Can F1B Goldendoodles Have Straight Hair?

Hey, is anyone interested in what kind of hair a F1B Goldendoodle can have?  Me too!  When I had some free time this week, I thought I would investigate and see what I could uncover.

Follow along to see what I found out.

Can F1B Goldendoodles have straight hair?

No, it is not typical for F1B Goldendoodles to have straight hair.  This doesn’t mean that they can’t straight hair, but it is rare.  This straight-haired coat is from the Golden Retriever ancestor in the F1 Goldendoodle parent.  The F1B Goldendoodle tends to take after the Poodle lineage.  With the back crossbreeding, the F1B Goldendoodles have more genetics from the Poodle family. 

Unlike the F1 Goldendoodles with fifty percent Golden Retriever and fifty percent Poodle, the F1B Goldendoodles have seventy-five percent Poodle and twenty-five percent Golden Retriever.  Since the Golden Retrievers’ genetics are lessened, characteristics related to the coat of hair and other physical factors are reduced. 

This doesn’t mean that there won’t be any F1B Goldendoodles with a straight coat like their Golden Retriever ancestor.  It means there is a less likelihood of this type of hair showing up in a litter of puppies due to the reduced Golden Retriever genes. 

The F1B Goldendoodles are more likely to have a tight and curlier coat that matches their Poodle ancestors.  Despite some thoughts on the matter, shaving a Goldendoodle puppies’ hair will not change what they have been given at birth from their ancestors and is not recommended. When F1B Goldendoodle puppies are born and grow, experienced breeders know what to look for in physical traits to give potential clients a better idea of how the F1B Goldendoodle will look when fully grown.

The F1B Goldendoodles are a back crossbred dog.  They are the puppies of the F1 first generation Goldendoodles which are bred with Poodles.  While a Poodle is a pure breed dog, the F1 first generation Goldendoodle is a crossbred dog that initially was created by breeding a Golden Retriever and a Poodle together.

The F1 Goldendoodle generation has fifty percent of both the Golden Retriever and Poodle genes.  This results in a wide variety of possibilities concerning hair and other attributes.

When the F1B Goldendoodle is created by breeding a F1 Goldendoodle with a Poodle, there is now twenty-five percent Golden Retriever and seventy-five percent Poodle. 

Having straight hair or other Golden Retriever attributes in a F1B Goldendoodle is unlikely when this happens.  Not entirely impossible but less common than the curly, tight haired coat of a Poodle.

Is there a way to know if an F1B Goldendoodle puppy will have straight hair?

Yes, there is a way for experienced and knowledgeable F1B Goldendoodle breeders to know if a puppy will have straight hair versus curly hair.

Experienced breeders know what to look for in the puppies at a very young age that clients or other people might not notice.  Subtle differences in appearance that are only slightly noticeable in the puppies can tell the breeder what the F1B Goldendoodle puppy will look like as an adult.

It is always a good idea to select and use a reputable, experienced breeder who can not only provide a F1B Goldendoodle with the type of hair a client wants, but that ensures good health of the puppy too.  The puppies are more likely to be healthy, strong, and live long lives with their loving family for many years to come when reputable breeders are used.

What are some things that a F1B Goldendoodle breeder will look for in a puppy to tell if they will have straight hair?

A breeder that is experienced and knowledgeable in F1B Goldendoodle breeding will look to the face of the puppy.  This area can reveal what type of coat the puppy will have when they are an adult, whether straight hair or curly hair.

If around the face and when looking at the dog’s muzzle, there is waviness or what could be termed crimping, the adult dog will have wavy, curly hair like their Poodle ancestors.  If this area of the F1B Goldendoodle puppies’ body has straight, smooth hair, they will have straight hair like their Golden Retriever ancestors.

Again the straight hair on a F1B Goldendoodle is rare, but it can happen since the genetics have not been completely removed.  Experienced breeders can notice this in a young puppy to help potential clients select the appropriate dog.

