Birch
4 years old · Kennebunkport
Classic tri-color, classic bernedoodle attitude: mildly suspicious for two minutes, then flat on his side for the rest of the groom.
Breed Grooming Guide 5.0 · Southern Maine
Bernedoodle Dog Grooming.
Bernedoodles carry the thickest coat of any doodle we groom — Bernese density with poodle curl. That combination is gorgeous and it is a lot of dog to brush. K-Pup grooms bernedoodles one at a time in a climate-controlled mobile trailer parked at your house, with the time a heavy coat genuinely takes.
Sizes & Coat Types
From tiny bernedoodles to 90-pound standards.
Bernedoodles range from 15 to 90+ pounds, with coats from loose wave to tight curl. Parent-breed background is on the AKC Bernese Mountain Dog page.
Standard Bernedoodles
Big dogs with a lot of coat and a lot of leg feathering. Standards get a full line-brush, a long high-velocity dry, and a trim that keeps the tricolor markings visible instead of hiding them under length. Plan on two hours-plus for a full groom.
Mini & Tiny Bernedoodles
Smaller bernedoodles usually carry a curlier, denser coat than their size suggests. They mat fast around the collar and harness. Shorter sessions, same 4–6 week schedule.
Curly Coats
Tight curl over a dense undercoat is the hardest coat to keep long. We're honest with owners about what's maintainable — a well-shaped 1-inch trim looks far better at week five than a 3-inch coat that pelted at week three.
Wavy Coats
Loose-wave bernedoodles keep the classic shaggy Bernese look. We brush to the skin, bathe and dry fully, then hand-scissor the outline so the coat falls naturally rather than getting clipper-flat.
Built For Big Coats
Heat, density and the Maine seasons.
Heat management in summer
Bernese-heavy coats overheat. We never shave to the skin — that damages regrowth and removes sun protection — but we do take density out with a shorter summer trim and a thorough undercoat removal so air can move.
Winter undercoat and ice balls
Come January, snow packs into leg feathering and between the pads. We keep pads trimmed flush, tidy the leg furnishings, and remove the dead undercoat so the working coat can actually insulate.
Joints, size and low-stress handling
Large doodles are prone to hip and elbow issues. We use a low, stable table, keep sessions moving, and give breaks rather than asking a 90-pound dog to stand still for two straight hours.
The tricolor face
That white blaze and the rust eyebrows are the whole look. We shape the face carefully so the markings read clearly, and keep the eye area open without giving your dog a poodle face.
The AKC's guide to double-coated dogs and shaving is worth reading before anyone talks you into a summer shave-down.
Services
Bernedoodle grooming services.
01
Full Bernedoodle Groom
Full line-brush, bath, extended high-velocity dry, body trim, feathering and face shaping, nails, ears and sanitary.
02
Bath, Deshed & Blow-Out
Undercoat removal and a complete dry — the single best thing you can do for a thick doodle coat between full grooms.
03
De-Matting & Coat Reset
Humane dematting where it's safe, a comfort-first short reset where it isn't, plus a regrowth schedule.
Our Process
How we groom a Bernedoodle.
Every bernedoodle appointment follows the same order, start to finish, in the trailer in your driveway. Typical appointment time: about 3 hr, one dog at a time.
Arrival, weigh-in and coat plan
Standard bernedoodles are big dogs with a lot of coat, so we plan the appointment before we start: how short, how much de-matting, and how many breaks your dog needs. One dog at a time means we can take those breaks.
Full-body line brushing
That thick tri-color coat hides matting under the collar, in the chest ruff, behind the ears and in the feathering. We line-brush the whole dog to the skin, which on a big bernedoodle is genuinely the longest part of the groom.
Deep bath with volume shampoo
Two washes are standard on a coat this dense — the first cuts oil and beach grit, the second lifts and cleans the base coat. Conditioner goes on the feathering and skirt only, so the body coat keeps its body.
High-velocity dry, section by section
A bernedoodle is not dry until the undercoat is dry. We force-dry in sections and check with a comb; damp undercoat is the number one cause of hot spots and rapid re-matting in big doodles.
Trim, shape and skirt work
We set a body length that fits your brushing routine, keep the classic bernese-style leg feathering if you want it, and scissor the head round. Summer clients usually go shorter through the body and keep the head and tail full.
