Where the Heart is
Is the Australian Cobberdog the same as the Labradoodle? NO!!
by Beverley Rutland-Manners, Cobberdog breed founder.
Australian Cobberdogs are no different in genetics than a number of individual established Pure Breeds which all have a portion of shared ancestry, having come from the same root stock. Yet they are individual Pure Breeds with their own DNA imprints. There are dozens of these, but just some examples are the SKYE TERRIER, the SCOTTISH TERRIER and the WEST HIGHLAND WHITE TERRIER, who all came from the same root stock.
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Scottish Terrier
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Skye Terrier
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West Highland White Terrier
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Since the Australian Labradoodle formed some of the branches that make up the ancestral tree of the Australian Cobberdog, then it has to include pure breeds such as Irish Water Spaniels, American and English Cocker Spaniels, two sizes of Poodles, Irish Soft Coated Wheatens (only Irish) and even Labrador Retrievers although I bred away from these as quickly as possible in the very early days, in pursuit of elbow and hip health, and to realize the vision of allergy friendly non shedding to low shedding coats.
Traditionally in Australia, country of its origin, your 'cobber' is your best and most loyal friend; buddy, pal, the one you can count on through thick and thin. The name I chose fitted my vision for the breed.
The Australian Cobberdog was accepted by the MDBA as a Pure Breed in Development in January 2012, following 7 months of assessing my submission and records. Since then, the Cobberdog has gained immense popularity across the world, which in turn, has seen a big influx of new breeders before the breed has had the time to be stabilized. Because of this, not all Australian Cobberdogs will exhibit the characteristics that made them so popular in the first place. So be sure to let your chosen breeder know what your needs are.
The Australian Cobberdog was accepted by the MDBA as a Pure Breed in Development in January 2012, following 7 months of assessing my submission and records. Since then, the Cobberdog has gained immense popularity across the world, which in turn, has seen a big influx of new breeders before the breed has had the time to be stabilized. Because of this, not all Australian Cobberdogs will exhibit the characteristics that made them so popular in the first place. So be sure to let your chosen breeder know what your needs are.
The authentic Australian Labradoodle was the brainchild and vision of Mellodie Woolley of Tegans (my daughter) back in the late eighties/early nineties. Together and independently we developed it with a series of intentional infusions from specific pure breeds at indicated stages and for special reasons to avoid a genetic dead end and for genetic diversity as well as to correct flaws in type or temperament as they appeared.
There was no DNA health testing back then and it was basically a matter of "try it and see"! It was a huge global success but it suffered from over popularity in the hands of new breeders who bred for the wrong reasons, until finally its reputation was tarnished. The Australian Cobberdog was on the brink of the same fate in 2023 and as with the Australian Labradoodle history, now there is a push to call The Australian Cobberdog, The American Cobberdog!!
There was no DNA health testing back then and it was basically a matter of "try it and see"! It was a huge global success but it suffered from over popularity in the hands of new breeders who bred for the wrong reasons, until finally its reputation was tarnished. The Australian Cobberdog was on the brink of the same fate in 2023 and as with the Australian Labradoodle history, now there is a push to call The Australian Cobberdog, The American Cobberdog!!
HOW MANY BREEDS MAKE UP THE AUSTRALIAN COBBERDOG?
I have no knowledge of breeds being present such as Golden Retrievers, Irish Terriers, Cattle Dogs, Curly Coated Retrievers, Springer Spaniels, or Cavaliers, just to name a few which are rumored to be in the ACD. If they managed to be sneaked in there, I had no knowledge of it until 2022 when I learned that it was possible that someone had UNOFFICIALLY put in Cavaliers and Daschunds to reduce the size from some of their breeding dogs and had also UNOFFICIALLY included various spaniels!!
This underhanded tactic introduced certain health issues that put paid to my own vision of creating the healthiest dog breed on the planet. At time of writing, there are now about thirty health issues that have to be DNA tested for any parent dog mandated by the MDBA before MDBA registration is approved!
Two Rutlands Australian Cobberdogs
In about 2002 my daughter Mellodie (nee Angela Cunningham) became very ill and was forced out of breeding for approximately ten years and I struggled to keep her vision alive. I gathered together some authentic Australian Labradoodle bloodlines that had not been corrupted and added more infusions as I went along. Not many people know this, but when I submitted the developing pure breed for acknowledgement by the MDBA In 2011 it was under the name 'Australian Labradoodle'. I wanted my daughter's name to always be associated with the original vision.
