Help! F1 or F1b and how to choose coat

[NewfoundlandNic]

Hi all,

 

We lost our Lab cross to cancer unexpectedly last fall, she was only 8. We loved her dearly, but now we are ready to have another puppy. I would prefer to have a puppy with lots of retriever because I love the personality, but honestly, I'd like a break from the crazy "Charlie Brown Christmas Tree" type of shedding Parker (our Lab) had. I love the "mutt" look (please no one take offence!) of the shaggy, loose doodle. I need some help though.

 

We have to buy our puppy from away, there are no doodle breeders in our province. So that means I will be relying on the breeder to help me pick my puppy. We would really like a shaggy, loose but soft coat. How can one identify this when they are babies? I have heard that the puppies with crimps when they are first born will be curly, and the pups without crimps wavey/fleecy. But I have also seen some doodle pics where the coat never turned very "doodly", no beards (I love the beards! Had Olde English Sheepdog as a child, and I have a soft spot for that). If there is an F1b litter and puppies with smooth looking coats, will they turn out to have fleecy coats? It is all rather confusing and nerve wracking.

 

My profile pic is the doodle look I love. How would you experts describe that?

 

Thanks guys. Hope you can help. There is an F1b breeder I really have a good feeling about expecting puppies at the end of the month, but I don't know if they can help me pick a puppy from thier litter that isn't poodley. I know they are beautiful too, it's just not what we are going for. Temperment wise we need even and gentle - I have a toddler and a bay.

 

Thanks again, any advice is appreciated. Or send me some informative links if you have them.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

My Peri is a mini F1 goldendoodle.  I wanted F1 because I didn't care if they shed and wanted her less curly and poodly. However, just like others say, you just never know what you will get!  Peri's breeder suggested I take Peri or one of her other sisters that was less curly as a puppy because some of the other families had allergies and the other puppies were curlier (she thought they were the most likely to not shed/shed lightly).  As it turns out, Peri doesn't shed at all.  I got lucky!  And she looks just the way I wanted her too. But honestly, you will love your doodle no matter what :)

[NewfoundlandNic]

Peri is gorgeous, I love her coat! Is that a minpin companion?

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

There are some pics (from 8 weeks to 6 months) on my profile of my F1 mini that you may find useful. She did not have a facial beard and did not have a curly coat at all at 6 weeks.  When we brought her home at 8 weeks she looked like a miniature golden retriever pup.

 

Luna is an F1 does not have the shaggy coat (Most F1's are shaggy) - hers is more "wavy" and she looks almost like a miniature golden retriever but with the slender limbs and face of a poodle. 

 

My advice is to be sure that the pup you get has a facial beard when you get them since Luna does not have one at 6 months and is unlikely to develop it.  She has most of her adult hair now as well and it looks like she will be "wavy" but will not have the loose "messy" look of a shaggy coat doodle.