Doodle-Lingo
Goldendoodle Terminology Translated to plain English
We get a lot of questions about Goldendoodes and the terminology that surrounds them! The language of the doodle world can sometimes make one dizzy. Below, we break it down to help you understand doodle-lingo, but also help you understand why we do some of the things we do with our dogs and pups here at Cotton & Gray. We also hope that being able to break this terminology down will help you determine what type of Goldendoodle would be the best fit for your family, your home and lifestyle.
Hybrid - Crossbreed - Designer
The Goldendoodle is a product of breeding a purebred Golden Retriever with a purebred Poodle. This is what, in the dog world, is referred to as a "hybrid", "cross breed" or "designer breed". A Filial Hybrid is a product that is a result of two distinct parents. In the case of the Goldendoodle, it is the result of breeding a Golden Retriever and a Poodle. Although not recognized by AKC, designer breeds are recognized by reputable canine registries such as APR and ICA.
F1 - F1b - F1bb, etc...
Breaking it down
These terms above are used to define the product of the parent breeding combination.
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* The F stands for Filial, which comes from the Latin, meaning of or relating to son or daughter.
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* The Number following the F indicates the generation.
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* The b following the number indicates Backcross
F1
Our Sire, Jack, is an F1 Goldendoodle. His mama is a Golden Retriever, his papa is a Poodle. He is also known as a First Generation Goldendoodle. F1 Goldendoodles will typically have a more wavy, less curly, coat. They can also come with furnishings (see explanation below) that give them that classic teddy-bear look. The F1 will shed and is the least hypoallergenic of the Goldendoodles. In Jack's coat, you can see the hair he inherited from his dam, straight, and the hair he inherited from his sire, wavy. Although his coat is the least hypoallergenic of the Goldendoodle generations, it is the easiest to maintain.
F1b
F1b comes as a result of breeding an F1 Goldendoodle, such as Jack, back to a purebred parent, either a golden retriever, or a poodle. In most cases, the F1 Goldendoodle is backcrossed with a Poodle. Here at Cotton & Gray, Jack, our F1 Goldendoodle, was bred with our purebred poodle, Hazel. The product is F1b Goldendoodle puppies. This product yields a puppy that is 75% Poodle, 25% Golden Retriever. The result of this combination is a dog with a more hypoallergenic coat with minimal shedding and, yes, that beloved Goldendoodle teddy-bear look.
F1bb
F1bb is the result of breeding a F1b Goldendoodle back with a purebred poodle; yielding puppies that have 87.5% poodle genes and 12.5% Golden Retriever genes. This generation of Goldendoodle is a little harder to find, but also the more sought after for being the most hypoallergenic of the Goldendoodle generations. This breed will have tighter curls, yet still maintain that highly sought after, cute as can be, teddy-bear look.
Furnishings
Goldendoodles can come with what is called "furnishings". Yes, it is a thing. And it is what gives the Goldendoodle's face that classic, loveable, shaggy look. Furnishings refer to the hair on the face; the eyebrows, the mustache, and fluffy beards. Some Goldendoodles take after the Golden Retriever parent and have what is called a "flat" or "improper" coat. This gene, which comes from the Retriever parent, is not at all a negative aspect of the Goldendoodle. In fact, there are those that seek this coat on the Goldendoodle because the coat upkeep is less involved.
Hair color
The most common Goldendoodle colors are apricot, cream and red. But there is a whole array of colors and patterns Goldendoodles can come in. Some of our customers have been surprised to know we have black and silver pups. With the stronger Poodle genes, found in the F1b and the F1bb, the more diversified the coats become. Some of these, like silver, black, parti and phantom, are more unusual and rare in the doodle world. The possible colors and patterns for the Hazel and Jack pups are cream, black, silver, brown, and parti. The possible colors and patterns for the Beamer and Silver-Pearl pups are cream, silver, brown, parti and phantom. There is a whole genetic science behind this, but we are trying to keep it simple here. Remember, we are just breaking down Doodle-Lingo into plain English!
Clearing
Clearing is when a puppy's coat starts to change to it's adult coat color. This starts occurring at about 6 weeks of age. This change can be subtle; a cream Goldendoodle may develop more apricot shades to it's coat, for example, as it gets older. Some clearing is more dramatic, like a black puppy that "clears" to silver or blue. In the case of our pups, Tilly and Opal, at about 6 weeks of age, started to "clear" to silver. If you scroll through the photos of Tilly, you can see how she started black and is clearing to a beautiful silver. It can take about 2 years for some Goldendoodles to clear to their complete adult coat color. Clearing usually begins in the muzzle, around the eyes and in the feet and legs. It is exciting to see how they change as they grow!
