Doodle Definitions

Navigating the world of doodles can be confusing with all the abbreviations and terms. So here I will bring all those definitions together in one place to explain what you need to know about doodles.

Doodles - any breed bred to a poodle, the most common are: Labradoodle - Labrador / Poodle, Goldendoodle - Golden Retriever / Poodle, Cockapoo - Cocker Spaniel / Poodle, Sheepadoodle - Old English Sheep Dog / Poodle, and Bernedoodle - Burnese Mountain Dog / Poodle

Standard - refers to the size and means the other breed was bred to a standard poodle, for Bernedoodles the expected size would be 60 + pounds and greater than 22 inches tall, the size also depends on what generation F1, F1b, F2 (explained below)

Mini - refers to the size and means the other breed was bred to a miniature poodle, for Bernedoodles the expected size would be 25 - 60 pounds and 16 - 22 inches

Micro - refers to the size and means the other breed was bred to a toy poodle, for the Bernedoodles the expected size would be 15 - 30 pounds and under 16 inches

F1 - this means first generation, the F stands for filial or offspring and the 1 stands for the number of generations from the purebred parents. So F1 means the first generation after the purebred parents. A purebred Bernese Mountain Dog bred to a purebred Poodle would result in an F1 Bernedoodle, which is 50% Burnese Mountain Dog and 50% Poodle.

F2 - this means the second generation from the purebred parents. This is the result of breeding two F1 Doodles to each other. While theoretically this would result in 50% other breed and 50% Poodle, these results cannot be guaranteed. As you get further from the original purebred parents F2, F3 or Multigen - the genetics get much more complicated and the hypoallergenic and non-shedding tendencies cannot be predicted or gauranteed and may even be different among puppies in the same litter.

Multigen - all generations beyond F2 are considered multigen, see description under F2

F1b - this means first generation bred back to an original purebred dog. This results in a 75% / 25% mix. Typically, the F1 is bred back to a poodle, elevating the non-shedding, hypoallergenic characteristics of the poodle while still allowing for characteristics from the other breed. This is what we are currently breeding in an effort to give you the highest level of well bred Bernedoodle with the greatest chance of being hypoallergenic and non-shedding. What you need to be sure of if this is what you are looking for is that the breeder did not reverse the cross, meaning breeding back to the other breed. This would result in a 75 % Bernedoodle / 25 % Poodle and would likley shed and not be hypoallergenic.

Furnished - this refers to the coat of the puppy. A puppy is considered furnished if it has curls or at very least a wavy coat. You can also see furnishing in young puppies by looking at the mustache/ beard/ eyebrow appearance, where the hair will be more scruffy looking and more prominent in these areas. Some F1 puppies will be furnished, while most F1b (25 % Burnese Mountain Dog / 75 % Poodle) will be furnished.

Unfurnished - this refer to the coat of the puppy. A puppy that is unfurnished will more closely resemble the other breed's coat with less wave or curl and smoother around the face. However, some dogs develop furnishings as late as 18 months.

AKC - American Kennel Club is a stringent registry of purebred dog; to be sure that the parents are of the highest quality they should be able to be traced back to AKC parents, otherwise the breeding is not guaranteed. Also, it would be known if any of the ancestors were champion bloodlines, with the descendents being even higher quality.

I hope this is helpful to all navigating these designer breeds. Please comment if their are other terms you have heard that are confusing in the doodle world.