Did you know that just like people who have variations in their hair colour, Australian Cobberdogs can have variations in their fur colour and shade? It’s fascinating to see how their fur can change as they grow and develop. Each dog is unique and special in their own way, and that includes their fur colour! Puppies are often not the same colour born as they may be later on.

It can be challenging for Australian Cobberdog breeders to predict the adult colour of their puppies with certainty. As a result, the actual colour of a puppy may differ from what was listed on their MDBA pedigree when they were registered as a newborn. We can’t predict or guarantee the exact coat colour of a puppy as they grow up, but that just adds to their unique charm!

There are several factors other than the colour traits they are born with that can impact the appearance of an adult coat. Over time, the coat may lighten or darken to a different or richer shade of the same or similar colour. However, it’s important to note that this change in colour may not happen uniformly across the entire coat.

As the dog matures, sunlight, air pollution, the environment, and the natural aging process will also impact the colour of the coat over time. Sun kissing of the tips of the coat, especially in chocolate dogs, has a bleaching effect.

This is called “weathering”. and it makes a dog appear to be a lighter colour than it really is. Because of this chocolates are often thought to be café, reds can appear as apricots, etc.
This can happen as a gradual process, so owners may not notice a difference in the coat’s richness, depth, and shine until the process has been going on for a while and enough hairs have grown faded or dulled to make a drastic visual difference.

All Colours the Australian Cobberdogs comes in are acceptable under the Breed Standard.

The colours below are the names of some of the colours on the pedigrees with a description of what each colour means.
In these descriptions, “pigment” refers to nose, lip rims, eye rims and paw pads.

White

White colour – may have pale lemon highlights. This is the lightest possible colour with pigment either black or brown.

Cream

Shades of white colour with a yellow tint of varying shades – this is from almost White to a pale gold colour with pigment either black or brown

Gold

The colour of varying shades of rich gold to the colour of the inside of a ripe apricot. Pigment either black or brown

Red

A solid even rich colour from orange/chestnut red through to deep mahogany. Pigment either black or brown

Black

The darkest colour – black with no other colour through the coat. Pigment must be black

Silver

Grey /pewter in colour to charcoal. Solid or uneven layering of colour through coat. Born Black and develop their colour over 1 to 3 years as a result of the greying gene. Pigment is black

Blue

Dark to medium Smokey blue/grey in colour. Born black with blue/grey skin. Pigment is / Blue Grey.

Brown

Dark rich brown with brown pigment. Born very dark brown.

Café

Milk chocolate to silver beige which develops over time. Pigment is brown.

Parchment

Creamy beige chocolate born milk chocolate colour which will develop over time. Pigment is brown

Lilac

A smoky lavender/chocolate colour that can have the appearance of pink/lilac. Born chocolate their colour will develop over their first few years. Pigment is brown

Parti – plus the secondary coat colour

Coat is patched, usually two colours (such as black or chocolate) on a white background. Pigment is either black or brown. White in the coat is at least 50%. If the coat colour is less than 50% white the dog will be described on the pedigree as the predominate colour “with “the other colour.

Phantom – with the coat colours

Coat markings which are in a secondary colour must be:
– Above each eye, on the sides of the muzzle (also referred to as the side of the cheeks)
– Across the dog’s chest
– Down the legs
– Under the tail
– These dogs are born with their markings. This does not occur as the dog ages.

Sable

Black tipped hairs on a background of any solid colour that has no designated pattern or location on the coat

Merle – plus the coat colour

The merle gene creates mottled patches of different colours in a solid or piebald coat. The dogs can have blue or odd-coloured eyes, and their skin pigment can be affected. A standard merle coat has two characteristics: a diluted base colour and random patches of full pigmentation. Dilute merles have a milder coat dilution with no patches.

Primary coat colour plus the secondary coat colour

Any coat colour with more than one colour that does not fit into other colour descriptions will be called the primary colour and the secondary colour, for example Black and white or brown and white.