When it comes to the world of dog breeds, a little bit of knowledge about genetics can go a long way in understanding how certain dog breed mixes will turn out. You may have heard of dogs referred to as ‘f1b’ or ‘f2b’. Terminology such as f1b and f2b need not be as confusing as it sounds. They simply refer to the generation that a back-crossed dog belongs to.
Let’s take a look at these terms, and then apply them to some examples.
What Does F1B Mean?
This dog will be 75% of Parent A, who is a purebred, and 25% of Parent B, who is a cross breed. This is because Parent A is a purebred dog, and Parent B is a cross between the breed that Parent A is, and another breed.
Let’s use a Goldendoodle as our example:
Parent A is a purebred Poodle. Parent B is a Goldendoodle, which means the dog is half Golden Retriever, half Poodle. Therefore, their babies will be F1B Goldendoodle – 75% Poodle and 25% Golden Retriever. This mix is used to intensify the traits of Parent A in the offspring.
What Does F2B Mean?
Once again, an F2B dog will have 75% of Parent A and 25% of Parent B. But this is achieved differently, because there are multiple generations involved.
Parent A is a cross breed. Parent B is an F1B. Let’s look at the Goldendoodle again as an example.
Parent A is half Golden Retriever and half Poodle, also known as an F1 Goldendoodle. Parent B is half purebred Poodle, and half Golden Retriever-Poodle mix. Their offspring, which are referred to as F2B, are predominantly Poodle.
Hopefully, next time you see a dog described as being an F1B or and F2B, you’ll know that it basically means that the dog is 75% of one breed, and 25% of another. It’s just that the path the breeder took was different in each case!
Here are some popular F1B and F2B dogs:
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- A Labradoodle, which is a mixture of a Labrador and a Poodle.
- An Aussiedoodle is an Australian Shepherd and Poodle mix.
- A Cavapoo is a mix of King Charles Cavalier Spaniel and a Poodle and is also known as a ‘Cavoodle’.
- A Sheepadoodle contains both Old English Sheepdog and Poodle.
Why are there so many Poodle mixes out there?
As you may have noticed, all of the F1B and F2B mixtures listed above feature the Poodle. You may be wondering why there are so many Poodle mixes out there.
The reason why Poodles (Standard, Mini, and Toy) are used so widely as a breed to cross other purebred dogs with, is because of their coat.
Poodles shed a great deal less than other dog breeds. This breed is often referred to as ‘hypoallergenic’. This means that people with allergies are less likely to have an allergic reaction to a Poodle.
Poodles also come in three sizes—Standard, Miniature, and Toy—which gives breeders more control over the size of the offspring. For example, it makes more sense to cross a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel with a Toy Poodle, because they’re a similar size.
Finally, Poodles have a wonderful temperament, making them ideal for families with children. The Poodle is therefore the ideal breed to use in F1B and F2B dogs, so that these three desirable traits can feature alongside the traits of the other breed involved.