Understanding The Irish Doodle Variations

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The Irish Doodle is from crossing a Standard Poodle and Irish Setter.  Sizes can vary of course and include miniature poodles to reduce their overall size. 

What does the F1 mean? This means, first generation, a purebred poodle has been crossed with a purebred Irish Setter.

F1b, First generation backcrossed, means that the F1 Irish Doodle has been backcrossed to a purebred. This is typically the poodle for the desirable low shedding trait.

F2, F3 and the further the Irish Doodle generation from the parent breeds the greater the genetic variability thus the challenge to predict their traits will be. 

We do get this question quite often. The “F” stands for filial hybrid. Geneticists classify a filial hybrid as a descendant from the mating of two distinctly different parental types. 

What does the “b” stand for? This stands for backcrossed or back bred. When the F1 Irish Doodle is backcrossed to a purebred poodle the offspring will then become F1b resulting in 75% poodle 25% Irish Setter therefore resulting in a lower shedding and more desirable trait for many with allergies.