The coat is another CHARACTERISTIC of the breed. This is taken into consideration for Evaluations for Australian Cobberdog Conformation Champions.
The ideal is soft, luxurious, and smooth textured, single coat [no undercoat]. Very low to no shedding with very low to no odour. It is a visual straight or slightly wavy coat without curl with furnishings. Neither visually straight nor slightly wavy should be given preference when judging.
A curly coat , highly wavy or a dense rough feeling wool coat and a flat coat or hair coat that sheds with no furnishings are highly undesirable.
GROOMING
The coat should be of a length that maintains the breed’s soft, flowing, luxurious appearance without hindering the dog’s ability to perform therapy, assistance, and family companion roles. An ideal maintained length is approximately 7–12 cm on the body, [3 to 5 inches ] allowing the signature coat to be evident while supporting hygiene, low maintenance, and functional working needs.
KEY POINTS FOR THE AUSTRALIAN COBBERDOG LOOK.
The coat needs to move with the dog (flow), show texture , and look fresh (never heavy or matted).
A coat that is too short loses the flowing movement.
A coat that is too long becomes impractical — mats more, droops, looks neglected, and hides the athletic shape.
IMPORTANT GROOMING IMPLICATIONS:
A full coat in perfect natural length looks stunning and is required to effectively judge the correct texture but most practical working or family Cobberdogs will need light trimming to keep them in an ideal state for their real-life role.
In real life for working Cobberdogs, a tidy, slightly shorter trim is often closer to the ideal than a long, show-style flowing coat.
REAL-WORLD CONSIDERATIONS FOR COAT LENGTH:
For Therapy /Assistance Dog needing to wear vests/harnesses and in contact with potentially immuno suppressed clients a shorter coat is more practical. Shorter coats trap less debris, are easier to sanitize, dry faster if washed.and less inclind to get tangled or caught in vests or harnesses. For a family pet easy maintenance is essential — families can’t always manage daily combing.
Overall breed impression (luxurious, flowing look) should still preserve a straight coat or soft wave but not at an impractical length for everyday living.
Therefore, a Practical Ideal Coat Length for Australian Cobberdogs Should Be:
7-12 cm (approximately 3-5 inches) on the body:
Allows for soft texture and the flowing, luxurious look.
Avoids dragging, matting, vest entanglement, and hygiene issues.
Approx 1-2 cm underbelly, and hygiene areas
THE HEAD
Australian Cobberdogs are recognized by furnishings with the “groomed look” a fresh rounded appearance rather than droopy. When grooming and setting the jawline, the key is to use the natural curve of the jaw and cheekbones to create a clean and symmetrical look.
7–9 cm on ears and tail furnishings if kept natural:
1-2 cm around the mouth (beard) and, muzzle:
This is easier to clean, reduces infection risk, and keeps vision clear for work.
Fur under the bottom lip [beard] should be clipped short no more than 2cm long and moustache level with the top jaw line