bernedoodle is a hybrid and not an AKC recognized breed, there is no set-in stone breed standard. There are three sizes of Bernedoodles and at least three generations. All of these should be strong boned dogs with powerful and compact bodies. They have log ears, button eyes and a triangle shaped muzzle. The tail is long and bushy, and the coat is medium to long.

There is no standard color, but the most common color is black and white or tri like the Bernese Mountain Dog. They can also be black and brown, sable or merle. The coat is wavy or curly like the poodle.

The Yo-Chon stands between 25 and 30cm and weighs in the region of 2 to 4kg. He can be like a teddy-bear this little dog and the coat can be either silky and straight or wavy. It is medium length and some people have the coat professionally trimmed.

The low shedding coat comes in a variety of colors – cream, grey, tan, white, black or bi-colored.

Temperament:

Your Yorkie Bichon will no doubt have some habits that come from both parent breeds. Your dog is likely to be independent, social, friendly, social and loving, wanting to spend lots of time with you.

They’re small but they make good watchdogs with their high-pitch bark. Your Yo-Chon is an intelligent little dog too and by having him trained and socialized he is well behaved and pleasant to have around. You can tell him to lie down, sit or stay which is useful when you have visitors.

He gets on well with children, but the puppies particularly are tiny and fragile and they can easily get hurt by untrained and undisciplined children.

This is a very social dog that needs to be with people. If you don’t have a lot of time for a dog, then this is not the one for you. He is gentle, calm and affectionate. He is intelligent and sometimes stubborn. They need to be socialized early in life and they will be great with kids and other small animals. They tend to be very playful. Toys and minis have more energy, more stubbornness and more of the poodle divaness.

The Yo-Chon is an independent, happy dog who loves nothing more than to be surrounded by all his favorite human beings.

They are loving, loyal and gentle dogs and are good playmates for children who have been taught how to handle them with care and kindness.

He is smart and has an amicable nature and will take kindly to being trained and socialized.

With the Yo-Chon in your life, you can be sure you’re going to benefit from having a splendid family pet and companion.

Because the breed is so new and bred pure so far, there is not a lot of information about their health or their life span. Even as they seem to have less issues than their parents – the Bernese cancer issue for example does not seem to plague the Bernedoodle. However, that does not mean they don’t have issues. They are still prone to some serious issues.

Skin issues, hip and elbow dysplasia, and eye issues are prevalent in this new breed. They have a tendency toward hot spots and sometimes allergies. Asks a reputable breeder if they have tested the parents and the puppies for dysplasia and eye issues.

Both the Yorkie and Bichon Frise are dog breeds that are prone to Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease. This is when there is insufficient blood supply to the hind thigh bone, so the dog becomes lame.

Surgical correction is necessary. Like small dogs in general, the Yochon might have dental issues. Slipped kneecaps, hypothyroidism and eye problems might affect the Yochon as well.

If otherwise healthy, expect your Yochon to live well into his teens.

Feeding

Since the Bernedoodle comes in three different sizes, there will be three different feeding regimens. No matter the size of your dog, feed them quality food twice a day. The standard is a big dog and should be fed as such but the toy and mini will eat a lot less. You can pretty much feed a standard Bernedoodle the same thing you feed a Bernese Mountain Dog. The Bernedoodle is a picky eater and you may have to change up their food at times to keep them interested.

Health issues

Again, these are healthy dogs because the cross breed is so young. There are not a lot of genetic issues. As mentioned previously hip dysplasia, eye issues, elbow dysplasia and skin issues are possible.

Exercise and games

This is a calm, not over active dog. They do not share the high energy level of the poodle but rather carry the calm, gentle energy of the Bernese. The toy and mini varieties tend to have a faster motor than the standard. They need daily walks no matter what their size is. They will need your attention regularly.

Exercise:

Everybody is busy and they don’t always have time to exercise their pets. As a human being, your health relies heavily on the exercise you get so you and your dog can exercise together.

These days if you seriously don’t have time and you have money to spare, there are excellent doggy daycare centers where your dog can have fun playtimes with other dogs and people.

Dog exercises will change over time with age but at least try to get used to giving your pet a walk every day as this kind of exercise can extend into old age with both you and your pet.

Swimming, ball games, fetch games and walks or hikes are all great forms of exercise.

Diet:

Good nutrition ensures your Yorkie Bichon has a good chance to be healthy and energetic. Some of the commercially manufactured dog foods you get are made with bad ingredients and they can make your dog sick.

The good quality ones can be nutritious for your dog and also wonderfully convenient. Always read the packaging labels so you know what your dog’s getting.

Cooked vegetables, boiled chicken and brown rice, nicely chopped up and added to the dry kibble can add variety to your pet’s diet while remaining deliciously nutritious and tasty as well.

Always make sure your pet has a constant supply of fresh, cool water.

Grooming:

Brush your Yo-Chon at least twice a week to keep the hair silky and shiny. Clip your dog’s nails when they get long.

Check inside his ears for signs of redness and the possibility of an infection. Try and look inside his mouth too for bad teeth as this can cause lots of health problems for your pet.

If you don’t have the time to do all these things, there are professional pet groomers who will do all these grooming chores for you.