Cavoodle Generations Explained (F1, F1b, F1bb, F2, F2b etc.)
The Cavoodle (AKA Cavapoo or Cavadoodle) is a mixed breed dog, the resulting of breeding a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with a Poodle. As a cross breed, there are many different ways that breeders can mix the two breeds to alter the genetic make up of the Cavoodle. The most common Cavoodle generations are F1, F1b, F1bb, F2 and F2b where each generation has a different percentage mix of Cavalier King Charles Spaniel to Poodle.
These somewhat cryptic letters that denote Cavoodle generations can become quite confusing so that is why in this article we will break down what each one means so you can decide which Cavoodle generation is best for you!
F1 Cavoodle
The “F” in F1 Cavoodle means “filial” and the “1” means first generation. “Filial” is simply a way to denote generation. An F1 Cavoodle is the first generation of the breed created by crossing a purebred Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with either a purebred Toy, Miniature or Standard Poodle. An F1 Cavoodle is 50% Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and 50% Poodle.
F1 Cavoodle Appearance
F1 Cavoodles can either look more like a Poodle or more like a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. In terms of appearance, they are the most unpredictable generation as they are the first generation. F1 Cavoodles usually have round faces with floppy ears and a short length wavy coat. They come in many colours such as red, apricot, white, brown and black.
F1 Cavoodle Shedding
F1 Cavoodles are classified as non to light shedders as they do not shed much at all. They only drop a few strands of hairs here and there throughout the year. That being said, other generations of F1 Cavoodle shed even less such as F1b, F1bb or F2b Cavoodles as they have a higher percentage of Poodle genes. This is also the case for how hypoallergenic they are. F1 Cavoodles are considered to be hypoallergenic however cross-back generations such as F1b, F1bb or F2b Cavoodles are even more hypoallergenic.
F1b Cavoodle
The “F” in F1b Cavoodle means “filial”, the “1” means first generation and the “b” means back-cross. An F1b Cavoodle is the first back-cross generation of the breed. Back-cross means that the dog has been bred back to a purebred Poodle.
F1b Cavoodles are created by crossing an F1 Cavoodle with a purebred Poodle that is either Toy, Miniature or Standard sized. The resulting dog is 25% Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and 75% Poodle.
F1b Cavoodle Appearance
F1b Cavoodles look more like Poodles than Cavalier King Charles Spaniels as they have a higher percentage of Poodle genes. The most distinctive feature of an F1b Cavoodle is that they have curlier coats than F1 Cavoodles. F1b Cavoodles may also be leaner and taller than F1 Cavoodles.
F1b Cavoodle Shedding
F1b Cavoodles do not shed much at all. They are classified as a non to light shedding breed. In comparison to F1 Cavoodles, F1b Cavoodles shed even less. This is because F1b Cavoodles have a higher percentage of Poodle genes and Poodles hardly shed at all.
F1bb Cavoodle
The “F” in F1bb Cavoodle means “filial”, the “1” means first generation and the “bb” means double back-cross. An F1bb Cavoodle is the first double-back cross generation of the breed.
An F1bb Cavoodle is a cross between an F1b Cavoodle (Cavoodle x Poodle) and a purebred Poodle which can be Toy, Miniature or Standard sized. They are 12.5% Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and 87.5% Poodle. F1bb Cavoodles are not very common.
F1bb Cavoodle Appearance
F1bb Cavoodles may be even taller and leaner than F1b Cavoodles. F1bb Cavoodles always have curly coats and never wavy ones. Their appearance even more closely resembles a Poodle.
F1bb Cavoodle Shedding
Like F1b Cavoodles, F1bb Cavoodles do not shed much at all. They are classified as a non to light shedding breed. They shed the least out of all the generations as they have the highest percentage of Poodle genes. They are also the most hypoallergenic out of all the Cavoodle generations.
F2 Cavoodle
The “F” in F2 Cavoodle means “filial” and the “2” means second generation. “Filial” is simply a way to denote generation. An F2 Cavoodle is the second generation of the breed created by breeding a F1 Cavoodle with another F1 Cavoodle. They are 50% Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and 50% Poodle.
F2 Cavoodle Appearance
F2 Cavoodles look a lot like F1 Cavoodles. F2 Cavoodles have wavy coats which can come in a variety of colours like white, black, red, apricot etc. They have round faces with button eyes and floppy ears. F2 Cavoodles are a similar size and build to F1 Cavoodles.
F2 Cavoodle Shedding
F2 Cavoodles only shed a minimal amount. They are considered to be non to light shedders as they only drop a few strands of hair here and there throughout the year. They shed the same amount as F1 Cavoodles and a bit more than F1b, F1bb or F2b Cavoodles.
F2b Cavoodle
The “F” in F2b Cavoodle means “filial”, the “2” means second generation and the “b” means back-cross. Back-cross means that the dog has been bred back to a purebred Poodle. An F2b Cavoodle is the second cross-back generation.
There are two ways F2b Cavoodles can be bred. In most cases they are created by crossing an F1 Cavoodle with a F1b Cavoodle. These F2b Cavoodles are 62.5% Poodle and 37.5% Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Other breeders create F2b Cavoodles by crossing a F2 Cavoodle with a purebred Poodle. These F2b Cavoodles are 25% Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and 75% Poodle.
F2b Cavoodle Appearance
F2b Cavoodles most closely resemble F1b Cavoodles. They look more like Poodles than Cavalier King Charles Spaniels as they have a higher percentage of Poodle genes. They also have curlier coats than F1 or F2 Cavoodles.
F2b Cavoodle Shedding
F2b Cavoodles shed about the same amount as F1b Cavoodles. They are classified as a non to light shedding breed and only drop a few hairs here and there throughout the year.
Multigeneration Cavoodle
Once a Cavoodle goes past the second generation i.e. F3 Cavoodle, F4 Cavoodle etc. it is considered to be a multigenerational Cavoodle. Not many breeders breed past the second generation as the health benefits of cross breeding decreases which each successive generation.