What does F1 mean?? What about F1B, or F2?

So you’re looking for a new addition to your family -a dog- and you’ve researched and googled and talked to your Goldendoodle-owning-friends…and you decide a Goldendoodle would best fit your lifestyle. You start looking for reputable breeders and you find that they list their puppies with all these letters and numbers that you don’t understand! There’s an F1 here and F2 there, a few F1Bs listed there… what do they all mean?! Why are Goldendoodles so complicated???

Let’s break it down a little…

The F1 Goldendoodle

The F1B Goldendoodle

Now take your F1 Goldendoodle and breed it with a purebred Poodle or a purebred Golden Retriever and you have an F1B Goldendoodle!

The F1BB Goldendoodle

Once you have your F1B Goldendoodle, you breed it with a purebred Poodle or a purebred Golden Retriever and you have an F1BB!

F1B x Poodle = F1BB

OR

F1B x Golden Retriever = F1BB

The F2 Goldendoodle

Now if you have an F1 Goldendoodle that is bred with an F1 Goldendoodle, you come up with an F2 Goldendoodle.

F1 Goldendoodle x F1 Goldendoodle = F2 Goldendoodle

The Multigen Goldendoodle

I won’t go into many more details, because I don’t want to confuse you. It can get confusing trying to sort through all the “Fs” and “Bs” and “1s” and “2s” and such. But I will share with you now what a “multigen Goldendoodle” is.

According to the Goldendoodle Association of North America, a multigen is the equation as follows:

Multigen = Two Goldendoodle parents – One parent has to be an F1B or multigen. A Poodle or a Golden Retriever bred to a multigen Goldendoodle also constitutes a multigen.

Different types of Goldendoodles may suit you better than others. An F1B can be more allergy-friendly and thus suit your family better, or maybe you just love how that F1 Goldendoodle looks! I can cover this topic in another post, but research your breed to find out what will work best for you and your family before bringing your furry friend home!