Goldendoodles are one of the most popular breeds of dogs. They are loyal, playful, and easy to train. They’re also considered hypoallergenic, making them an excellent choice for anybody who suffers from pet allergies.
But, when it comes to finding the perfect Goldendoodle to join your family, there’s quite a bit of research involved. One of the most important things you need to know is the differences between generations, and what this means for size and color.
This can be confusing and terminology such as “F1”, “F2B”, and “Multigen” can really leave you scratching your head. So, to make things easier, we’ve created a simple guide to Goldendoodle varieties.
Here, we’ll explore generation, size, and color, leaving you with a much better understanding of what variety is the best fit for your home.
Goldendoodles – The Basics
If you’re in a hurry and you need to know what the generational terminology used to label Goldendoodles means, here’s the simplest way of looking at it.
Every generation of Doodles begins with the letter “F”. This stands for “Filial Hybrid” and, put simply, it means that the puppy was created by two purebred dogs. In the case of Goldendoodles, this would be a purebred Golden Retriever and a purebred Poodle.
The “F” is then followed by a number and this is the generation of the dog. So, if the number is 1, that puppy is 1st generation. 2 means 2nd generation, 3 means 3rd generation, and so on. We’ll dive a little further into this later on.
Some Goldendoodle generations have a “B” at the end of the F1, F2, etc. This indicates that the Goldendoodle is a “backcross”, which basically means that the current generation is being bred back into a purebred Poodle.
Occasionally, the letter “B” will appear twice in the generation name. This means that this generation of Goldendoodle was backcrossed twice with a Poodle.
Goldendoodle Generation Chart
To make things even easier to understand, take a look at the generation chart below.
| Generation | Parent 1 | Parent 2 |
| F1 Goldendoodle | Purebred Golden Retriever | Purebred Poodle |
| F1B Goldendoodle | F1 Goldendoodle | Purebred Poodle |
| F1BB Goldendoodle | F1B Goldendoodle | Purebred Poodle |
| F2 Goldendoodle | F1 Goldendoodle | F1 Goldendoodle |
| F2B Goldendoodle | F2 Goldendoodle | Purebred Poodle |
| F2BB Goldendoodle | F2B Goldendoodle | Purebred Poodle |
| F3 Goldendoodle | F2 Goldendoodle | F2 Goldendoodle |
| Multigen Goldendoodle | Varies | Varies |
What Does Goldendoodle Generation Mean For Size & Color?
As far as color size and color is concerned, the generation number doesn’t really mean anything. The resulting offspring will take after one of its parents more than the other, although it will inherit color genes from both parents.
The final color of their coat is determined by both recessive and dominant color genes, and how these interact with each other.
The size of a Goldendoodle also has nothing to do with whether their parents were purebred or backcrossed, either. Instead, it will depend on what type of Poodle was used for breeding. If the Poodle-parent was a Toy Poodle, the resulting offspring will be a Toy Labradoodle. The same applies to both Miniature and Standard Poodles as well.
There are some things that the generation number will influence, though. The most important of these is potential health issues. If you’re able to look back through the Doodle generations and see a hereditary problem, it’s easier for breeders to switch to different lineages in order to stop it from being passed on.
As a result, the puppies that are born are less likely to suffer from health issues throughout their lives.
The generation number can also influence the price of a Goldendoodle puppy. We’ll look at this in more detail below, along with a more detailed explanation of what each generation number means.
F1 Generation Goldendoodle Explained
A Goldendoodle with an F1 generation number will be a cross between a purebred Golden Retriever and a purebred Poodle. F1’s are considered as the “classic” Goldendoodle and, although DNA percentages can vary, each puppy will inherit a rough 50/50 split from each of their parents.
While color and size will be determined by dominant genes and the Poodle parent’s size, the genetic diversity of an F1 Goldendoodle means that their coat can resemble either or both parents. For example, it could be straight like a Golden Retriever, curly like a Poodle, or anywhere in between.
This does mean that there is a risk of F1 Goldendoodles shedding a bit more, especially if their coat is closer to that of their Golden Retriever heritage. So, if you suffer from pet allergies, an F1 Goldendoodle may not be the best generation number to go for.
One plus side, however, is that F1 Goldendoodles are less likely to inherit any of the health issues that purebreds suffer from. This is because, as crossbreeds, they are much more genetically diverse.
Price
First generation (F1) Goldendoodles tend to be the least expensive of all the generations. This is simply because they are the most common generation. However, depending on breeder reputation, size, and color, prices can vary from $1000 – $5000 per puppy.
F1B Generation Goldendoodle Explained
The next generation to look at in more detail is the F1B generation. This is the result of breeding an F1 Goldendoodle (as above) with a purebred Poodle.
There is some loss of genetic diversity with this generation, but nothing too drastic. The main advantage is that you’re able to control the coat type much better, and F1B Goldendoodles usually have low-shedding, hypoallergenic coats. This means that they are one of the best options for people with mild pet allergies.
Price
F1B generation Goldendoodles tend to fetch a slightly higher price than F1s, and this is mostly because they are almost guaranteed to have a hypoallergenic coat. However, as with all Goldendoodles, prices can vary and an F1B generation Goldendoodle can cost anywhere between $1000 – $5000.