Nails, ears, sanitary and finish
Nails clipped and ground smooth, ear hair cleared and canals wiped, sanitary and paw pads tidied, then a light coastal-safe spritz. We hand you back a dog you can put straight on the couch.
This is the full step-by-step process K-Pup Dog Grooming uses for bernedoodles in southern Maine.
Client Spotlight
Our favorite bernedoodles.
A few of the bernedoodles we look forward to seeing on the schedule — regulars from around southern Maine who hop up on the table like they own the trailer.
Juniper
8 months old · Biddeford
All legs and floof. We started her on short puppy visits before the coat change hits — the smartest thing a bernedoodle owner can do.
Moose
6 years old · Scarborough
Ninety pounds of gentle. He gets a shorter summer trim so the Maine humidity doesn't flatten that huge coat.
Fun Facts
The best things about bernedoodles.
We groom a lot of bernedoodles, and every one of them reminds us why the breed has such a loyal following. Here's what we love about the bernedoodle.
Bernese heart, poodle coat
You get the calm, devoted temperament of a Bernese mountain dog with far less shedding. It's a very good trade.
Made for cold weather
That double-thick coat came from Swiss farm dogs. Bernedoodles are the happiest dogs in the driveway during a February groom.
Tri-color is just the start
Merle, sable, phantom and blaze markings all show up. No two bernedoodles come out of the dryer looking quite the same.
Slow to grow up
They stay goofy and puppy-brained into year three, which is charming right up until a 70-pound puppy tries to sit in your lap.
Quiet housemates
Bernedoodles are famously low-bark. Most of the noise in the house will be the tail hitting the cabinets.
Real coat commitment
The volume of hair is the price of admission. Six-to-eight week grooms and a slicker brush at home keep it from ever becoming a shave-down.
Related Breeds
Similar coats we groom.
bernedoodles share brushing, drying, and trimming needs with these breeds — each guide covers coat care, timing, and pricing for mobile grooming in southern Maine.
Services
Services for your Bernedoodle.
The visits bernedoodles book most often, and what each one includes.
from $85
See every service and price →Matted Dog Grooming
Humane dematting, honest shave-down advice, and why a short haircut is sometimes the kindest option.
Read more →guideFull Groom vs Bath & Brush
Not sure which one to book? A straight comparison by coat type, price, and how often each is needed.
Read more →$20–$170Grooming Prices
What mobile grooming actually costs here, why prices vary by dog, and what's included at every tier.
Read more →Where We Groom Bernedoodles
Bernedoodle grooming across southern Maine.
Need a bernedoodle groomer who can handle a big coat? We bring the trailer right to your driveway across southern Maine — choose your town below. See all our locations →
Kennebunkport Bernedoodle GroomingKennebunk Bernedoodle GroomingCape Porpoise Bernedoodle GroomingGoose Rocks Beach Bernedoodle GroomingArundel Bernedoodle GroomingBiddeford Bernedoodle GroomingSaco Bernedoodle GroomingWells Bernedoodle GroomingOgunquit Bernedoodle GroomingYork Bernedoodle GroomingOld Orchard Beach Bernedoodle GroomingScarborough Bernedoodle Grooming
Bernedoodle Grooming FAQ
Questions bernedoodles owners ask us.
How often does a bernedoodle need grooming?
Every 4–6 weeks, without exception for curly coats. Bernedoodles have enough density that even two skipped weeks shows up as matting behind the ears and under the collar. Brushing at home 3–4 times a week keeps full grooms easy.
Should I shave my bernedoodle in the summer?
No — not to the skin. A shaved double-influenced coat can grow back patchy and loses its sun protection. We take length and density down for summer instead, which keeps your dog far cooler than a matted long coat and safer than a shave.
How long does grooming a standard bernedoodle take?
Two to two and a half hours for a standard in good coat condition, and longer if there's matting. Minis are typically 90 minutes. We only groom one dog at a time, so that whole window is your dog's.
Do bernedoodles shed?
Curlier bernedoodles shed very little; wavier ones with more Bernese influence shed noticeably, especially seasonally. Either way, regular deshedding baths make a big difference indoors.
Where in southern Maine do you groom bernedoodles?
We serve Kennebunkport, Kennebunk, Cape Porpoise, Goose Rocks Beach, Arundel, Biddeford, Saco, Wells, Ogunquit, York, Old Orchard Beach and Scarborough — the full southern Maine coast.