Deans Doodles. Prichard, WV 606•331•3362

In January 2012 the AUSTRALIAN COBBERDOG was officially recognized as a Pure Breed in development by the arms - length, third party global Pure Breeds Registry, the MDBA . To safeguard the future of this developing pure breed, by restoring and maintaining consistency and reliability which was lost in the Australian Labradoodle through splintered groups, the MDBA is the only registry body in the

world authorized to register Australian Cobberdogs. WHERE DID IT COME FROM? So far, generally, the assumption has been that the name, Australian Cobberdog, for a breed in development is only due to issues relating to a new name being needed if Australian Labradoodles are to be able to be accepted as a purebred some time into the future. But let us be very clear - The primary purpose of the introduction of the Australian Cobberdog name was to be able to identify dogs of a new breed, which has been developing and selected for specific temperament, traits and characteristics for more than a decade and a half by SOME breeders world wide of Authentic Australian Labradoodles. The name Australian Cobberdog/ Labradoodle has been seen by most as the same “breed”. Though the roots of the Australian Cobberdog will always be associated with the Labradoodle the finished product is a new breed, bred selectively, by breeders who are interested in future generations and not just the litter on the ground, to get a healthy, identifiable and predictable breed of dog more reliably suited to service, therapy and assistance work. THE Australian COBBERDOG RECIPE - CAN IT BE REPEATED? At some point not far into what they were doing, the founders of the breed developed a clear idea of what they were trying to achieve based on the characteristics they saw in some of their dogs and puppies. They knew they wanted the dogs to be able to behave in a certain manner and work at specific tasks mostly suited towards assistance service dogs. They wanted a non-shedding coat which was easier to care for than that of many other non-shedding breeds. They wanted their finished recipe to be able to be predictable so everyone who was seeking unique specific qualities in a dog could be confident in what they were getting. In order to do this they carefully selected dogs which had the desirable qualities they wanted to keep and any added “ingredient” or infusion was done with a specific purpose at a specific time in the development. Dogs of the parent breeds were carefully, individually selected and infused with specific purpose of what the dog may bring to the breed at that time and at that point in the breed development. Some of those animals kept by the founders for breeding and sent out as breeding dogs with other people produced some puppies which were close to the ideal but genetics and heritability being such an unpredictable mixing machine meant that if those breeding them did not select for those specific characteristics there would be less bred that helped bring the breed any closer to the final vision. The popularity of the breed did not work in favour of having only breeders who were selecting for what they should have over a quest for money. Just because a dog is closely related to the founder’s original bloodlines doesn’t give any guarantee that the breeders who have bred them have understood the importance of knowing and selecting for the desired outcome for the breed's future. Over time you get what you select for and anything you don’t select for you see less and less. Which dogs they are related to helps but selection of desirable qualities cannot be underestimated. HOW IMPORTANT ARE THE PARENT BREEDS? - THE BREEDS WHICH MADE UP THE ORIGINAL RECIPE THAT PRODUCED THE AUSTRALIAN COBBERDOG
There is much importance placed on the “parent breeds” and for some the perception is that if you simply add in a dog of one of the breeds used by the original developers of the breed in the beginning, now and then, or even starting from the beginning with the same parent breeds will bring the same results. Few who have returned to adding a dog belonging to one of the “parent breeds” to develop their breeding programs have helped the breed progress. Any infusion, has to be able to be shown to potentially bring something that will carry the breed closer to the original breed developer’s desired outcome for the breed or it becomes a backward step. The aim of developing a breed is to be able to produce more healthy puppies with science and selection that have the desired characteristics. To get to a place where the ratio of dogs bred which do not fit this criteria are rarely seen. It is only then that it can be acknowledged as being a “breed”. If we simply follow on and do the same as what is seen to be the traditional way of developing a new breed with obsession about keeping the lines pure too soon we set the breed up to having the same problems other breeds now suffer into the future. CONSISTENCY THROUGHOUT LITTERS
How wide the gene pool is that can be used for breeding to the desired goals at any given time in a breed’s development can be impacted by politics, differing views of what is the best path to take to get to the desired goal, differences in the view of what the desired goal should be and numerous other variables. Breed specific Pedigree registries run by those involved in the breed spring up, each with their own set of rules, politics and selection criteria creating a divide in the base gene pool. Dogs from infusions the founders used as the breed development progressed, other than the 5 breeds the registries have identified as parent breeds have been refused registration by some Australian Labradoodle registries, even though the founders determined that some of the progeny of these later infusions were needed and an asset to the breed and they are now infused into the Australian Cobberdog breeding gene pool throughout the world. As the Australian Cobberdog breed is developing the MDBA stud books are kept open with restriction, for good reason as directed by the Australian and International Cobberdog Parent Club. That is because the breed is still a work in progress. The gene pool needs to be wide and healthy without the negative side effects history has taught us are a potential threat to the health, longevity and fertility of a pure breed if the stud books are closed too soon. THE ROLE OF THE PARENT CLUB
The job of the Australian and International Australian Cobberdog Club is to take the Australian Cobberdog Breed through to being able to reach the necessary criteria to be recognised as a breed in its own right whilst ensuring the long term health and the future of the breed is protected. Because of the threats to a breed in development and the history of divisions in the gene pool as this breed has proceeded the founders believe that one third party pedigree registry worldwide is the best option to protect the breed and give it a better chance of becoming a recognised breed, where the dogs which are being produced are clearly belonging to one pure breed, predictable in characteristics and healthy. Whilst the parent club is eager to have clubs affiliated with the parent club in each country, the Master Dog Breeders and Associates which registers animals from all countries has been selected as the ONLY registry to keep the Australian Cobberdog stud registry . There may be a need from time to time to consider a new infusion of a dog from one of the parent breeds, or a dog from another breed if it can be shown to be potentially positive toward reaching the desired goal for the breed as it is developing. The parent club must ensure that infusions are kept to a minimum for what is determined to be currently best for the Australian Cobberdog breed, based on the variables at the time. No matter what, the approved infusion may be, no matter what the ancestry is, breeders must maintain the goal that eventually the breed will have hundreds of breeding dogs all tested and graded as fitting the desirable breed characteristics and capable of breeding true into the future and select accordingly. No breed nor cross breed is permitted to be infused unless first approved [even if it is one of the identified parent breeds the founders used]