Australian Cobberdog Origin
How did the Australian Cobberdog get its name?
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 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 exactly 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 exactly what your needs are.
IS COBBERDOG the same as LABRADOODLE? NO!
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.
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 these were bred away from as quickly as possible in th very early days, in pursuit of elbow and hip health, and to realize the vision of allergy friendly non shedding to low shedding coats.
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 is on the brink of the same fate in 2023.
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 is on the brink of the same fate in 2023.
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 have no knowledge of it!
In about 2002 Mellodie became very ill and was forced out of breeding for approximately ten years and I struggled to keep the 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". The MDBA advised me that the name had such a stigma attached to it, 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 accepted if I came up with a different name.
In Australia, the Cobberdog's land of origin, your best buddy/friend/pal is your "cobber" so that is how the breed got its name. At one point I was trying to think of a word to go with 'Mate'. Then I realized that it's a weird sort of word Down Under, because Aussies use that same word to their best friend, but they also use the SAME word to someone they hate, just before they knock his block off! Nooo... that name would never do!
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 her for gifting me with my first two Australian Labradoodles years before as it is claimed by some. I purchased them from Ron Evans in Victoria, The Australian Cobberdog was on its way!
In Australia, the Cobberdog's land of origin, your best buddy/friend/pal is your "cobber" so that is how the breed got its name. At one point I was trying to think of a word to go with 'Mate'. Then I realized that it's a weird sort of word Down Under, because Aussies use that same word to their best friend, but they also use the SAME word to someone they hate, just before they knock his block off! Nooo... that name would never do!
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 her for gifting me with my first two Australian Labradoodles years before as it is claimed by some. I purchased them from Ron Evans in Victoria, The Australian Cobberdog was on its way!
The Australian Cobberdog was recognized in January 2012 as a pure breed in development sprung partly from the root stock of the authentic Australian Labradoodle. Like most pure breeds it is different to the breed/s from which it originated.
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. Time will prove this to be true or otherwise.
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. Time will prove this to be true or otherwise.
|
Between 1837 and 1869 Sir John Dalberg-Acton, made the following remark in a letter to an Anglican Archbishop. “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." |
What Does it Mean to Close the Studbook?
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 '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 '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.
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.
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.
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.