Frequently Asked Questions

WHAT BREED IS YOUR PUPPY?

It is an Australian Cobberdog.

IS THE AUSTRALIAN COBBERDOG A REGISTERED BREED?

An Australian Cobberdog is a relatively new purebreed, still in the developing stages.

WHAT BREEDS MAKE UP THE AUSTRALIAN COBBERDOG?

There were many breeds involved in the early stages of development. Now the Australian Cobberdog doesn’t really resemble any of those breeds. We are many generations along now and it has it’s own unique genetic blueprint and characteristics which make them the ideal family/therapy dog:

Sustained eye contact
Emotional connection
Intuitive - wonderful at reading our emotions
High intelligence and trainability
Calm and easy going natures means they are great with children and other animals.

IS IT A LABRADOODLE?

No, though I can see why this question is often asked. Whilst they look similar and the Labradoodle was involved in the Cobberdog’s early development, the Australian Cobberdog has it’s own unique genetic blueprint and predictable traits.

The Labradoodle is a cross breed whilst the Australian Cobberdog is a pure breed in development.

Chocolate Brown & Black Raven Australian Cobberdog Puppies

Gold Red White Cream Australian Cobberdog

ARE AUSTRALIAN COBBERDOG PUPPIES BORN WELL BEHAVED?

No! Australian Cobberdog puppies are completely normal cheeky, naughty puppies. They will jump, dig up your garden, nip, bark, chew things they shouldn’t and will at times test your patience. Our dogs love water and will roll in puddles at every opportunity. They are a work in progress and if you put in the time, patience, training and boundaries you will be rewarded with the most beautiful calm, slow moving and connected traits that this beautiful breed has been developed and is in such demand for. The Australian Cobberdog comes into its own at around 18 months of age, and they are worth every second of the wait.

DO OUR PUPPIES COME WITH A PEDIGREE?
Yes. We are members of the Master Dogs Breeders & Associates (MDBA) and as such we adhere to the strict requirements for pedigree registration. Each owner is provided with pedigree papers for their puppy which provides peace of mind that your Karrah Creek puppy is a true Australian Cobberdog.

Please note that you will receive pedigree papers within the first couple of months of your puppy coming home to you. We are unable to submit pedigrees until after the last puppy from the litter has left for it’s new home. Once submitted the MDBA needs to process and send the pedigrees back to us which can take several weeks. Once received we will then pass the pedigrees onto you. For more info visit the MDBA website here.

Gold Red Australian Cobberdog Water Play

WHAT IS CONSIDERED IN MATCHING A PUPPY TO A FAMILY?

Our primary focus is on finding the most suitable home for each of our puppies and ensuring each puppy owner is matched with a puppy which has been individually selected as ideally suited for their needs and circumstances. We assess temperament from as soon as they are born and it is amazing to see character traits coming out even from those first days. We are always looking to match energy levels, social awareness and other behavioural characteristics with prospective owners circumstances and needs (eg. family/children suitability, activity levels, assistance/support potential etc). We currently have super active puppies who run marathons with super active owners and super calm puppies training to be accredited assistance dogs with super loving owners. While all our puppies are beautiful and do grow into stunning adult dogs, we always focus on raising and matching the temperament of our dogs to the best suited owner for life.

WHAT HEALTH PRACTICES DO YOU UNDERTAKE?

We undertake extensive DNA and physical health testing of all dogs in our breeding program to ensure optimal health and suitability of breeding partners and subsequent puppies. Additionally, we assess the inbreeding coefficient (COI) for any potential matings considering all available ancestors to minimise the potential of any non-tested genetic disease in our puppies.

All of our puppies are born and raised in our home as part of our family and we ensure their health and wellbeing is monitored continuously from birth including monitoring and recording daily weight gain, energy levels, feeding strength and cycles, toileting etc. Where we notice any indication of risk we actively manage as necessary to ensure the health and well being of each puppy remains strong. This includes managed feeding, manual/tube feeding, aspiration intervention, application of subcutaneous fluids and neonatal veterinary support or ICU if required.

