Phantom Bernedoodle Guide: Everything You Need To Know!

Phantom Bernedoodles are a mixed breed dog with a distinctive bi-color coat consisting of a main color with smaller patches of a secondary color in specific locations. There are many different types of Phantom Bernedoodle such as Black Phantom, Chocolate Phantom, Merle Phantom and Sable Phantom. It is no surprise that these Bernedoodles are so popular considering their unique coat patterns as well as their friendly and intelligent temperament!

If you are interested in Phantom Bernedoodles keep reading this article to find out all the answers to your questions about this dog breed!

Cover Image Credit: @campbellandmooney // Instagram

Table of Contents

What Is A Phantom Bernedoodle?

Phantom Bernedoodles have a coat with a solid background and a secondary color in patches in very specific locations. These locations include the chin, throat, chest, legs, beneath their tail, above their eyes or on the sides of their muzzle.

The solid background color is usually a dark shade while the patches are a lighter color. Most commonly Phantom Bernedoodles are black and tan however they can come in different colors. They look somewhat similar to a tri-colored Bernedoodle however without the white patches.

Are Phantom Bernedoodles Rare?

The phantom coat is one of the rarest coat patterns for Bernedoodles. The coat pattern has to be inherited from the Poodle which is already a rare coat pattern them. This is because the phantom coat is not recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) for Poodles for conformation events. As the AKC requires Poodles to have an even or solid colored coat, there aren’t many breeders who specialize in bi-colored Poodles.

Phantom Bernedoodles are also rare as the phantom pattern is inherited in autosomal recessive fashion which means that the Poodle must inherit two copies of the gene to express phantom.

Phantom Bernedoodle Characteristics

Phantom Bernedoodle Characteristics
Height	Depends on size (Tiny, Mini, Medium or Standard)
Weight	Depends on size (Tiny, Mini, Medium or Standard)
Temperament	Loyal, intelligent, mischievous.
Activity Levels	High.
Exercise Requirements	30 to 60 min per day.
Lifespan	12 to 15 years.
Coat	Wavy or curly single phantom coat.
Eyes	Brown.
Shedding	Low.
Apartment Adaptability	Can live in an apartment if given enough exercise daily, especially Tiny Bernedoodles.
Good with Children	Yes.

Do Phantom Bernedoodles Fade?

Phantom Bernedoodles can change color however not all will. Some Phantom Bernedoodles may carry the ‘fading gene’, ‘dilution’ gene or ‘progressive graying’ gene which can cause coat color changes. These changes will usually occur within the first two years of their life however not all Phantom Bernedoodles will change color.

While some Phantom Bernedoodles change color, none of them will experience changes to their markings. They are born with their markings and retain them for life.

These are some of the coat color changes that can occur:

Black hair can fade to charcoal grey or silver.
Chocolate hair can fade to light brown, beige or café au lait.

Types Of Phantom Bernedoodle

Black Phantom Bernedoodle

black bernedoodle — Black Phantom Bernedoodle via @alpinebernedoodles // Instagram

Black Phantom Bernedoodles have a coat with a solid black background with patches of tan on their chin, throat, chest, legs, beneath their tail, above their eyes and on the sides of their muzzle.

Chocolate Phantom Bernedoodle

Chocolate Phantom Bernedoodles have a coat with a solid brown background with patches of apricot/light beige on their chin, throat, chest, legs, beneath their tail, above their eyes and on the sides of their muzzle. They are also called Brown Phantom Bernedoodles.

Merle Phantom Bernedoodle

Merle Phantom Bernedoodles have a coat with a merle background with patches of tan on their chin, throat, chest, legs, beneath their tail, above their eyes and on the sides of their muzzle.

While by definition Phantom Bernedoodles have a two-toned coat, the merle patches are considered to be one color with the solid patches as the other.

Sable Phantom Bernedoodle

Sable Phantom Bernedoodles mainly have hairs that black-tipped with roots in a lighter color. The sable hairs cover most of their body and they have tan patches on their chin, throat, chest, legs, beneath their tail, above their eyes and on the sides of their muzzle.

Unfurnished Phantom Bernedoodle

Unfurnished Phantom Bernedoodles have the phantom pattern but do not have longer hair on their face like the typical Bernedoodle. Unfurnished Bernedoodles are not as popular as Furnished Bernedoodles (the typical Bernedoodle) as they are not as fluffy and look more like a Bernese Mountain Dog than a Poodle. They’re still really lovely dogs but are not what you would typically think when you picture a Poodle Mix. That being said, they’re not that common as it is the result of a recessive gene.

Phantom Bernedoodle Full Grown

Tiny Bernedoodle

A Tiny Bernedoodle is a cross between a Toy Poodle and a Bernese Mountain Dog. It is the smallest version of the Phantom Bernedoodle. They are also referred to as Micro-Mini Phantom Bernedoodles.

When Is A Schnoodle Full Grown? (Size & Age Fully Grown)

A fully grown Tiny Phantom Bernedoodle gets to 12 to 17 inches (30.5cm to 43.2cm) tall and weighs 10 to 24 pounds (4.5kg to 10.9kg). A Tiny Phantom Bernedoodle reaches its full size between 8 and 10 months.

Mini Phantom Bernedoodle

A Mini Bernedoodle is a cross between a Miniature Poodle and a Bernese Mountain Dog. They are the second smallest version of the Bernedoodle.

A fully grown Mini Phantom Bernedoodle gets to 18 to 22 inches (45.7cm to 55.9cm) tall and weighs 24 to 49 pounds (10.9kg to 22.2kg). They reach their full size between 10 and 12 months of age.

Medium Phantom Bernedoodle

A Medium Phantom Bernedoodle is a smaller version of the standard size. They are usually a second generation (F2) Bernedoodle which is the result of breeding 2 first generation standard size Bernedoodles that are on the smaller side together. They can also be bred first generation (F1) by breeding a standard Poodle with a Bernese Mountain Dog that are both on the smaller side.

A Medium Phantom Bernedoodle has a height range of 20 to 26 inches (50.8cm to 66cm) at the shoulder and weighs between 24 and 49 pounds (10.9kg to 22.2kg). They are fully grown between 11 and 14 months of age.

Standard Phantom Bernedoodle

A Standard Phantom Bernedoodle is the largest Bernedoodle size. They are the result of breeding a Standard Poodle with a Bernese Mountain Dog.

A full size Phantom Bernedoodle is 23 to 29 inches (58.4cm to 73.7cm) tall and weighs 70 to 90 pounds (31.8kg to 40.8kg). They reach their full adult size between 1 year 6 months and 2 years old.

phantom bernedoodle puppy — Phantom Bernedoodle via @bernedoodlesoflongisland // Instagram

Phantom Bernedoodle Breeders

If you are looking for Bernedoodle breeder, consider PuppySpot where you can use our discount code PUPPY300 for $300 dollars off any dog! Check out the adorable Bernedoodle puppies that are currently available here!

PuppySpot is a dog adoption website that connects breeders with prospective pet owners. They have a zero tolerance policy for puppy mills which is why they screen every breeder annually! They have placed over 200,000 puppies in homes and offer various trusted, USDA-certified transportation options to deliver your puppy to your home safely! You won’t regret having a look at their Bernedoodle puppies here as they are so cute!