We are talking about hybrid dogs as I’m sure you’re aware. If you breed a Labrador with a Poodle, you’ll get a Labradoodle. But what is an F1B Labradoodle? Quick answer – An F1B Labradoodle is three-quarters Poodle and one-quarter Labrador.
But there’s a lot more about this than meets the eye. What does it all mean? Is it relevant to me when I want to buy a Labradoodle dog? Read on, we’re going to answer all your questions about this and why it is essential information.
Everything You Need To Know About The F1B Labradoodle:
A Poodle Lab mix is commonly known as a Labradoodle. If you’re familiar with hybrid breeds, you will appreciate the idea is to combine each dog breeds’ best traits. Of course, you will not know what genes the puppies will inherit until after they are born. It’s safe to say they will look like and have a Poodle or a Labrador personality or a mix of something in between.
But choosing the Poodle and Labrador for this is a good idea because both dogs are smart and are perfect family dogs. So there’s an excellent chance that the Labradoodle puppies will be the same. However, you cannot predict how they will look.
1. Labradoodle: A History
A standard Labradoodle is a first-generation (F1) and originates from a purebred Labrador mating with a purebred Standard Poodle.
In this way mixing breeds is proving to be exceptionally popular as breeders seek to find ever more exotic variations where they believe they can establish a market for them. It’s a controversial topic and not at all welcome by the significant Kennel Clubs worldwide. The move towards hybrid dogs began in Australia’s 1980s, and the first mixed dog was the Labradoodle.
The original premise was for a breed of dog that was hypoallergenic or low-shedding. The dogs would enter into the guide dog training program in Australia, and the dogs would go to visually impaired allergy sufferers. Unfortunately, the experiment failed in so much as none of the puppies could pass the guide dog training course.
But what inadvertently happened was it began a trend that shows no sign of abating. Even the man who bred the first Labradoodle regrets the part he played in creating “designer dogs.” There was nothing wrong with the Labradoodle, but his fear was the ‘designer dog” craze would see even more puppies and dogs abandoned.
To learn more about the Labradoodle, we first need to understand his parents.
2. Labradoodle Parent Breeds
The ‘Labra’ bit of Labradoodle is, of course, the Labrador Retriever. The Lab was originally from Canada inducted into the AKC (American Kennel Club) sporting group in 1917. In those days their primary purpose was as a hunting dog. Today they are the most popular family dog worldwide.
The Standard Poodle donated the “Doodle” part of Labradoodle. The Poodle today is portrayed as a spoiled and pampered pet. But years ago in Germany, they were in fact retrievers themselves. Of course, today, we never associate Poodles with any type of hunting, but they are highly intelligent and very quickly trained. The AKC recognized the Poodle way back in 1887.
3. What Can You Expect From A Lab Poodle Mix?
You would expect two hunting breeds would combine to make an excellent and popular hunting dog. But that’s far from the case, the Labradoodle is a highly sought after service dog, especially for people who have allergy issues and require a low-shedding dog.
As we previously discussed in this article combining breeds in this way is an unpredictable business. The dogs are not clones, and breeders don’t know how the puppies will turn out until after they are born. It makes me wonder why there is such an outcry about mixing breeds when it’s a centuries-old way of producing dogs suitable for various occupations. Most of the purebred dogs you see today, all began their history as something else entirely.
We might not be able to predict the outcome of mating two different breeds, but there is a case for hybrid dogs, especially as there might be health benefits for the dogs, and that’s an excellent thing.
4. Labradoodle Appearance
The Labradoodle will be a medium to large dog. The Labrador breed standard calls for the dog to be between twenty-two inches up to twenty-four inches to the shoulder. The Standard Poodle height will be within the range of eighteen inches up to twenty-four inches.
Which is why we say the Labradoodle will be a medium to large dog. The Standard Labradoodle can range between fifteen inches and twenty-four inches but generally are at the top end of the range. The Standard will weigh between sixty and eighty pounds.
5. Labradoodle Coat Colors
The typical colors of the standard Labradoodle are solid brown or solid apricot. However, some standard Poodles can be particolored (at least 50% white with patches or spots of other acceptable colors), so a Labradoodle can inherit those colors.
