Breeding Announcements for our Winter Litters!
We have not had any puppies for the months of August and September and the break has been glorious! As much as we love having puppies around, it’s nice to take a break, take inventory, spoil our adult dogs, and get some projects done. That being said, we are excited to announce our upcoming litters and breeding plans. The focus of the next few months is Standard sized Bernedoodles. Suki, our small F1 Bernedoodle mom who produced 40-60 lb F1b Bernedoodles is retired and we decided not to use Beau (our BMD stud) this time around. Here’s a rundown of our plans and expectations for our Winter Litters:
Minka
Winston
Minka & Winston
Some of our most impressive bernedoodles have come from Minka and Winston and we can’t wait for another litter from this amazing pair! What shines most about their offspring is their incredible temperaments. They are loving, social, and so fun to be around! They are smart and make excellent family pets.
Colors and Blue eyes?
Besides their winning personalities, Minka and Winston’s puppies always have stunning coloring - from striking blue merles to gorgeous classic tri-colors and lovely phantoms (or any combination of those). Now, a lot of people ask about blue eyes because Minka has a blue eye. To be honest, we’ve only had two puppies with partial blue eyes from this pair, so I wouldn’t hold my breath on getting a blue eyed pup.
Breeding and Dates
Minka has always been just a little too tall for Winston. We tried to have them breed naturally, but finally went ahead and did artificial insemination. Our vet wasn’t available, so we did it at home. In the past, we’ve missed pregnancies with attempted AIs, but Lulu’s last litter was AI and she had 12 puppies! So, who knows! It’s still too early to tell if she’s pregnant, but we’ll try to keep you posted.
If she is pregnant, her due date is October 6th. That would make the puppies ready to leave on December 1st - just in time for Christmas!
Here are some of Minka and Winston’s past puppies and should give you a good idea of what colors to expect.
Nala & Gus/Winston
First, I love that picture of Nala! It captures her goofiness!
Now, Nala’s upcoming litter has a little bit of a backstory to it - when she was in heat, we were dog sitting one of our past puppies between Izzy and Winston - Gus. Gus was “Mango” from the Fruit litter from back in 2023 and lives with our kid’s piano teacher. He’s the sweetest boy and was so fun to have in our home. Well, one day we were doing some work and needed to move some dogs around temporarily. Nala and Gus both have such laid back personalities and we thought nothing of putting them together for a few hours while we get work done. They got along really well…a little too well! We didn’t realize Gus hadn’t been neutered yet! Before you judge us for not recognizing an intact male vs. a neutered male, just know, his coat was beautifully long at the time and we didn’t go out of our way to inspect him back there.
Advantages of this Breeding
We are usually very careful with our dogs in heat to avoid accidental litters, but this one is actually not the worst thing. In fact, this could be a really great litter! The first reason why this is ok is that we know Gus’s lineage and health. His parents were both health tested by us and were genetically clear and compatible with Nala. The second reason why we are ok with it is that this is a generation of Bernedoodles that I’ve always kind of wanted to try out. These will technically be “F2” Bernedoodles.
When a purebred Bernese Mountain Dog is paired with an F1b Bernedoodle, the result is an F2 Bernedoodle — a thoughtful blend of about 37.5% Bernese and 62.5% Poodle. This combination brings the best of both worlds: the loyal, gentle nature and striking tri-color markings of the Bernese, paired with the smarts, athleticism, and low-shedding coat of the Poodle. Because the Bernese is reintroduced in this generation, the puppies often carry a blockier build, a calmer temperament, and richer coloring than higher-percentage Poodle pairings, while still keeping the benefit of reduced shedding and diverse coat textures. It’s a beautiful balance that makes these puppies especially appealing for families who want the Bernedoodle’s versatility with an extra touch of classic Bernese charm.
Winston also bred with Nala, so this is a dual-sired litter. It’s possible the puppies will all be Gus’s, all Winston’s, or a mix of both. We’ll only know base on coloring once they’re born.
