Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a summary of short answers from our web pages, for frequently asked questions about Cobberdogs. Email us if you don't find the answer you are looking for, and we will respond as soon as we can.
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What is an Australian Cobber Dog?
The Australian Cobberdog is a gentle, friendly low-shedding allergy-free dog. It was carefully and purposely bred to be suitable for people with special needs.
This selective breeding has preserved traits that support the original vision of the founders (Tegan & Rutland) for an excellent /low-allergy/allergy-free, companion dog. People with allergies were previously unable to have dogs, but now may do well with a Cobberdog.
Cobberdogs have an intuitive ability to feel the emotions of those close to them. They “feel” the presence of sickness, sadness and joy, and respond by cuddling up, playing or just staying close. Cobberdogs actually make eye contact to connect with you, and will even respond to your expressions and body language. Together these qualities make the Australian Cobberdog a very “special” companion.
Do Cobberdogs shed their coats?
Cobberdog coats are low-shedding, and therefore very allergy friendly.
What is the Cobberdog coat fibre?
Cobberdog coats are not hair texture. Instead, the coat comprises natural fibre that has greater moisture content and light reflection than hair. This means that it feels silky and soft to touch, and has a shiny, fine, silky appearance. The coat fibres gather and hang in groups that are called staples.
Most coat colours are light reflective and free of doggy odour.
What types of coats do Cobberdogs have?
The Australian Cobberdog coat description and characteristics were derived from the Angora goat!
There are three types of coats in Australian Cobberdogs; fleece, wool and smooth. These different coat types have slightly different appearances.
All coats are low-shedding, and allergy friendly. All coats need brushing to be kept free from tangling and matting, and some need clipping.
Each coat type provides different benefits for the owners; you'll find all the details about Cobberdog coats here on our Cobberdog coats page.
FLEECE COATS are silky fine and feel light to touch. The coat gathers into soft clusters called staples that hang in gentle waves and swirls.
WOOL COATS are a bit coarser and more dense. The fibres of the wool coat hang in beautiful spiral clusters.
SMOOTH COATS are a combination of fine hair and wool, with smooth faces (no facial furnishings) and back, and the long wool spirals on legs and rest of abdomen.
What size are Australian Cobberdogs?
There are four sizes of Cobberdogs. Measurement is taken from the ground next to the paw to top of the shoulder blades (wither), with the dog standing straight on a level surface. There is no 'toy' size in Cobberdogs. Read more about size and growth here.
The Miniature 35-41 cms and 7-10 kg / 13-16 inches and 15-22lbs
The Small Medium 41-47 cms and 10-16 kg / 16-18 inches and 22-35lbs
The Medium 47-56 cms and 14-22 kg / 18-22 inches and 35-48lbs
The Standard over 56 cms and 22-40 kg / over 22 inches and 48-88lbs
What temperament do Cobberdogs have?
Cobberdogs should be totally non-aggressive, extremely intuitive, sociable, comical, joyful and energetic when free to be. The Cobberdog is a 'medium prey drive dog' which makes them easy to train. They possess an ability to feel the physical and emotional state of the people they are close to. This ability to feel is what has made the Australian Cobberdog an excellent animal for people with special needs. They are purpose-bred and well suited to be therapy dogs, assistance dogs, hearing and seizure alert dogs.
Are Cobberdogs good Assistance Dogs?
As seen above in temperament, the Cobberdog's characteristic of empathy gives it ability to intuitively feel the emotional and physical state of people they are close to. Because of this, the Australian Cobberdog is an excellent pet for people with special needs. They are purpose-bred and well suited to be therapy dogs, assistance dogs, hearing and seizure alert dogs.
What colours do Cobberdogs have?
There are two color groups in the Cobberdog breed, the solid and the shaded.
The solid colour group are an even colour all over. They are raven, chocolate, red, caramel, chalk and caramel ice.
The shaded colour group have a blend of tones. They are black, blue, blue merle, silver, gold, apricot cream, caramel cream, cafe, lavender, parchment and chocolate merle.
It is normal that all coats may show sun bleaching which can lighten the color.
Do Cobberdogs come with a Pedigree?
All true Australian Cobberdogs have full pedigree registered with the MDBA. Ridgy Didge Cobberdogs follows the MDBA's stringent pedigree registration requirements. We maintain a detailed pedigree register for each dog and puppy. This records DNA and health results, and championship results. It also records ancestors working history, temperament and idiosyncrasies. Every breeder and buyer can access this information for all MDBA registered dogs. We provide each owner with an MDBA registration certificate for their Ridgy Didge puppy. This should make you very confident that your Ridgy Didge Cobberdog pup will have the very best health and temperament.
What is included in the cost of a Ridgy Didge Cobberdog puppy?
Our breeding program ensures that our puppies are the very highest standard of health, characteristics and behavioural traits. They are bred with love, attention and the very best care. We do extensive DNA testing of breeding dogs, and hip and elbow scores, to ensure our pups will have the best chance of being free from problems. We do not discount our puppies, so our prices are firm. The purchase price for a Ridgy Didge Cobberdog that is picked up at 9 weeks includes all of the following:
- ear tattoo confirming desexing
- two vet checks
- vaccination appropriate for age
- microchipping
- worming program as advised by veterinarian
- MDBA registration certificate
For more details of current puppy prices and the process of applying for adoption, contact us at Ridgy Didge and we will send you an application package.
Acknowledgement is given to Tegans Australian Cobber Dogs as a source of much valuable information.