Standard Poodles can have different colors that are acceptable apricot, all shades of brown including cafe-au-lait, silver beige, red, white, silver, gray, cream, blue and black. So Labradoodles may have variations including these colors.
6. Labradoodle Coat And Shedding
There are several coat types the Labradoodle can inherit. It could be a Labrador’s short, smooth double coat that sheds profusely. Or its Poodle side might throw out coats long and thick, either wavy or curly. The other alternative is the two coats combine to create a fleecy coat.
Determining these coat types is whether the Labradoodle’s coat is F1 (first-generation), F1b (second-generation) or F1b.b, F2b, F3b (third-generation) mix.
What do these mixes mean to the coat type?
7. F1 Labradoodles Vs. F1b Labradoodles Vs. F1b.b
The B in F1B means Backcross. As this implies, it’s inbreeding back to the purebred dog. For Labradoodles, it means back to a 100% Poodle. This mix is so the puppies will have a low-shedding coat and are often called hypoallergenic. The fleece type coat is the one that Labradoodles identify with; this is a low-shedding soft and curly coat.
Inheriting the fleece coat is never a guarantee and whether the Labradoodle is first-generation or a second or third will have a lot to say about the coat puppies will inherit.
First-generation (F1) Labradoodles (mixing the Lab retriever with a standard Poodle) are less likely to inherit the fleece coat. Their coats will have more in common with the Lab’s coat in terms of shedding, appearing to be somewhat fuzzy requiring minimal brushing with a coarse texture.
The F1B (second-generation) is mating a first-generation Labrador Poodle cross with a Standard Poodle. The FIB Labradoodle with the higher levels of Poodle genes, produces the low-shedding and fleecy coat. Mixing an F1B Labradoodle with a Standard Poodle is where the F1B.b or F2B mix comes from. This dog is a trendy mix because you see the Labrador personality with a Poodle type coat from this pairing.
8. Why Are F1B Labradoodles So Popular?
Having more Poodle genes, the F1B is a popular choice because potential owners know the coat is more likely to be low-shedding.
- F1B Labradoodles generally have the curly, fleecy type coat, which means the coats shed a lot less.
- Low-shedding dogs are becoming ever more popular, whatever the breed. So F1B generation is a desirable dog.
- F1B Labradoodles are spoken of as hypoallergenic. Once again generating desire for the dog from allergy sufferers.
- Another feature making the F1B highly desirable is the low-maintenance coat. Brushing two to three times a week is all that’s necessary.
Touting a dog as hypoallergenic is not telling the whole truth. No dog breeder can claim a dog is 100% hypoallergenic not even the F1B Labradoodle. All dogs have skin and saliva, and as most allergens come from those two factors, not the hair, there cannot be a truly hypoallergenic dog.
The F1B Labradoodle is low-shedding and does help people with allergies, as long as they take precautions with saliva and the minute skin particles in the air, dog owners can reduce the risk of allergies.
9. Are F1B Labradoodles More Expensive?
The more popular something is, the more it will cost you to own one. This principle is the same with dogs. The F1B Labradoodle is the most sought after of the Labradoodles because of its low-shedding coat-so in answer to the question, yes, the F1B will cost you more money.
Depending on the breeder and other factors you should expect to pay at least 50% more for your F1B Labradoodle.
10. Can F1B Labradoodles Live Outdoors?
Both parents of the F1B Labradoodle are social dogs. They need to be in a home environment, not shoved outside. With those genes, the Labradoodle will be precisely the same.
The Labradoodle thrives on constant contact with his family and is a loving and affectionate pet.
Of course, he will enjoy romps outside and enjoy walks the same as every dog.
Conclusion
If a low-shedding coat is on your list of priorities, you should pick the F1B Labradoodle, but if that’s not a consideration then perhaps think about the look of the coat that appeals to you the most.
If you like the look of the wavy coat that requires a decent amount of brushing, then you need more Poodle genes. If you prefer the straighter coat, and don’t care about shedding, look at the first-generation (F1) Labradoodle.
