Doodles Explained
Which "Doodle" should I get?
How do you know which doodle generation to get. We recommend thinking about what type of coat you want.
- If a curlier, less shedding coat is very important to you, go with one of the backcrossed generations.
- If you like the easier to maintain wavy coat that may shed a little, look for an F1 Doodle.
- Usually F2, F1b, and Multigeneration doodles are the best for everyone and have the most predictable traits.
It’s worth remembering your decision on which puppy is right for you shouldn’t only be based off of the generation.
Not every puppy will have equal genetic traits from the parents. Some might have more Poodle traits or and some might have more doodle traits.
Be sure to look over each puppy carefully and ask us what they expect the coat to turn out like in the future.
Doodle Generations Explained
The doodle generations are fairly straight forward though can sound confusing.
A F1 is a first generation doodle. A purebred Bernese Mountain Dog or Golden Retriever crossed with a poodle.
F2 would be a F1 crossed with a F1.
F3 would be a F2 with a F2.
Traits and Backcrosses
F1
This first generation is a half and half mix of the parent breeds.
These will be lower shedding than the shedding parent, but can still shed a little.
Coat might be wavy, loose curls, or tight curls.
They may have the straight wavy coat that a lot of doodle families love. These dogs benefit the most from Hybrid Vigor.
F1b
The F1b is one of our favorites because it gives the best chance of lower shedding while still keeping that cute wavy coat. They are 75% Poodle they may tend to have more waves or curls than the F1.
F2b and F1 bred to an F1b
These dogs are another one of our favorites and they tend to have better luck with less shedding and can have a bit more of the shedding dog (golden or bernese) look than the F1b alone. They are 5/8 Poodle and 3/8 of the shedding dog – which is 1/8 less Poodle and 1/8 more shedding dog than an F1B.
What is the "B"
The “B” in the title of the doodle is what can be more confusing.
F1 Doodles have 50% of each purebred dog so they have the potential to shed a little. We often breed an F1 back to a Poodle to help reduce shedding. The puppy from that liter is called an F1b.
The “b” represents a backcross. Meaning it has been bred back to a parent breed, either Poodle or other purebred dog. So an example would be a puppy that is 75% Poodle and 25% shedding dog.
You can breed a F1b to a Poodle to get an F1bb puppy.
There are inconsistencies in the terms when you get further into the generations. You would think a F2b would be an F2 bred back to a parent breed, but some take an F1 crossed with an F1b and call it F2b.
By the time you get to the F3 generations with backcrosses, breeders call it a “Multigenerational” or “Multigen” doodle.
F3s can be a cross of any of the following:
F1B x F1B; F1B x F2B; F2 x F2; F2B x F2B; and so on.