Million-dollar question: F1 or F1B? HELP!

[Amy N]

We are first-time Doodle buyers and we are torn between three pups (two different breeders).

One is an English Cream F1. From the other breeder there is an F1B petite and an F1 mini. I feel really good about both breeders but, in addition to the right disposition, having a non/low-shedder is important to us.

In your experience, are F1s more likely to shed than F1Bs or is it a crap shoot and totally based on a dog's genes? I've read a lot of conflicting information. All three are described by the breeders as having "wavy to curly" coats--with the English F1 looking the least curly. HELP! We hope to make our decision soon so we can reserve our pup.

Thanks, cannot wait to bring him home!

[Sally S Miles]

We have an F1 Goldendoodle, she is curly and has always been curly - parts are super curl and others are looser, but nothing even close to a wave other than her tail and ears. She has littermates of all types of coat. She looks Very Poodly, but she sheds little tufts where she lays and we keep her clipped short because she also matts.  When I comb her there is very little hair that comes off, or if I brush her either, she leaves what I call 'poodle puddles' all over the house. Not at all like a Golden Retriever or GSD, my little Aussie is shedding like a cat - poof and there goes hair.

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

We have 2 F1 Goldendoodles. One has fine, wavy, mixed with poodle type hair on head and neck and other is thick wavy hair. The first does not shed hardly at all, mats easily when long and needs to be cut often. The other sheds some, still much less than a retriever, and can go months and months with out a mat or needing a grooming. So good and bad to each. My daughter has an F1 and an FIB. FI sheds, F1B does not but is curly like a poodle. Depends on the look and maintenance you prefer.

[Lynda Kamrath]

I prefer F1b, but that is just from my own experience.  Make sure the doodle is bred back to the poodle and not the other way around.  If you get a goldendoodle bred back to a golden retriever, you will probably have shedding problems, a beautiful pup, but not likely to be a non-shedder.  My F1b had the most beautiful coat, very easy to manage and did not tangle or mat.  He was a goldendoodle bred back to a standard phantom poodle, 85 pounds, but a beautiful boy.  We just lost him last week.  Take a look at the photos on my page.

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

We have a mini English f1. He sheds sparingly. I do see a few of his hairs on my dark clothes from time to time. But very little actually. He is 6 months and has not had the coat change yet, but I anticipate him being a light shedder, but hopefully no matts.

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

I have an F1b with a course, wooly coat and a multi-gen (F1b x F1b) with a soft, curly coat and both shed very little. I find doodle 'dust bunnies' in the corners of rooms, more so after baths than other times, but generally never on my clothes. My DH is fond of telling people they don't shed, but given the dust bunnies, I'm not convinced. Maybe it's not 'shedding' in the true sense of the word, but normal hair loss like we humans have. In any event, both dogs mat if their hair grows beyond a certain point so I keep them clipped short, except for their ears, muzzle and tail (those areas need a fair amount of work to keep mat-free). As others have said, it's a crap shoot regardless of the generation or hair type. There are no guarantees.

[Jen & Hudson]

Hudson is an F1b goldendoodle and was one of two non-curly pups in the litter. He shed a lot during the first month I had him, but as he's been getting curlier recently, the shedding is decreasing dramatically. I brush him every few days and get about a third of a brush full of hair. His coat is mostly soft and fleecy now with some coarser hair on his back. I suspect he will be fleecy as an adult with a small amount of shedding.