Colors from this pairing
From this special pairing, you can expect a wide variety of striking colors and patterns. With mom being a classic tri-colored Bernese Mountain Dog (black, rust, and white) and dad carrying both parti and merle genetics (chocolate merle parti, from a black/white Bernedoodle and a phantom merle Poodle), the puppies have the potential to showcase a beautiful spectrum. You may see traditional Bernese-style tri colors (black or chocolate with rust and white), as well as parti variations with large white patches on chocolate, black, or merle bases. Thanks to the merle gene, some pups could inherit merle patterning in chocolate or blue/gray shades, possibly layered with tan points or white markings. Others may lean more classic with strong tri markings, while some could be uniquely patterned with parti-merle combinations. Overall, this litter is likely to produce a rainbow of possibilities — from traditional Bernese looks to rare and eye-catching merle and parti blends.
Dates
Nala is due on October 9th which would make her puppies ready to go on December 4th (if she delivers on her due date). Once again - perfect timing for Christmas puppies!
Here are some pictures of Gus. Take a look at his beautiful Golden eyes in the second picture!
Bonnie & Winston
Miss Bonnie is one of our smaller Bernese Mountain Dogs which we see as a huge plus for producing smaller standard Bernedoodles. This breeding hasn’t occurred yet as we are waiting for her to come into heat, but we have plans to pair her with Winston. We expect these F1 Bernedoodle puppies to grow to be around 60-80 lbs as opposed to Nala and Minka’s 70-90 lb puppies.
Bonnie has had one litter with us and was an incredible mom! It might not seem like that would have much bearing on the puppies beyond the first 8 weeks, but it is my belief that optimal care and raising during the first 8 weeks produces puppies that grow into healthier and more relaxed adult dogs. All our moms are wonderful, but Bonnie was exceptionally attentive with her last litter.
Colors and Temperament
It’s easy to predict the expected colors with this litter as we’ve had so many similar litters in the past. We’ll have a good mix of Tri-color, Phantom, and Blue Merles (or combinations of the three).
Temperament is something that hold a little more variance from one mom to the other. Bonnie differs from our other moms with how silly she is. She also loves to pester the other dogs and is the low man on the totem pole of social hierarchy within the pack. Minka especially has little tolerance for her antics and tends to put her in her place with a harmless growl every now and then. The good thing about Bonnie is that she is very submissive and will drop to her back when another dog expresses dislike for her actions. I believe her puppies will be easy to train and will get along with other dogs well.
Dates
We expect Bonnie to come into heat soon (sometime in September) which will make her puppies due in November and ready to go in January of 2026.
Lulu & Winston
Am I allowed to pick favorites? If so, it would be Lulu. This girl has had my heart since the first day we took her home. She’s everything I want in a Bernese Mountain Dog and I just love her stocky build, wide face, symmetrical markings, and amazing personality! We plan to breed her to Winston for her second Bernedoodle litter - the first litter was incredible in every way! They had perfect coloring, temperaments, and health.
Colors
Lulu and Winston will have Tri-colored, phantom, and blue merle colored puppies. Once again, these are easy to predict as we’ve had past litters with the same genetics.
Dates
Similar to Bonnie, we expect Lulu to come into heat this month or next and will have puppies ready to go in Jan/Feb. of 2026.
Here are some puppies from Lulu’s last litter:
Waiting List
We’ve opened the Waiting list for these upcoming litters and have plenty of space for optimal picks! If you have a specific coloring or gender in mind, I recommend getting on the waiting list as soon as possible so you have an early pick. The waiting list tends to fill up fast this time of year and I’d hate for you to miss out! That being said, we should have plenty of puppies to choose from with these upcoming litters.
You can learn more about the waiting list by clicking the button below:
I’m also happy to answer your questions. Text me at 309-339-7713 or email me at rebekah@joleyaire.com