What other traits do F1B Goldendoodles have when it comes to their hair?

F1B Goldendoodles have more of their Poodle parents’ hair.  They almost always have curly hair versus the straight hair of the Golden Retriever ancestor.  They also are what is considered one the most hypoallergenic of the Goldendoodle dogs.

Despite not having straight hair, the F1B Goldendoodles are considered a low allergen dog, making them a good choice for people who suffer from these and other types of allergies.  Their hair is hypoallergenic due to their Poodle parentage but is they have straight hair can factor into this as well.

Poodles are known for being low allergen dogs.  While no dog is entirely allergen-free or hypoallergenic, the F1B will be hypoallergenic when they follow the Poodle parent, if they have the straight hair of the Golden Retriever there is the potential for these rare dogs to NOT be hypoallergenic.

These F1B Goldendoodles also have a low shedding coat of hair, which is excellent for those individuals and families that don’t want hair around the house.  While straight hair may be less common in these dogs, their low shedding might make it worth the loss.

If F1B Goldendoodles have their hair shaved, will it become straight?

No.  Shaving F1B Goldendoodles puppy or Goldendoodle with curly hair will not make it straight.  Their hair, like human hair, will continue to grow back as their genetics dictate.  If they have curly or wavy hair, it shall grow back as such.  If they have straight hair, their hair will grow back straight.

This is even true when the F1B Goldendoodles are small puppies.  Their adult coat of hair doesn’t come in until they are around six months.  Some might believe that the F1B Goldendoodles coat of hair can be changed before this happens.  No amount of brushing, combing, grooming, or other tactics will change what their genes have given them.

The only way to have straight-haired F1B Goldendoodles is to find a breeder or adopt/rescue ones that do.

If this trait is crucial, they are not entirely impossible to find but It may just take a while.

It should be noted that shaving a puppy’s hair is not necessary.  Doing so serves no purpose until after their adult coat of hair has come in around six months.  Before this time Goldendoodle puppies can benefit from having a first cut or trim of their hair whether straight or curly but it will not change what they have been blessed with.

The less common F1B Goldendoodle that might be blessed with straight hair will also lose some of the other qualities they gained from the Poodle parentage.  These include being low shedding and hypoallergenic since the Golden Retriever parentage brings will it LOTS of that straight hair and higher allergens.

Many people who choose these F1B Goldendoodles select them because they are hypoallergenic and have low shedding hair.  This is one of the reasons why this Goldendoodle was created, to not only create a dog with more of the Poodle parents’ traits but because these traits can be beneficial to certain individuals.

Those individuals and families that have a need for this type of dog can welcome the F1B Goldendoodle safely into their household.  They have the comfort of knowing the dog is less likely to create health problems regardless of whether or not they have straight hair.

If the F1B Goldendoodle rarely has straight hair, what Goldendoodles do?

This answer depends on if potential pet parents are also looking for Goldendoodles that are hypoallergenic and low shedding or not.

The F1 first generation Goldendoodles can have straight hair, unlike the F1B Goldendoodles, but they will lack the characteristic traits of low shedding and hypoallergenic. 

The F2B Goldendoodles, which are similarly backcrossed between a F2 Goldendoodle and a Poodle, can have straight hair and be both hypoallergenic and low shedding.  These dogs are better suited to those families or individuals that need a dog with these qualities and want a dog that has straight hair.

F1B Goldendoodles may not usually have straight hair. Still, many other selections in this crossbred dog group can provide straight hair and other characteristics to suit every pet parent and family.

Closing Thoughts

Most F1B Goldendoodles do not have straight hair like their Golden Retriever ancestors.

That being said, they offer many other redeeming qualities that can make them equally appealing if one can overlook the lack of straight hair.

Every Goldendoodle is adorable and sweet.  Knowing this can make any Goldendoodle, F1B Goldendoodle, or otherwise all the more appealing!