So you’ve narrowed it down, and you’re 100% sure you want a Goldendoodle. Congrats! You are in for years of fun, laughter, and…grooming 😉 The final question now is what’s the difference between an F1 vs F1B Goldendoodle…and which is best?
Luckily, we have had over 1000 Doodle parents respond to our Doodle Temperament and Characteristics Survey. The survey asks for observations of 37 characteristics across 6 categories.
However, in this article, we’ll only discuss F1 vs F1B Goldendoodle coats and ease of grooming. This is because after analyzing the data, there doesn’t seem to be a huge difference in temperament between the two.
You can follow along by watching this video:
About the Graphs
The graphs below are updated in real-time as people submit their responses to the survey.
All ratings are based on a scale from Poor to Excellent. Keep in mind that these survey results are anecdotal (based on people’s personal ratings).
In addition to the F1 vs F1B Goldendoodle data, we are including data for F2 and other generations of Goldendoodles. “Other” includes Multigenerational Goldendoodles, as well as those who were Unsure of their Goldendoodle’s generation.
Each graph is interactive so you can hover over the sections (on a computer) or tap on the sections (on a mobile device) for more info. On mobile devices, the graphs might look cut off, but you can use your finger to tap and drag to scroll and see the full graph.
Visit this page for information on number of participants from our Doodle Characteristics survey.
F1 vs F1B Goldendoodle: Amount of Shedding
Let’s look at how much each generation of Goldendoodle tends to shed. Poor means a lot of shedding, while Excellent means no shedding.
F1
Looking at the gray and mauve bars, most parents rated their F1 Goldendoodles as Excellent and Very Good. This means the amount of shedding for F1’s is typically minimal or non-existent. However, some were also rated Satisfactory, Fair, and Poor (a lot of shedding).
F1B
Looking at the gray bar, an overwhelming majority of owners rated their F1B Goldendoodle as Excellent (no shedding). Only a few were rated as Satisfactory, Fair, and Poor.
What It Means: F1B Goldendoodles are typically offspring of an F1 Goldendoodle and Poodle “backcross”. Poodles are very low-shedding dogs. So, these results make sense because F1B’s are (in theory) 75% Poodle and 25% Golden Retriever. In other words: more Poodle DNA = less shedding.
Hypoallergenic-ness
Let’s look at how hypoallergenic each generation of Goldendoodle tends to be. Poor means allergies are always triggered, while Excellent means allergies are never triggered.
F1
Looking at the gray and mauve bars, most parents rated their F1 Goldendoodles as Excellent and Very Good. This means that F1’s typically do not trigger allergies and are considered quite hypoallergenic. However, there are still a few that were rated Satisfactory, Fair, and Poor (causing allergic reactions).
F1B
Looking at the gray bar, an overwhelming number of owners rated their F1B Goldendoodle as Excellent. This means that they typically do not trigger allergies. Only a few were rated anything below Excellent.
What It Means: These results are very similar to the above chart for Amount of Shedding. This makes sense because allergic reactions are typically synonymous with the amount of hair a dog sheds regularly.
Ease of Grooming
Let’s analyze how easy to groom each generation of Goldendoodle tends to be. Poor means that a lot of grooming is required, while Excellent means no grooming is required.
F1
Looking at the brown bar, most owners rated their F1 Goldendoodle as Satisfactory. This means that they require more grooming than the average dog.
F1B
Looking at the brown and yellow bars, most owners rated their F1B Goldendoodle as Satisfactory or Fair. This means that they require a lot more grooming than the average dog.
What It Means: These results make sense because of the difference in coat type we usually see between F1 vs F1B Goldendoodles. See the table below to learn more about these coat types.
| F1 | F1b | F2 | |
| Coat Description | Coats are usually more wavy than curly, which grows to a typical length of 3-5 inches. May or may not have an undercoat. | Coats are more likely to be curly than wavy, and grows to a typical length of 3-5 inches. May or may not have an undercoat. | Coats can vary greatly – curly, wavy, and anywhere in between – with varying lengths. May or may not have an undercoat. |
| Grooming/Coat Maintenance* | High care | Very high care | Moderate to very high care |
| Shedding | Some to light-shedding | Very light to non-shedding | Very light to non-shedding |
| Allergy Friendliness | Great for people or families with mild allergies | Recommended for people or families with moderate to severe allergies | Recommended for people or families with moderate to severe allergies |
F1 and F1B Goldendoodles alike, frequent grooming is an absolute necessity. We hope all you soon-to-be doodle parents are prepared, because the grooming aspect is no joke with these little jokesters!
As a very important side note, a Doodle being picked up from the groomer sometimes leaves us in shock – usually when the pup was completely shaven down without our consent. As Doodle parents, we must be extra mindful about the nature of our Doodle’s coat. If not properly maintained, it will mat up and cause the dog a lot of discomfort. If you have a Doodle and aren’t familiar with line brushing, I urge you to watch our video tutorial.
See Also:
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So in the Battle Between F1 vs F1B Goldendoodle, Who Wins?
If you’re seriously considering bringing a Goldendoodle into the family because you heard that they “never shed”, or maybe you want a dog but allergies run in the family, then an F1B Goldendoodle will probably be your best bet.
However, F1B’s tend to cost a little more than F1 Doodles. They also generally have more curly hair than F1’s, requiring a lot more grooming. So it all depends on your preference for coat, appearance, and budget.
Goldendoodle parents: do you agree with the survey results? Let us know by leaving a comment below!
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First let me say I am a lab and golden retriever lover. I’ve had several of these wonderful dogs in my 70 yr life. In recent years I have turned to adoption instead of purchasing because there are so many dogs euthanized everyday for no other reason other than being homeless. In October I adopted a goldendoodle who a rescue pulled from a puppy mill in Lancaster, Pa.. She was 7 yrs old and had just had her last of many litters and was going to be shot. She had to be carried to the car because she had never walked on grass. She spent her entire life outside in a filthy cage being bred and having 2 litters a year.
March 2, 2021 at 7:02 pmDaisy is a gift. She is so smart, loving, obedient and wants nothing but to please me. I was skeptical adopting a 70 lb dog with her past, but it was the best decision I’ve made. I pray we have her for many more years.