Generally speaking, a Bernedoodle is a fun and active hybrid that makes for a fantastic house pet. If you decide to get one yourself, now is as good a time as any to think about how to best take care of it.
A significant part of this is making sure you feed your bernedoodle a proper, balanced diet for it to be healthy and happy. What do you do if you find out yours is a finicky eater?
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What Are Bernedoodles Like?
The Bernedoodle gets its loyal, goofy, and clever personality from its parent breeds—the Bernese mountain dog and the poodle. Even better, you’ll find that it is a non-shedding mix, so it’s perfect for those with allergies.
As a hybrid dog, your Bernedoodle will have the characteristics and traits of its purebred parents. More often than not, this mix of dogs is playful, friendly, and intelligent. It is also sweet and gentle, making it a great companion for kids and the elderly.
If yours is a household that enjoys the outdoors, this highly energetic and adventurous dog is an excellent breed to have. Besides running and hiking, it may even inherit the poodle’s love for swimming. That said, when it comes time for snuggles, its sweet personality never fails.
While Bernedoodles are social, fun, and intelligent, they can sometimes be headstrong. This is especially true during their puppy stage but can disappear as they mature or with training. What if this bad behavior includes picky eating?
Are Bernedoodles Picky Eaters?
Are you worried about your Bernedoodle being a picky eater? Don’t be. The reality is that it’s quite the opposite. This hybrid is actually a voracious eater, so it tends to become overweight. In other words, you won’t have to worry about your pup not liking its food. Instead, focus on giving it a healthy, balanced diet.
Be extra careful of giving it too much food, especially when it’s still a puppy. If allowed to eat non-stop, it will grow too fast and might have bone problems in adulthood.
When it comes to a Bernedoodle’s diet, look for nutritionally balanced and high-quality dog food. It has to be formulated especially for its size and age so that you’ll know it’s getting everything it needs.
Again, you must keep an eye out of its feeding schedule to prevent overeating and obesity. However, you can allow it to eat as much as it likes when weaning. This way, your dog can adjust to eating regular dog food faster and easier.
What To Do If Your Dog Is a Picky Eater
It’s possible to have a Bernedoodle that is a picky eater. In this is your case, here are effective tricks you can do to address the issue:
- How Much Is Your Dog Eating?
Depending on its size and age, start by knowing exactly how much your dog should be eating. This way, you can make sure you’re offering it a feeding plan designed for its needs.
If your pup is gaining weight as it should or your adult Bernedoodle isn’t losing any, it’s probably fine. In line with this, it would help to keep track of any weight changes so that you’ll have something to show its vet if needed.
- Does Your Dog Eat Snacks in Between Meals?
It’s perfectly okay for Bernedoodles to eat snacks. However, if you’re giving it snacks close to mealtime, your dog might not be hungry enough to eat once you serve its dinner.
You’ll want to limit snacks to about one to three small dry biscuits every day. As for training treats, make sure they are tiny bits small enough that they can eat and swallow them without chewing.
- Is Your Dog’s Feeding Bowl Comfortable To Eat In?
Especially for puppies, check that their bowl is favorable to eating. The rim shouldn’t bump on their forehead, nor do the pups need to struggle to get to the bottom of the bowl.
- Are You Giving Your Dog High-Quality Dog Food?
Sometimes, it’s not really that Bernedoodles are picky eaters. It could be that they learned not to eat their food because they know you’re going to get them a new brand or flavor to try. Often, sticking to just one brand will do the trick.
Still, dogs do have preferences too. In most cases, they will love high-quality chicken or turkey dog food. Others might like the taste of bison, duck, or lamb better. As long as it’s high-quality, your dog will be fine.
- Do You Give Your Dog Privacy When Eating?
We understand that you’re worried about your Bernedoodle. Then again, even dogs tend to lose their appetite if someone hovers behind them, waiting for them to eat.
Then, there are times when the owner caves in when they see their pup not eating what’s in the bowl. They forget about the feeding plan and give them table food instead. Your pup might see this as a game, where your dog gets table food or a treat if it doesn’t eat its dinner.
Again, the trick is to stick to the plan. If your dog does not eat within an hour after serving dinner, take the bowl and place it on the table for 20 minutes. After that time, put it back down. Do this until your dog learns that you’re serious and that it won’t get a treat no matter how long it waits.
Get Your Vet Involved
As long as you take the time to get to know and train your Bernedoodle, you shouldn’t have a problem with meal times. However, if you still think that your Bernedoodle’s picky eating affects its health, your dog might have serious issues. It will be a good idea to get in touch with your dog’s vet to rule out any problems.
