Bernedoodle vs Shih Tzu: Which Suits Your Home?

At 9-16 lbs and 8-11 inches, a Shih Tzu is closer to a cat's footprint than a Bernedoodle's, whose range runs 20-90 lbs and up to 23 inches tall. Even a toy or mini Bernedoodle at its lightest still outweighs a Shih Tzu by a wide margin. If you're set on carrying your dog through an airport or a store, only one of these two is realistically built for it.

The Shih Tzu asks little of you physically — a 2/5 exercise rating means a short daily walk and some indoor play cover its needs, a stark contrast to the Bernedoodle's 4/5. If your lifestyle doesn't allow for an hour of dog exercise a day, that gap alone might decide this comparison.

Surprisingly, the smaller dog is the higher-maintenance one on coat care: the Shih Tzu rates a very high 5/5 for grooming need against the Bernedoodle's already-high 4/5, even though it barely sheds (1/5 vs the Bernedoodle's 2/5). That long, flowing coat needs near-daily brushing and regular trims to avoid matting — low shedding doesn't mean low effort.

The Shih Tzu is close to an ideal apartment dog on paper, rating 5/5 for apartment suitability against the Bernedoodle's 2/5, and it also handles alone time a bit better (3/5 vs 2/5). It barks slightly more (3/5 vs 2/5), but its small size and low exercise needs make it the far easier fit for compact city living.

Both breeds rate 4/5 for first-time-owner suitability, so neither should intimidate a new dog owner. Trainability favors the Bernedoodle, though — 5/5 against the Shih Tzu's moderate 3/5 — since Shih Tzus were bred as companions rather than working dogs and can be more stubborn about formal obedience. Housetraining in particular tends to take longer with a Shih Tzu, so budget extra patience for that stage specifically.

The Bernedoodle edges ahead across household categories but not by much: 5/5 with kids and other dogs against the Shih Tzu's 4/5 in both, and 4/5 with strangers against the Shih Tzu's moderate 3/5. Both are genuinely sociable breeds — this is a smaller gap than in most of the comparisons on this page.

Lifespans overlap considerably — 12-18 years for the Bernedoodle, 10-16 for the Shih Tzu — but the Shih Tzu's health list carries more serious flat-faced-breed risks: brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome, kidney disease, and liver shunts sit alongside the shared risks of hip dysplasia and allergies. Breathing and vet-checkup needs are worth budgeting for specifically with a Shih Tzu.

Cost is close to a wash — both rate 4/5, with monthly ranges of $120-220 for the Bernedoodle and $120-250 for the Shih Tzu, and first-year totals of $1,800-3,200 versus $1,500-3,000. The Shih Tzu's grooming and potential airway-related vet visits offset what you'd expect to save from its smaller size.