Multi-gen confusion!

[Leslie Brian]

Hello everyone! We are looking for a goldendoodle or labradoodle. I have been researching for a while and just when I thought I had the generations down I find double doodles and multi-gens!

So here are my questions...A double doodle is a goldendoodle and labradoodle bred together, correct? How do you determine what generation they are? F1, F1b etc...Do they shed? what kind of coats do they have?

I have read that some people call a puppy that has been bred F1b to F1b is called an F3 and some call it a multi-gen. And some say that a multi-gen is after an F3....Aggghhh so which is it? Do the F3s shed?

What would you breed an F3 with? Would you do F3 with an F1b? What would you breed a double doodle with?

I am just trying to get this down because there is not a whole lot of info on the multi-gen or the double doodle....anyone have experience?

Thanks so much!!!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

First, any doodle of any type and any generation can shed. If you believe nothing else, believe that. These are mixed breed dogs with heavily shedding retrievers in their genetics, and they do not breed true. That's one difference between purebreds and mixed breeds. In any given doodle litter, you can have puppies that look very different from one another, have different coats, etc., and may or may not shed. If you want a guarantee of non-shedding and a specific coat type or "look", you have to get a purebred dog. 

 A "double doodle" (sometimes called a North American Retriever) is a labradoodle x a goldendoodle, and either can be of any generation that the breeder chooses to breed together. In other words, you could have a litter of double doodle puppies from an F1 Labradoodle mom and an F2B Goldendoodle dad. Again, pretty much anything a breeder feels like doing. There are really no guidelines or breed standards as there are in the purebred world.  What generation they are would depend on what generation their parents are. Some do shed, some don't As for what kind of coats they have, they could have any kind of coat, from flat and wirey to woolly and curly. 

Once you get to an F3, you basically do have a "multi-gen"; again, there are no real rules or standards with mixed breed dogs. And to answer the question "do F3s shed, see the first part of my answer, lol. ANY doodle of any generation can shed. 

As far as what you would breed with an F3, or a double doodle, that's up to the individual breeder. Very few of us here are breeders, they are not active in this forum. If you choose the right breeder, you don't have to worry about it, that's their job, lol. 

I would look for a breeder who meets all of the requirements in the DK guidelines: http://www.doodlekisses.com/notes/What_To_Look_for_In_a_Breeder 

Hope this helps. 

 

[Adina P]

Some breeders are testing for the open face gene (or whatever it is called), Karen do you know if that eliminates the possibility of shedding or simply eliminates the retriever look?  (Because my F1 Rosco *looks* very doodley but sheds a ton).

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It doesn't eliminate the possibility of shedding at all! JD sheds as much as a purebred Lab if not more, and he is about as far from open-faced as they get, lol. 

(For those who don't know what we mean by "open face", that's when a doodle is lacking the gene for furnishings.) 

[Lynda Kamrath]

My suggestion would be to buy the puppy for the puppy, not the identification label.  Hopefully you will not be breeding your pet anyway, so it really doesn't matter.  Issues with shedding or coat type?  Goldendoodles are the best in these categories in my humble opinion.  Take a look at the dogs and pick the one that appeals most to you.  You are embarking on a great expedition.

[Kaitee and Orwell]

Here is a good site that will answer some of your generation questions:  http://www.cosmopolitandogs.com/about-goldendoodles

[Leslie Brian]

Thank you for your input everyone. I have been doing research for months and it still confuses me a bit lol We are ready to put our deposit down on one now, just have to narrow it down.

The reason I asked, is because I saw someone advertise puppies being sold (not yet born) from a F1B female to a mult-igen male (both goldendoodles) So I was just wondering what that puppy would look like and if it would be non shedding (as much as they can be) because I hadn't heard of that before. I wasn't sure if the male was from and F1BXF1B breeding or if the multi-gen meant beyond that. I did try to contact that person to find out (who I don't think is a breeder) but never heard back and I was just really curious if anyone else had done that.

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

I would think the odds would be pretty good that the puppy would be less likely to shed, unless the f1b female was the product of back-breeding to a golden retriever.  Then I would be leery if looking for a non-shedding or light shedding puppy. Good luck - I hope you find the perfect puppy for your family.

[Leslie Brian]

Thank you!