Breed guide
Munchkin vs Mini vs Micro Bernedoodle
All three are small Bernedoodles, and the names get used loosely. The real difference is how each one is bred to be small, and only one of them brings in a third breed.
Our litter's mom, Troy, is a Mini Multi Gen Bernedoodle. The puppies' dad is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. That Cavalier is what makes the puppies Munchkins rather than Minis.
Side by side
How each one gets small
Mini Bernedoodle
A Bernese Mountain Dog and Poodle cross that gets its smaller size from a smaller Poodle. It stays a two-breed dog.
Micro Bernedoodle
A name for Bernedoodles bred smaller than a typical Mini. Like Mini, it describes size rather than a fixed recipe.
Munchkin Bernedoodle
A Bernedoodle crossed with a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. The Cavalier brings the size down and adds a third breed's temperament.
Why the names overlap
None of these names has an official standard. The American Kennel Club registers purebred breeds, and the Bernedoodle is not one of them, so there is no registry that defines how big a Mini or a Micro has to be. Each breeder uses the words in their own way.
What is standardized is the breeds behind them. When you compare small Bernedoodles, the parent dogs' own sizes tell you far more than the label does, which is why it is worth asking any breeder for the parents' weights.
The parent breeds
The sizes that are standardized
The American Kennel Club's figures for the breeds that small Bernedoodles are made from.
Toy Poodle
10 inches or under at the shoulder, and 4 to 6 lbs.
Miniature Poodle
Over 10 and up to 15 inches, and 10 to 15 lbs.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
12 to 13 inches, and 13 to 18 lbs.
For scale, a Bernese Mountain Dog stands 23 to 27.5 inches and weighs 70 to 115 lbs, which is why every small Bernedoodle needs a much smaller breed in the mix.
Choosing between them
If size matters most, look at the parents rather than the name. Our size guide shows how we estimate this litter's adult weight from theirs.
If temperament matters most, the Cavalier is the difference a Munchkin brings. Its breed standard describes a friendly, non-aggressive dog with no tendency toward nervousness or shyness. More on that is in our page on temperament.
In the Bernedoodle world, Munchkin describes small overall size, not a separate breed.
More from the breed guide
What is a Munchkin Bernedoodle? · Full grown size · Colors and patterns · Shedding and allergies · Lifespan and temperament · Price and cost
Meet the Munchkins in our current litter.