Goldendoodle F1 vs. F1b temperament

[Wendy and Sophie]

Hello!

We are planning to get a goldendoodle next year and are deciding between an F1 and an F1b.  I understand the differences between the coats and possibilities for shedding, but wondered if the F1b's are less calm given the higher concentration of poodle in them.  We want a relatively laid back dog, and so I was curious whether the F1's tend to be calmer, given the 50% Golden Retriever in them, or if it depends more on the parents' temperaments rather than whether the dog is an F1 or F1b.  Thanks for any guidance you can share!

Best,

Wendy

[Angie, Hudson and Lily]

We have two F1B's and they are active outside, but calm and laid back in the house. They are always where we are and mostly snoozing on the couch. I think it has to do more with the personalities of the parents than F1 vs. F1B. Also Goldens and Labs with more field/hunting bloodlines tend to have more energy than the stockier variety. (As with most things, there are always exceptions to this). When you think of more poodle= more hyper, I think you are thinking more of the the small poodles.From dogbreedinfo: "The Standard Poodle is generally lower energy and often calmer than the smaller varieties of Poodles, but will become high strung if you do not give it the proper amount and type of exercise". (Again... there are always exceptions to this). The best thing you can do is read "What to look for in a breeder" on this site, and make a visit to see the adult dogs. 

[Adina P]

The 50% vs. 25% golden retriever is only across a large sample size...so it is just statistically that F1's are 50% golden retriever in temperament and F1bs are 25% golden retriever in temperament -- any individual pup might have more of the poodle or the golden's personality or one aspect of the golden and another aspect of the poodle when it comes to temperament.  So ultimately you want to start with two stable parents and have your breeder help you choose THE PUP with the best temperament for you. 

[Wendy and Sophie]

This is all very helpful; thanks so much.  We definitely plan to both exercise and train. :-)

I'll be sure to work with my breeder, and am only looking at folks that do some temperament testing.  

And that's interesting about the standard poodle; Angie's right; I thought they all were  a bit hyper! 

Thanks so much for all of your insights.

[Donna Bay & Buzz]

We now have 2 F1 Goldendoodles. One is a crazy nut, the other very laid back and calm. I think it can really vary. Pick a breeder that can offer a temperment test. I only learned that here on DK but from what I've read, it really helps with choosing the right personality. Good luck!

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

My boy just turned five, is an f1b, and hyper.
I'd like to call it a zest for life. You take whatever it is in a dog and you work with what you get.
My energetic boy is HAPPY! He likes to dance, play, and is driven. He is forever young.
Because of his energy, he was a challenge but this just means I get out and about doing things I never thought I'd do: parks, events, hiking, walks.
Daily training was a must. We learned so much from each other. He would not have been an ideal dog for any young family with children. :( Not at all. So glad we all found each other. Lucky me ;)

[Barbara B., Sasha & Oliver]

You are asking GREAT questions Wendy :)   I have a goldendoodle (Sasha)  and a labradoodle (Oliver).  I think the temperament depends on the individual dog.  My Sasha is very laid back and kind of quiet now at 4 yrs old.   When she was a puppy she was very high energy and I had to constantly keep her mind going because she is really smart.  My Oliver who is 3 1/2 is a big goofy kind of guy and he to is now laid back and quiet.  As a puppy he went thru all his "puppy" stages but he was calmer than Sasha.  I don't know how they figure out the F1, F1b, etc. etc.  Oliver's Mom was a labradoodle and his Dad was a Standard Poodle.  Sasha's Mom was a Standard Poodle and Dad was a Goldendoodle.   Oliver sheds and Sasha does not and both my doodles are the best ever :)  

[AndySharon BoomerShaynaMariner]

We have 3 F1b's.  Two "standard" males - brothers and one "mini(?) female.  (Our mini is the product of a 42 lb female F1 and a 16 lb male poodle - ours is 45 lbs).  Our boys are calmer than our girl.  I don't know if this has anything to do with the size or gender - I do suspect it has more to do with her parents.  We do know that our boys' parents were very mellow.  We don't know much about our girl's parents.

I would also be discussing this with the breeders.

[Leslie J]

Perhaps you should also consider getting an adult dog. Young dogs tend to be more active and hyper. With an adult dog you will know much more about his or her personality.

[Wendy and Sophie]

Hi Leslie,

I would definitely be willing to get a young adult dog; just assumed they're quite difficult to come by with this breed. I will continue to check the Doodle Rescue page occasionally, should something come up in NC. Thanks for the suggestion.

[Miss Ellie]

Wendy...we have an F1 goldendoodle and just love her temperament and personality.  But I'm sure others who have F1b's can attest to the same.  They are wonderful dogs and whatever you decide upon I'm sure you will be very happy!

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

Agreed! Enzo is a F1....her parents are what convinced us to go with the particular Breeder we did. She's relatively laid back and definitely more Golden than Poodle and does not shed. But, and it's a BIG but....like kids, puppies in a litter are going to vary. My 2 kids are as different as night and day!
All you can do, is use the information that is at hand to get the best match up possible. A good breeder should be able to guide you. That and, if possible, sit with the litter as much as possible. Different days, different times of the day. The puppy who is all cuddly at one time today, could be hell on wheels tomorrow.. Again, a good breeder will know the personalities of her litter.
Also...try not to say: " I want , for instance, a red, small, female". You limit yourself greatly. LOL and more times than not, that person leaves with a huge blonde male! ;). Many times, a puppy will pick you In Enzo's case....I thought I wanted a black dog...simply because I didn't want to catch myself comparing him/ her to the Golden we had just lost. I sat down in the middle of the litter and Enz was in my lap in mere seconds. No matter what I did , she was in my face! As far as she was concerned, it was HER and only her. As you can see...she is golden.
Long story short: which ever you decide, you will be thrilled to death. Doodles are the BEST. :). Look forward to pics of your newbie...whatever it maybe!

[Kristi and Mickey Finn]

If your worried about allergies and shedding I would go with a F1B. Our Mickey Finn is a F1 and he doesn't shed at all. There were 10 in the litter with only 1 shedder. You can look at the coat when they are born, Mickey had the waviest coat. We did the temperament testing with our breeder but we were the 8th pick, I think it was its great for the first half of the group but when your almost last its tough. We got the perfect dog, actually the one we wanted from the beginning. Mickey Finn needs attention, exercise and play for at least an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon. He is now 11 months old. He's always been this way so I expect it to continue. 

You will not regret getting a Golden Doodle they are the best dogs ever! Congratulations!