F1 vs. F1B St. Berdoodle: An In-Depth Side-by-Side Comparison

If you are really interested in getting a St. Berdoodle, you must have certainly seen some kind of acronyms like F1 and F1B. You must have also wondered what the F1 and F1B St. Berdoodle actually mean? Designer Dog Breeds are the new tendency in the canine world. It consists in mating two different dog breeds to create a unique dog. Some people think that designer dog breeds are healthier because when we mix two different breeds, we are creating a wide variety of characteristics when the dog’s DNA is enriched. The enrichment of the genes is known as Hybrid Vigor.

To begin the process of creating a designer puppy, we cross (Pure Breed A) x (Pure Breed B) = F1

F1 = Purebred – A (Dames: St. Bernard) x Purebred – B (Sire: Poodle) 1st generation dog – tends to be “50% purebred-A and 50% purebred-B.
F1b = F1 (Dames: St. Berdoodle) x Purebred – A (Sire: Std. Poodle) = 25% purebred – A and 75% purebred-B. Designer dog breeders say that the F1b is the most likely of any other combination to be non-shedding, allergy friendly and is the easiest coat to take care of.

These acronyms stand for the specific St. Berdoodle generations. Since the St. Berdoodle is a crossbreed between the Poodle and St. Bernard, the percentage of St. Bernard and Poodle can differ between each generation and is only a perfect science in a lab. Like all species, we all receive certain traits or genetic material from both parents and those traits will vary, just like brothers and sisters do not look the same. This can be seen in a litter of puppies that all look different even though they are from the exact same parent set. Both F1, F1B, and F2 St. Berdoodles are amazing and beautiful dogs. Still, there are some significant differences between them in terms of coloring, appearance, the amount of shedding, hypoallergenic-ness, ease of grooming, and more.

Knowing these differences will assist in deciding which one would be well-suited for you and your family. This post will hopefully help decipher these acronyms’ meaning and explain the main differences between F1, F1B, and F2 St. Berdoodle. Please keep in mind that while the trends in genetic crosses (hybridization) does not guarantee perfect percentages and are only for reference. The only way to truly get exact percentages of the hybridization, specific traits, or characteristics are through genetic manipulation in a lab. Additionally, there are both dominant and recessive genes in all species that will appear at different times through the breeding process.

What is an F1:

First of all, let’s break down the actual meaning of “F1” in the word “F1 St. Berdoodle.” The letter “F” represents the word “Filial,” which basically means that the dog is not purebred but a crossbred or Hybrid dog. Every St. Berdoodle is a crossbred dog between a Poodle and a St. Bernard, so the letter “F” will be included in their generational name. The number “1” refers to the first-generation offspring between a Poodle and a St. Bernard. Simply put, F1 means the first filial generation of offspring of specifically different parental types.

What Does F1B Stand for:

The meaning of F1B is like F1, except the letter “B,” which stands for “Backcross.” Backcross simply means that an F1 dog is a backcross bred with a 100% (purebred) parent breed. The letter “F” still stands for “Filial,” which basically means it’s a crossbred canine, and the number “1” also means it’s the first-generation offspring between a St. Bernard and a Poodle. Therefore, F2 means the second filial generation of offspring of specifically different parental types.

What Is a F1 St. Berdoodle:

The F1 St. Berdoodle is a hybrid cross between a purebred St. Bernard and a purebred Poodle, which creates a first-generation F1 St. Berdoodle that is typically 50% St. Bernard and 50% Poodle. In other words, an F1 St. Berdoodle will be half Poodle and half St. Bernard.

What Is a F1B St. Berdoodle:

The F1B St. Berdoodle is produced by crossing a purebred Poodle with an F1 St. Berdoodle, which creates a first-generation backcross F1B St. Berdoodle that is typically 25% St. Bernard and 75% Poodle this may vary based on genetic transfer from the parents. They’re more preferred by breeders and dog lovers due to their higher probability of a non-shedding and hypoallergenic coat. You may be thinking, “How do breeders get exactly 75% Poodle and 25% St. Bernard.” Well, the answer is relatively straightforward – they don’t, there is just a higher probability to have the associated split. They breed an F1 St. Berdoodle and backcross it with either 100% St. Bernard or 100% Poodle to improve the chance of receiving selected traits and characteristics. Breeding an F1 St. Berdoodle (50% St. Bernard and 50% Poodle) with a 100% Poodle produces an F1B St. Berdoodle, with the potential to be 25% St. Bernard and 75% Poodle.

