Breeding and Genetics

Since animals were first domesticated, animal breeders have been using selective breeding to determine which animals will become parents of the next generation.

Initially, this decision was based on the animals’ appearances. For example, when domesticating the wolf to generate the different dog breeds, parents were selected based on temperament. Different temperaments are helpful for herding dogs vs. guard dogs, for instance.

Appearance is another important trait because some dogs are large and some are small, which has determined the use of a dog. For Bernedoodles, the quality of appearance matters as we work to create consistency in the coat texture, how it sheds, feels, and is the amount of time it takes to be maintained.

For our Brighton Bernedoodles, we breed for all of the above by carefully selecting origin parents as we breed for first generation Bernedoodles and strategically plan bloodlines to create pets we know families prefer.

With scientific understanding of genetics, we understand that animals inherit integral traits from their parents. Traits are passed on through genes, which are small bits of information in your cells.

We use a lot of information to select which animals will become parents of the next generation. We consider the records we have kept for each animal. We might want to improve the coat to prevent matting, plan to decrease the size of the the next generation by selecting a smaller parent who has maintained the "large dog temperament", eliminate common genetic diseases by not selecting carriers of diseases into the program, etc. The goal of our breeding program is to produce animals that have consistently good traits.

Once an animal is born with a good trait (temperament, structural aesthetic and preferred coloration), we conduct genetic screening to insure their cellular data is compatible to a mate in our program or a mate who may be up-and-coming in our program. These preferred traits between both parents are then passed to the next generation.

Over time, more puppies will be born with these good traits.

By partnering with other breeders with the same high standards and establishing a Guardian program, we prevent accidental breedings between family members and maintain diversity in our genetic options without incidental litters.

We are making great strides to achieve our breeding goal of establishing the Bernedoodle as a reputable, recognized breed through these practices!

The process of selecting animals based on their genetics has helped advance agricultural productivity and the domestication of household pets over the past 50+ years.