F1BB Generation Goldendoodle Explained
F1BB generation Goldendoodles are the generation that is most closely matched to a Poodle in DNA. This is because they are backcrossed twice with a Poodle, meaning that they have one F1B Goldendoodle parent and one purebred Poodle parent.
As their DNA matches the Poodle so closely, F1BB generation Goldendoodles are bred with allergy sufferers in mind. They are the most likely generation to be completely hypoallergenic and non-shedding. So, if you do suffer from pet allergies quite badly, an F1BB Goldendoodle would be the generation to go for.
There is one thing to keep in mind, though. The Poodle-heavy DNA of F1BB Goldendoodles means that they have less genetic diversity. This means that they’ll have a super-curly coat which, although hypoallergenic, is quite high-maintenance in terms of grooming at home.
Price
F1BB Goldendoodle puppies are less common and, as such, they come at a higher price. Again, prices will vary depending on location and breeder reputation, but you can expect an F1BB Goldendoodle puppy to cost anywhere between $2000 – $5000.
F2 Generation Goldendoodle Explained
This is where things start to become a little more complicated, but we’ll try to keep things as simple as possible.
There are many parent combinations that can result in an F2 generation Goldendoodle. The parent dogs can be a combination of any of the following:
- An F1 with an F1
- An F1 with an F1B
- An F1 with an F2
However, the most common pairing is an F1 with an F1, which is simply two first generations being bred together to produce a second generation (F2) Goldendoodle.
F2 Goldendoodles tend to be closer to the Golden Retriever in terms of DNA and, for this reason, they aren’t very common. They also aren’t guaranteed to be hypoallergenic or low-shedding, so they are really only suitable for people who don’t suffer from pet allergies.
Price
Due to their DNA swaying in favor of the Golden Retriever, F2 generation Goldendoodles are typically cheaper than most other generations. You can expect to pay somewhere between $1000 – $3000 for an F2 Goldendoodle puppy but, as always, this depends on location and breeder reputation.
F2B Generation Goldendoodle Explained
A Goldendoodle with an F2B generation number is a second generation backcross. To put it simply, this means that it is the offspring of an F2 Goldendoodle and a purebred Poodle. The result is a Goldendoodle that takes more DBA traits from the Poodle, watering down some of the Golden Retriever attributes.
This means that there is a much better chance of an F2B generation Goldendoodle having a non-shedding, hypoallergenic coat, which is ideal for mild allergy sufferers. However, it’s also important to note that this means they will more than likely have a curly, high-maintenance coat.
Price
The price of an F2B generation Goldendoodle can vary anywhere from $1000 – $5000 depending on the breeder, but they do tend to cost a little more than F2s. This is simply because there is more of a chance that each puppy will have a non-shedding, hypoallergenic coat.
F2BB Generation Goldendoodle Explained
The F2BB generation is potentially the hardest to explain, but we’ll try and keep it simple. An F2BB Goldendoodle is the offspring of an F1B Goldendoodle and a purebred Poodle. This means that they are backcrossed to the Poodle twice.
As a result, an F2BB generation Goldendoodle has a very close DNA match to a Poodle. This means that they are one of the best options for allergy sufferers as they are almost guaranteed to have non-shedding, hypoallergenic coats.
Price
F2BB generation Goldendoodles are pretty rare and this means that they cost more money. You can expect to pay close to $5000 per puppy, depending on location and breeder reputation.
F3 Generation Goldendoodle Explained
F3 Goldendoodles are pretty rare and this is because they are unpredictable and challenging to breed. As each parent is an F2 Goldendoodle, it’s almost impossible to determine what type of coat they’ll have but, for the most part, they’ll inherit the Golden Retriever’s traits.
Price
Pricing for F3 Goldendoodles can vary quite a bit. Some are quite inexpensive as they may not have the same hypoallergenic properties as other generations. Some breeders sell them at the higher end of the price scale as they are so rare. Typically, you can expect to find an F3 Goldendoodle being advertised for between $1000 – $5000.
Multigen Goldendoodles Explained
The term “multigen” simply refers to any generation that goes beyond F2. This includes F2B, F2BB, F3, and so on. If you see a Goldendoodle puppy being sold as multigen, but you’d like to know their specific generation number, send a message to the breeder and they should be able to tell you.
Final Thoughts – Which Goldendoodle Generation Is Best?
This really depends on what you’re looking for. If you want a “classic” Goldendoodle with a teddy bear appearance and a straight coat, the F1 generation would be best. F1s are also the most genetically diverse, so there’s less of a chance of them developing health issues throughout their life.
If you have a mild pet allergy, an F1B Goldendoodle is the safest bet. These are more closely matched in DNA to the Poodle, so they are more likely to have non-shedding, hypoallergenic coats.
Finally, if you have a severe pet allergy, an F1BB or F2BB would be the best choice. These have the closest DNA match to Poodles which means they are almost guaranteed to have non-shedding, hypoallergenic coats.
Whichever generation you feel is best for your needs, the main thing you need to remember is that your breeder should be able to tell you everything about their lineage.
If you feel as though they are being cagey or withholding information, it’s best to look elsewhere. Better yet, go to a rescue center. You won’t know the full background, but you’ll be giving a dog in need a loving home.
To find out more at the different sizes of Goldendoodles, colors, male v females and much much more, check out the following Goldendoodle guides: