Australian Cobberdog

Australian Cobberdog is the name to define a pure breed ‘Labradoodle’ originating in Australia. In Australian slang, a cobber is a ‘mate’, and the name Cobberdog was chosen because it means ‘dog-friend’, referring to the breed’s primary purpose as a therapy and assistance dog. This is a role for which it is ideally suited, thanks to its friendly, loyal and loving nature and exceptional intelligence and learning ability.

Like the Labradoodle, the ‘Cobber’ (Australians always abbreviate names!) is descended from Labrador and Poodle ancestry. From the Lab side, he has acquired a wonderful, consistent temperament that is ideal for a therapy and assistance dog, and from the Poodle side, a beautiful hypoallergenic coat. Yet, despite being bred primarily for these pragmatic qualities, rather than for good looks, he is undeniably good-looking, highly adorable and extremely cute!

Cuteness factor notwithstanding, the Cobberdog is the perfect family dog as well as a first-class therapy and assistance dog. He has the ideal amount of energy to serve as an assistance dog, is very intelligent and quick to learn how to do his work and shows great sensitivity to children, seniors and everyone in-between. Close family contact, mental stimulation and moderate exercise keep him content, and he thrives on a long daily walk.

The Cobber does not have a hair coat, but rather a fleecy or woolly coat that is soft and silky, odourless even when wet, non-shedding and allergy friendly. It may either be wavy or ringlet, with more defined curls. The coat doesn’t shed, and the skin doesn’t peel or flake, meaning that it doesn’t affect most people who usually have an allergy to dogs.

This fabulous coat comes in a variety of colours, including solid black, silver, coffee , blond, gold, silver, blue and red, colour combinations, such as Merle (chocolate and blue) and parti (a combination of any one of the solid colours with white), and shaded colours (various tones of the same colour).

The breed is available in 3 different sizes, large (height of 50 – 58 cm and weight of 20 – 35 kg), medium ( height of 43 – 50 cm and weight of 12 – 20 kg), and miniature (height of 33 – 43 cm and weight of 6 – 10 kg).

You may be forgiven for thinking that the Australian Cobberdog is just a fancy name for a ‘Labradoodle’, but there are some important differences between the two. The original purpose of the Labradoodle, which came into being first, was to cross a Labrador Retriever and a Poodle in order to create a hypoallergenic service dog. However, as the popularity of the Labradoodle took off, unregulated breeders jumped on the bandwagon and tainted the Labradoodle ‘brand’ by breeding for prettiness and profit.

The Australian Cobberdog was later created from the original Labradoodle ancestry, along with strict breeding stipulations and registration requirements so that the breed would have a controlled lineage and become officially recognised, as well as to continue to fulfil its original purpose as a hypoallergenic service dog.

In contrast, the Labradoodle continues to be mass-produced by a vast range of breeders who are not governed by regulations or standards. In some cases, other breeds have been introduced into the lineage. This has resulted in inconsistencies in appearance, temperament and health between Labradoodles, making them largely unsuitable as service dogs; nevertheless, they continue to be a highly popular – and lucrative – ‘designer breed’.