Differences in Genetics

The genetics of St. Berdoodles differs because of the variation of genes from generation to generation, parent to parent and recessive versus dominant genes. Let’s compare the difference in the genetics of the F1 and F1B St. Berdoodle.

Differences in Appearance

Both F1 St. Berdoodle and F1B St. Berdoodle are almost similar in appearance but slightly differ in coat types and size. Let us compare their coats and also consider their sizes.

F1 St. Berdoodle

The coat type of the F1 St. Berdoodle can be either straight, curly, or wavy. Due to the 50% St. Bernard and 50% Poodle genetic makeup, one cannot really predict what their coat will look like and how much they will shed. The first St. Berdoodle to be bred is the F1 standard size, and it’s a result of a St. Bernard crossed with a Standard Poodle. Its typical mature weight is 100 – 125 pounds.

F1B St. Berdoodle

F1B St. Berdoodles typically have a curly or wavy coat. It has a lot more curls, and they are tighter curls, like a Poodle. Its similarity is mainly due to the higher percentage Poodle gene it has. In general, St. Berdoodles’ coat color can be black, white, copper, gray, silver, golden, red, or apricot. Oftentimes, white color can be seen on the St. Berdoodle’ s feathering, and the coat color tends to lighten as they age.

Differences in Health Issues

The first generation of St. Berdoodles certainly has the best health traits because they have the highest hybrid vigor. Now, let us compare both the F1 and F1B and see which one has the better health advantage.

F1 St. Berdoodle

One of the best things about the F1 St. Berdoodle is they have a health benefit known as Hybrid Vigor. Hybrid vigor simply means that a hybrid dog will be healthier and more robust than its purebred parent dogs. This is because the inbreeding of purebred dogs allows the same genetic defects to be transferred to each successive generation continually. The F1 St. Berdoodle is excluded from this because it is a crossbred dog. So it will typically only inherit genetic disorders that are common to both parents, the Poodle and the St. Bernard.

F1B St. Berdoodle

Conversely, the F1B St. Berdoodle has less hybrid vigor trait than the F1 St. Berdoodle. This is because the F1B St. Berdoodle is practically a “2nd generation crossbred,” so they will inherit less of the hybrid vigor trait. The hybrid vigor rule goes like this, “As the St. Berdoodle’ s generation increases, the hybrid vigor trait they inherit decreases.”

F1 St. Berdoodle vs. F1B St. Berdoodle: Which One to Choose?

In general, both F1 St. Berdoodle and F1B St. Berdoodle are very adorable and excellent family dogs. However, a specific generation between these two generations of St. Berdoodle can be perfect for your family, depending on certain factors such as allergy, dog’s health, lifestyle, and environment. If you are a type of person with mild allergies and can tolerate light shedding, then the F1 St. Berdoodle is the best dog for you. But if you or your family members have moderate-to-severe allergies and do not even like vacuum up the hair your dog leaves, the F1B St. Berdoodle will be much better for you.

Due to the F1 St. Berdoodle’ s high hybrid vigor, they tend to have more health benefits than the F1B St. Berdoodle. So, you may want to choose the F1 St. Berdoodle based on its health advantage. While some like St. Berdoodles with curly or wavy coats, others like those with straight coats. If you would love your dog to wear a curly or wavy coat, then you should look out for an F1B St. Berdoodle; they often produce a curly coat.

F2 St. Berdoodle

This is St. Berdoodles’ second filial generation (half St. Bernard and half Poodle). It is produced from the mix between two F1 St. Berdoodle. This generation is somewhat like the F1 generation due to the fact that they have the same percentage of St. Bernard and Poodle. This generation is deemed the most unpredictable generation of genetics, so most breeders do not breed them.