In addition, we undertake veterinary health assessments at 6 weeks of age which assess eyes, ears, teeth, skin, coat, genital health, external parasites, heart/lungs, musculoskeletal system and general health. We ensure all puppies are vaccinated at 6 weeks and owners receive full details of the required vaccination schedule and requirements which apply until puppies are fully vaccintated, with particular focus on prevention of exposure to parvo prior to full vaccination.

All human interaction with our puppies includes strict sanitisation requirements to again reduce the risk of exposure to disease (eg. parvo) for which the puppies are not fully vaccinated. Puppies are wormed in accordance with recommended worming cycles and new owners are advised of the current worming cycle to work with their vet on establishing an ongoing worming program.

We are committed to providing each of our puppies the highest quality of health and well being from birth and for their full lifetime. We build lifelong relationships with our puppy owners and continue to work collaboratively where any health or well being matters arise throughout the life of our puppies.

We adhere to rigorous testing and care standards to ensure optimal health for our breeding dogs and puppies from birth through to their senior years. This includes genetic and veterinarian testing for all known typical Australian Cobberdog breed health risks and is in accordance with MDBA requirements.

We offer a lifetime written health guarantee for all tested inheritable genetic diseases and guarantee that puppies are of sound and good health at the time of purchase, including a health check by a veterinarian.

Here at Karrah Creek we are also committed to carrying out hip and elbow testing (PennHip and OFA) to ensure that our breeding program contributes to reducing the risk of hip or elbow dysplasia. You will find the individual results for each of our breeding dogs on their profiles here.

DO PUPPIES COME WITH A HEALTH GUARANTEE?

We adhere to rigorous testing and care standards to ensure optimal health for our breeding dogs and puppies from birth through to their senior years including genetic and veterinarian testing for all known typical Australian Cobberdog breed health risks and is in accordance with MDBA requirements.

Gold Red Chocolate Brown Australian Cobberdog Puppies

WHEN CAN PUPPIES GO TO THEIR NEW HOME?

Our puppies can leave at a minimum of 8 weeks of age. By this stage they will have had their health check, first vaccinations and are microchipped. They will be up to date with their worming and we will provide a detailed schedule for when their next treatments are due.

DO YOU OFFER TRANSPORT?

We can help you arrange transport domestically and internationally. Australian Cobberdog puppies tend to travel very well as they have been introduced to crate training from an early age. The purchase price does not include transport costs.

WHAT IS INCLUDED WITH PURCHASING A PUPPY?

In addition to a perfectly matched puppy, owners will get a lifetime of

support for their puppy, a closed group connection with other Karrah

Creek puppy owners (including litter siblings to keep in touch as they grow),

weekly updates and photo's until the puppy comes home, a comprehensive

Karrah Creek Puppy Guide with info about all aspects of puppy raising and

ownership, a lifetime health guarantee for all tested inheritable diseases, a

puppy pack full of goodies for puppy (toys, travel bowls, blanket which they've

slept with etc), access to a variety of discounted pet insurance policies and a

lifelong connection to us as breeders and friends.

As a purebreed in development, all puppies are registered with the MDBA and come with full MDBA Pedigree Papers including ancestry and any recorded DNA/health information.

ARE AUSTRALIAN COBBERDOGS SUITABLE FOR PEOPLE WITH ALLERGIES?

Yes, for the vast majority of people with dog related allergies Australian Cobberdogs are suitable. The Australian Cobberdog is hypoallergenic and low to non shedding and most people with dog related allergies have no reaction to the Australian Cobberdog.

Please note - this does not mean that they are suitable to everyone with dog related allergies. If you suffer from dog related allergies there is a possibility that you may be sensitive to dog saliva so this should be explored through allergy testing prior to purchasing a puppy. We are happy to talk through some options to assist in determining if the Australian Cobberdog is right for you, feel free to get in touch.

ARE YOUR PUPPIES DESEXED PRIOR TO GOING TO NEW OWNERS?

We practice delayed desexing in the interest of long term musculoskeletal health. Our puppies go home with a strict desexing contact.

HOW MUCH ARE PET PUPPIES TO PURCHASE?

The current price for our Australian Cobberdog pet puppies is between $5,000 - $6,000 AUD, subject to change at any time.