The Australian Cobberdog
Developed in Australia, these family friendly, highly intelligent canines have been selectively bred for strong human connection and traits that make them suitable for working roles in our community.
They are known for their sustained eye contact, low allergenic fleece coat, fun and goofy nature.
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With the right training, Cobberdogs have a high aptitude for work in animal assisted therapies, excel in obedience training and dog sports.
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The Australian Cobberdog comes in three sizes; miniature, medium and standard, with a low-shedding wavy fleece coat that requires regular grooming. Being a breed in development, sizes within a litter can vary. With time, this will become more predictable.
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Some people prefer smaller dogs, whilst others like the presence of a larger dog. While sizes may vary, the same temperament traits are generally consistent across the different sizes.
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Cobberdog Traits
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Australian Cobberdogs are known for their high level of intelligence. As a breed, they exhibit exceptional cognitive abilities, making them highly trainable and adaptable to various tasks and environments.
Problem-Solving Skills: Cobberdogs possess strong problem-solving abilities, allowing them to analyse situations and find solutions independently. They can quickly learn to navigate challenges, which makes them excellent candidates for tasks that require critical thinking.
Trainability: Their intelligence and eagerness to please make them easy to train. They can quickly grasp commands and respond well to positive reinforcement training methods. This quality has made them popular choices for various working roles, such as therapy and assistance dogs.
Adaptability: Cobberdogs are highly adaptable and can adjust to various living environments and situations. Their ability to quickly acclimate to new surroundings and routines makes them suitable for families, individuals with disabilities, and even those with active lifestyles.
Social Intelligence: They have strong social intelligence, which means they can effectively read human cues and emotions. This understanding of human body language and facial expressions allows them to form strong bonds with their owners and respond sensitively to their needs.
Communication Skills: Cobberdogs are known to be expressive in their communication. They use a combination of vocalisations, body language, and eye contact to convey their emotions and needs effectively.
Working Abilities: Due to their intelligence, they excel in various working roles, including therapy, emotional support, assistance (for people with disability), and guide dog work. Their ability to learn complex tasks and respond appropriately in different situations makes them valuable and reliable partners in these roles.
It’s important to note that each individual dog's intelligence may vary, as temperament and cognitive abilities can be influenced by genetics, environment, and early socialisation. Regular mental stimulation, social interaction, and consistent training are essential to maximising the intelligence and potential of Australian Cobberdogs.
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Coat Types
There are a number of genes involved in coat composition and as a breed in its development, there is still variability in coat type amongst canines across the globe. It's important to note it's the combination of these coat factors that will determine the look of the coat and also a predictor of the amount of shed or low shed you can expect. These factors include furnishings, curl, undercoat, shed.
Let's look at these a bit closer
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Furnishings - The improper coat/furnishings (IC) Locus determines whether a dog may have longer hair around the muzzle and eyebrows. It is desirable for cobberdogs to have furnishings known as "fully furnished". Some dogs will carry the improper coat gene and these dogs can look exactly the same as a fully furnished dog. They may however exhibit some minor shedding although many have reported their coat can be easier to keep with less matting.
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Curl - The curl gene determines if a dog is straight, wavy or curly. If 2 curl genes are present (one passed down from each parent) the dog will have a curly/wool coat, if only one gene is present then the dog is referred to as wavy, and no curl genes the dog will be called a straight coat. Don't confuse the terminology straight vs smooth as a smooth coat is something different altogether. It can often be difficult to tell a wavy and straight coat dog apart as in many cases they look very similar. A straight coat dog will still have long luxurious gentle waves.
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Undercoat - Refers to the coat composition and determines if the dog has a single or double coat. A double coated dog will have greater density in coat and may tend to shed more, it will have the outer coat which is longer and includes the guard hairs, and a shorter fluffier coat that creates bulk and softness. A single coated dog does not have the fluffy undercoat only the outer hairs ,is less likely to shed which requires regular grooming to keep their hair and skin healthy.
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Shedding- MC5R Gene Determines the level of shedding and is closely related to the furnishings gene. One copy of the shedding variant usually results in a low to moderate level of shedding, with two copies of the shedding variant leads to a high level of shedding. Different combinations of shedding and furnishings results in different levels of shedding.
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Ideally breeders are working toward the fully furnished "straight" light density low shedding coat, this is a visually wavy coat with the lowest shedding genetics and no undercoat.
As a breed in development, this will take many years before having all dogs bred at this coat stage, breeders don't want to race to this end goal and lose other very important factors in their programs, especially with genetic diversity, temperament and conformation.
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SIZE
Cobberdogs come in three size categories, from mini to large standard, you are sure to find a size that is the right fit for you and your family.
Size is measured in cm from the floor to the wither (the top of the shoulder behind the neck)
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Miniature: 33 - 42 cm
Medium: 43 -51cm
Standard: over 51 and up to 61cm
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Breed Standard
A breed standard is the guideline which describes the ideal characteristics, temperament, and appearance of a breed and ensures that the breed is fit for function with soundness essential. Breeders and judges should at all times be mindful of features which could be detrimental in any way to the health, welfare or soundness of this breed.
Please see below for the Australian Cobberdog Society Breed Standard.