If you are researching a Cavapoo or Goldendoodle, you have probably seen terms like F1, F1b, F2 and multigenerational.
These labels simply describe how the dog was bred. They do not automatically tell you how much the dog will shed, how healthy it will be, or what its coat will look like.
What is an F1?
An F1 is the first cross between two purebred breeds.
F1 Cavapoo:
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel × Poodle
F1 Goldendoodle:
Golden Retriever × Poodle
These puppies are approximately 50% from each breed.
However, littermates do not inherit exactly the same genes. One puppy may take after the Poodle more strongly in some traits while another may resemble the Cavalier or Golden more.
What is an F1b?
The “b” means backcross.
An F1 Doodle is bred back to one of the original breeds, usually a Poodle.
For example: F1 Goldendoodle × Poodle = F1b Goldendoodle
An F1b bred back to a Poodle averages about 75% Poodle ancestry. But 75% Poodle does not automatically mean less shedding. Modern DNA testing can tell us much more about the actual coat genes a puppy may inherit. Check out our blog article going into great detail on Coat and Shedding traits in Goldendoodles and Cavapoos
Scientific coat-genetics study:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2897713/
Shedding-genetics study:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4735900/
What is an F2?
An F2 traditionally means: F1 Doodle × F1 Doodle
The puppies still average about 50% of each founding breed, but their individual traits can vary more because both parents carry a mixture of DNA from both breeds. This is why DNA testing of the actual parents is often more useful than simply knowing the generation.
What does Multigenerational mean?
A multigenerational Doodle is produced from established Doodle lines rather than being an early-generation cross. Once you reach later generations, labels such as F3 or F4 tell a puppy buyer relatively little by themselves.
More important questions are:
What health testing have the parents completed?
What do their DNA results show?
What are their coats, sizes and temperaments like?
What have their parents and previous litters produced?
Does Generation Determine Health?
No.
An F1 is not automatically healthy simply because its parents are different breeds, and an F1b or multigenerational dog is not automatically less healthy.
However, there can be a genetic advantage to an F1 cross when the two parent breeds are genetically different. An F1 puppy receives one set of DNA from each breed, which generally increases genetic diversity and reduces homozygosity. This can lower the chance that a puppy inherits two copies of the same breed specific recessive disease variant.
That said, crossbreeding does not eliminate every health risk. Some diseases occur in both breeds, and many important conditions are complex and influenced by multiple genes. Check out our Blog post where we deep dive into diseases related to how blending a Cavalier and Poodle can produce a possibly healthier dog, a Cavapoo.
Ultimately, health depends on the actual dogs being bred, their genetic backgrounds, health testing, family history, and careful parent selection.
Why Safari Doodles looks beyond the generation label
At Safari Doodles, we consider generation information, but we do not choose breeding dogs simply because they are labeled F1, F1b or multigenerational.
We look at:
OFA health testing
DNA disease testing
coat genetics
genetic diversity
temperament
size and structure
family health history
what previous generations have produced
The easiest way to remember it
| Generation | What it means |
|---|---|
| F1 | Purebred × Purebred |
| F1b | F1 bred back to a parent breed, usually Poodle |
| F2 | F1 × F1 |
| Multigenerational | Doodle × Doodle from established lines |
Generation tells you how a dog was produced.
The actual genetics, health testing and parents tell you much more about the puppy you may get.
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