If you are new to the world of selecting a puppy, in particular a combined breed, then figuring out what some of the terms involved mean can be just a little confusing. Far from being anything to do with racing cars, F1, F1b, F2 are all connected with the parentage of the litter. Here, the Felindre Cockapoos team make sense of it all for any prospective clients.  

At Felindre Cockapoos, our puppies are always F1,

F1 means first cross. The parents are a Spaniel and a Poodle.

F1b means that one parent is a Cockapoo and the other parent is either a Spaniel or a Poodle.

F2 means that both parents are Cockapoos.

As a rule, you will find that F1 cockapoo puppies for sale, such as those you select from Felindre Cockapoos are the most consistent in their looks and coat types. Website visitors can get an idea of many of our beautiful cockapoo puppies from our gallery and testimonials pages from all the lovely families Felindre dogs have moved in with over the years.

This means our experience and knowledge gives us the ability to predict the colours and coat style of each litter of puppies we breed. There is still a difference in how curly coated or otherwise a puppy is as an F1 however. As a bit of a guide, often F1b puppies can be a little on the curlier side if a Cockapoo is crossed with a Poodle, and on the flatter coat side if crossed with a Spaniel.

Our breeding lines are well established and we are very experienced breeders, but since cockapoos are such a popular breed and not a pedigree, there are many ‘hobby’ breeders with little experience who may have bred from different stud dogs each time. These breeders may not be able to predict what a given litter will look like, or most importantly the temperament of the puppies, so you should be mindful of this when considering going to meet a breeder.

Your dog’s coat

Most people who want a cockapoo particularly love the ‘teddy bear’ look of the dogs. This is something that for most puppies develops over their first 16-20 weeks, when they become increasingly shaggy and fluffier in their looks.

With F2s you can find more unknowns, as some puppies may show more of an extreme towards either the spaniel or poodle parentage further back in their breeding line. One pup could be much smoother and spaniel like, whereas another may be super curly with a tight poodle style coat.

Within a litter though, when puppies are F1b or F2, puppies can still vary quite a lot. Their coats can be quite different in colour, texture, and their facial appearances quite different. When puppies are very young, less than around five weeks of age it can be very hard indeed to know the kind of coat they will end up with. They could turn out to be far more spaniel than poodle or vice versa.  

The gorgeous F1 puppies at Felindre Cockapoos are predictable from a young age and it is easy to predict the coat type from three weeks of age. 

Breeders of F1B or F2 puppies would recommend selecting a puppy after five weeks of age when you can start to get an idea, as their colouring and coats can change as they develop.

Size of your dog

The size of your new cockapoo is not determined by whether it is F1,2 or 1b, this is governed by the size of the parents used to breed and even then there can be variations, just as with members of any other family!

There are of course lots of different types of spaniels and they will differ a little in size, which of course has an influence. At Felindre Cockapoos, we breed using our beautiful Show Cocker Spaniels. However, the primary factor determining the size of your puppy will be the size of the poodle parent.

Toy Poodle – the smallest, usually between 24-28cm in height

Miniature Poodle – smaller miniature poodle would be 28-35 cm in height

Medium miniature poodle typically around 35-45 cm in height

These are the most popular size of poodle to use when breeding simply because the size of the dog is the most compatible with a spaniel. At Felindre Cockapoos, this is the size of poodle we use to breed our puppies.

Standard Poodle – 45-62 cm in height.

Overall, F1 cockapoo puppies are the most ‘reliable’ predictor of a new dog’s coat, although all types of cockapoos are completely adored!

Cockapoo Puppies for Sale

We have gorgeous light red cockapoo babies ready to leave at 10 weeks of age. For more information visit our cockapoo puppies for sale page.