But the MDBA advised me that the name had such a stigma attached to it, and that Labradoodle pedigrees and bloodlines had become so corrupted that it would never be accepted by any pure dog breed registry in the world, including the MDBA. But they also said that my very lengthy submission and meticulous records would be looked at if I came up with a different name.
But the MDBA advised me that the name had such a stigma attached to it, and that Labradoodle pedigrees and bloodlines had become so corrupted that it would never be accepted by any pure dog breed registry in the world, including the MDBA. But they also said that my very lengthy submission and meticulous records would be looked at if I came up with a different name.
WHERE DID THE AUSTRALIAN COBBERDOG GET ITS NAME FROM?
In Australia, country of origin, there are two idioms used for your best buddy, someone you can always count on to watch your back. The most common one used is 'MATE'. But conversely, the same term is used to address your enemy often before you knock their block off! So NO THAT would never do!
The second is your cobber. Your cobber will never let you down. So that is where the new breed got its name from, The Australian Cobberdog.
The second is your cobber. Your cobber will never let you down. So that is where the new breed got its name from, The Australian Cobberdog.
After the MDBA accepted my breed, I then invited Tegans to participate and helped her to start breeding again by gifting her with a young adult proven female, Rutlands Wh Amelia, and several doses of frozen semen from my best stud dogs. This was NOT to repay her for 'gifting me' with my first two Australian Labradoodles years before as it is claimed by some! I purchased my first Labradoodle breeding stock from Ron Evans in Victoria, Australia. He had some very nice dogs and was up to the second generation Labradoodles, which he dubbed 'Double Doodles'. Don was not interested in registering a new breed of dog, the ones he didn't export to Japan, he used in his favorite pastime of hunting water fowl.
Cobberdog puppy flopping in arms at 12 weeks old.
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I often call The typical Cobberdog a 'Flop Dog' because even from a puppy, when they're picked up, instead of excitedly wiggling, they melt in your arms and lay perfectly still. Put them down again and they behave like any other healthy puppy, happily frolicking about. |
Cobberdogs should have a mellow and attentive temperament, and demonstrate seeking intuitive connection with humans by gazing deeply into your eyes. They should not be barkers, nor overly excitable. They are however, goofy clowns and go to great lengths to make you laugh, which seems to delight them.
The Australian Cobberdog (ACD) was recognized in January 2012 as a pure breed in development sprung partly from the root stock of the authentic Australian Labradoodle but with other pure breeds infused. Like most pure breeds it is different to the breed/s from which it originated.
What is the Status of the Australian Labradoodle in 2024?
The Labradoodle registries have never accepted my Wheaten infusion I did in 2004 (IRISH SCW ONLY) which I believe is part of their current problems. The MDBA has accepted it. The Australian Labradoodle became so corrupted that several different registries were set up to try and improve them from their temperament, to problems with health and coat. The trouble has been that some breeders joined the Master Dog Breeders & Associates (MDBA) purely for the purpose of acquiring one MDBA registered Cobberdog, to mix with their faulty Labradoodles. The result has been a hodge podge mixture of some good puppies and some not so good, all sold using the name of (usually the ACD sire) to promote their stock, I myself have unwittingly released ACD breeding stock to breeders who have been less than honest with me.
Can the Original Breeding Recipe Be Repeated or Repaired?
Personally, I don't think it can, because it isn't possible to recreate the individual dogs that influenced the breed over the years. So there is no blueprint that can be followed.
Most pure breeds have been around for hundreds and even thousands of years. So the Australian Cobberdog breed is still in its infancy. Tools such as DNA testing are certainly speeding up the breed development process, but it is expected that for some time to come there will be differences in the Cobberdogs being bred by various breeders who are still selecting for different traits along the way. The important thing is a unity of purpose amongst them all.
To this end, I believed when I handed the reins over to the MDBA in 2012 that it would be a good thing to have my life's work under the control of one entity.
Personally, I don't think it can, because it isn't possible to recreate the individual dogs that influenced the breed over the years. So there is no blueprint that can be followed.
Most pure breeds have been around for hundreds and even thousands of years. So the Australian Cobberdog breed is still in its infancy. Tools such as DNA testing are certainly speeding up the breed development process, but it is expected that for some time to come there will be differences in the Cobberdogs being bred by various breeders who are still selecting for different traits along the way. The important thing is a unity of purpose amongst them all.
