Bernedoodles aren’t technically a breed, because the American Kennel Club doesn’t recognize hybrid dogs.

Doodling Along

As hypoallergenic poodle mixes grow in popularity, so, too, does the complicated—and wildly expensive—science behind breeding them

By Susan Lehman

D.J. has fathered hundreds, possibly thousands, of offspring. Perfectly proportioned, impeccably pedigreed, and weighing in at just 14 pounds, D.J. (full name: Don Juan) is the top dog at Alpine Bernedoodles, a doodle breeder in Colorado.

You can find D.J.’s pups romping around affluent neighborhoods in New York, Los Angeles, and Dallas, and in Vogue stories about billion-dollar Hollywood earners (and also in this writer’s humble home).