Arnold
The dog who started everything.
We came home with Arnold
We drove up to a litter outside Huntsville to look at a different puppy. We came home with Arnold.
He was the standout immediately. Boxy and thick, just the right kind of lazy, content to be held while every other puppy in the litter squirmed to be put down. I think I had him in my arms the entire visit. We put a deposit on him before we left.
We hadn't even discussed starting a program yet. That came later. The more we lived with him, the more we realized the kind of dog he is shouldn't end with him.
Who he is
Arnold is calm, easy, and genuinely uncomplicated. He's gentle ninety percent of the time, and he knows how to play when it's time to play. He grooms without complaint. He potty-trained without drama. We've had zero behavioral problems, zero anxious moments, zero of the usual puppyhood landmines.
His days are spent shuttling between Dana's feet and mine, depending on which room we're working in. He's also perfectly happy to find a cool spot of tile in another room when he wants his own space. The balance is what we love most... social without being clingy, independent without being aloof.
He looks like a Bernedoodle should look
Arnold is an F1B Bernedoodle, 75% Poodle and 25% Bernese Mountain Dog. His sire is an F1 Bernedoodle (a 50/50 Bernese × Poodle cross), and his dam is a Standard Poodle.
What's unusual about him for an F1B is how strongly he carries the Bernese build. Most F1Bs lean refined toward the Poodle. Arnold inherited the substance, bone, and squareness of the Bernese side, paired with the low-shedding coat genetics of the Poodle side. The result is the dog most families picture when they imagine a Bernedoodle... stocky, well-bodied, balanced. He looks like a Bernedoodle should look.
| Sire | F1 Bernedoodle (Bernese Mountain Dog × Standard Poodle) |
|---|---|
| Dam | Standard Poodle |
| Generation | F1B (75% Poodle / 25% Bernese Mountain Dog) |
| Date of Birth | June 17, 2025 |
| Coat type | Curly |
| Color | Apricot |
| Collar size | 20" |
| Current weight | 65 lb |
| Expected adult weight | 65–70 lb |
| Available to stud | July 2027 |
Tested before he's ever bred
We're committed to publishing every test result for Arnold openly. Some are in progress, some are pending his physical maturity (OFA orthopedic certifications require a minimum age of 24 months).
| Embark genetic panel | Submitted June 2026 · results expected within 4 weeks |
|---|---|
| OFA hips | Pending at 24 months |
| OFA elbows | Pending at 24 months |
| OFA cardiac | Pending |
| OFA eyes (CAER) | Pending |
| OFA patellas | Pending |
We won't stand Arnold at stud until every clearance is in hand. If anything in his panel disqualifies him, the program reorganizes around what we learn. Full transparency on results is non-negotiable.
Arnold's complete Embark panel will be published here as soon as it returns.
What he brings to a pairing
Once his clearances are complete, we'll offer Arnold at stud to a small number of approved, health-tested dams. That's our focus for the program's first few years. His value is the consistency he should pass forward: we selected him for structure, temperament, and coat genetics, and those are the traits we expect him to stamp on a litter.
Paired with a Bernedoodle female, his puppies should be boxy and well-bodied with good Bernese substance, wavy to curly coated, low to non-shedding, calm and biddable in temperament, and medium to standard in size depending on the dam.
Final puppy traits always depend on the dam, of course. If you have a health-tested dam and think she'd be a good match, our stud requirements and process are on the At Stud page.
Growing up
More photos to come as the Leica gets pointed at him more often.
Following Arnold
We're documenting Arnold's growth, training, and health journey across our social channels. River days, golf course outings, the occasional dignified refusal to get in a creek.