To this end, I believed when I handed the reins over to the MDBA in 2012 that it would be a good thing to have my life's work under the control of one entity.
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What Does it Mean to Close the Studbook?
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When a breed is still being developed, a grading system is used. The first cross between two different breeds is graded as an F1 (1st generation). The grades go upward to the 4th generation (F4) which is then considered to be a pure breed. During the process, if an F4 (or higher) is mated to a lower grade than itself, then the resulting progeny are all down graded according to the system used by the individual registry.
Some breeders race through the generations so that they can boast that their stock are all beyond the 4 generations to be called 'pure bred' but this does not mean that their stock are in any way superior to lower grades and it should never be used as a yardstick to assess quality.
Some breeders race through the generations so that they can boast that their stock are all beyond the 4 generations to be called 'pure bred' but this does not mean that their stock are in any way superior to lower grades and it should never be used as a yardstick to assess quality.
Benefits of an Open Stud Book
While a Stud Book is still open, breeders may apply to their registry to allow them to add an infusion which they believe will be advantageous to their developing breed. The registry may or may not allow the infusion, but the option is there to apply.
An Open Stud Book allows registered animals of superior quality and/or health status to be used regardless of their generational grading.
Once the Stud Book closes, the only individuals permitted to be bred and registered, are those with a generational grading of F4 (Pure bred) or above and from registered parents within the Association.
So premature closing of a Stud Book will severely impact on the genetic diversity of the breed.
An Open Stud Book allows registered animals of superior quality and/or health status to be used regardless of their generational grading.
Once the Stud Book closes, the only individuals permitted to be bred and registered, are those with a generational grading of F4 (Pure bred) or above and from registered parents within the Association.
So premature closing of a Stud Book will severely impact on the genetic diversity of the breed.
When Will the Australian Cobberdog Stud Book Close?
Before the Stud Book can be closed there are technical requirements to be met, such as at least 500 individuals of generation F4 or above, to be assessed and judged on the consistency of their physical attributes and behaviours. The breed needs to have a wide genetic base on which to build future generations. The challenge is that fresh bloodlines introduced, must be genetically rich in specific traits unique to the breed. Otherwise there could be no consistency and generations of non-typey dogs would be produced which would at best slow down progress, or even halt it altogether.
The health and width of gene pools can be and often are, impacted by politics, differing views of what is the best path to take to get to the desired goals, differing views of what the desired goal/s should be, and numerous other variables. As at 2024 the breed is about to move from the Foundation registry into the Intermediate Registry which is a giant leap forward. Lots of exciting activities are planned for the near future and these ill be advertised and explained on the official MDBA Australian Cobberdog website.
The health and width of gene pools can be and often are, impacted by politics, differing views of what is the best path to take to get to the desired goals, differing views of what the desired goal/s should be, and numerous other variables. As at 2024 the breed is about to move from the Foundation registry into the Intermediate Registry which is a giant leap forward. Lots of exciting activities are planned for the near future and these ill be advertised and explained on the official MDBA Australian Cobberdog website.
Some breeders are pushing for the Stud Book to be closed already, claiming that the breed will stagnate otherwise. I fail to see how a breed can stagnate when it is only an infant in dog breeding terms. But I do recognize the dangers in closing the Stud Book too soon. At the present time, in 2023, a look at the various breeders' websites across the world, will clearly illustrate that the 'type' of Australian Cobberdogs varies widely, depending on which breeder you get your puppy from. To close the Stud Book now or even in the next ten years would seal in this variability by reducing the gene pool far too early.
I believe that the best way forward for the next few years is to regularly back track to individuals who have proven to exert a positive influence regardless of the bloodlines they have been blended with. This will 'set' the desirable qualities of the ACD whilst at the same time weaving fresh blood into the tapestry whilst the open studbook still permits it, without losing the gains of past generations of work already put in by some breeders.
I believe that the best way forward for the next few years is to regularly back track to individuals who have proven to exert a positive influence regardless of the bloodlines they have been blended with. This will 'set' the desirable qualities of the ACD whilst at the same time weaving fresh blood into the tapestry whilst the open studbook still permits it, without losing the gains of past generations of work already put in by some breeders.
