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1) Origin
The origin of Hmong Bobtail dog is closely related to the history of Hmong people. Hmong people emigrated to the mountains of northern Vietnam from China in an attempt to escape the persecution by the chinese Qing dynasty. Many of them brought their working and companion dogs with them to their new homes and it is believed that the Hmong Bobtail Dog is a descendant of these dogs that were further crossed in northern Vietnam with local dogs. 2) Native dogs of Vietnam Today, the Hmong Bobtail Dog remains very rare and you can almost exclusively find it in northern Vietnamese provinces Hà Giang, Tuyên Quang, Lào Cai, and Yên Bái. It is also one of the four native dogs of Vietnam, next to the Phu Quoc Ridgeback, Chó Lài and Chó Bắc Hà. 3) Working dog For centuries, the Hmong Bobtail dog is a valuable working companion of Hmong people. They used this dog for controlling the livestock, protecting property and even for hunting small game. Today, the breed found utilization in police and military as well and they are sometimes used for patrolling the borders. This is very versatile dog that is known for its terrific memory which helped them in any kind of a job. They can easily remember difficult mountain and forest routes which helps them when patrolling, herding or hunting. 4) Companion Of course, the Hmong Bobtail Dog is not only a superb worker. They also make wonderful family companions. They are known for their extreme loyalty, intelligence and they are pretty easy to train. They are also highly playful and affectionate towards its own family, but they are reserved and aloof around strangers. Due to their hunting ancestry, they are not the best choice for families with other household pets, but they can typically be socialized to live with other dogs without problems. Interestingly, The Hmong bobtail is said to the calmest of all Vietnamese breeds. It is very relaxed dog and they do not need high ammount of exercise. 5) Not for novices It is also important to say, that the Hmong Bobtail Dog is not a good choice for novice dog owners. This is pretty strong dog with naturally protective and hunting instincts and it is crucial to properly train and socialize such dog from puppyhood, so they can turn into well-behaved and obedient adult dogs. I would definitely not recommend the Hmong Bobtail Dog to first time dog owner. 6) Size This is a medium sized dog breed with muscular body and average height between 46-54 cm (18-21 in) and weight is usually between 16-26 kg (33-57 lb). The males are naturally slightly taller and heavier than females, but the difference is rather subtle. 7) Tail Many people believe, that the bob-tail is always docked. But that is not true with the Hmong Bobtail Dog, whose tail is a natural bobtail and no docking is performed. The tail is typically 3-5 cm long (1,2-2 in), but sometimes it can grow up to 15 cm (6 in). 8) Coat The coat of Hmong Bobtail Dog is typically medium long and it has soft and fluffy texture. The coat is very thick, providing protection from weather, cold temperature and underbrush in the woods. The color can wary quite a lot, but the most common colors are black, brown and white. Some dogs have a coat in one plain color, some have a mixture of colors and some can be brindle. 9) Maintenance Speaking of the coat, it is important to mention the maintenance and grooming as well and luckily it is quite easy.The Hmong Bobtail Dog does shed seasonally and during that time it is better to brush their coat regularly to remove all the dead and loose hair and minimize the shedding. No other grooming is needed and the dog can take care of its coat by itself. Just like with any other dog breed, you should regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clean them or clip them if needed. 10) Health Last, but not least, lets talk about the health of Hmong Bobtail Dog. And great news is, that this breed is extremely healthy with superb resistance to diesaeses. The average lifespan is between 15 to 20 years and the only health issue are ocassionally missing teeth. Other than that, this breed does not suffer much from any serious health issues. Appearance
We all know how big and strong the Kangal Shepherd is. But in reality, it is not even the biggest and strongest among the Turkish livestock guardians. And even the Haymana Karası is slightly bigger. On the other hand, it is typically little bit smaller than the absolutely massive Aksaray Malaklisi. The female Haymana Karası should always be taller than 85 cm (33 in) and males are typically between 90-100 cm (35-39 in) tall. Compared to the Kangal, the Haymana Karasi is slightly more agile and swift. Another way how to distinguish the Haymana Karası from other turkish dogs is its coat and color. The Haymana Karası has very practical dense but relatively short coat that is always black. They might have some white spots on their coat as well, but no other color is possible. It is also stated in their name, because the word Karası means black in turkish. And the word Haymana? That is associated with the geographic region in Turkey, where these dogs are traditionally present. But i will talk about that little bit more later in this video. History Most breeds we know today are result of deliberate breeding process made by people, but the Haymana Karası (just like all the other Coban Kopegi dogs) is a landrace, which means, that they evolved naturally as a result of natural forces. We are not sure about the ancestry of turkish livestock guardian dogs, but it is believed that they are all related together, but they evolved over centuries by adapting to local specific conditions of different turkish regions. And the Haymana Karası is native to the Haymana region, which is relatively close to the capital of Turkey, Ankara. Thanks to that, they developed great resistance to both – cold and heat, because the Haymana region is located high plateau, with elevations averaging around 1,250 meters and the landscape is predominantly composed of rolling hills and flat plains. The weather is characterized by hot and dry summers and very cold and snowy winters. And the Haymana Karası evolved over time to be excellent at living in both extremes. For generations, and even today, the main purpose of Haymana Karası is protecting the livestock, especially sheeps. The main predator of the livestock is wolf and the Haymana Karası is proven by generations to be excellent at detering wolves. Sadly, today, the Haymana Karası is extremely rare, almost on the verge of extinction. If you would like to see them on your own eyes, you would probably have to visit the Haymana region. These dogs are found in small numbers in the Totak neighborhood, Durupınar neighborhood, and a few other villages in Haymana. But it looks that their population is starting to grow a little bit once again, so maybe the future is bright for this breed. Temperament You already know, that the main purpose of this breed is protecting sheeps from wolves and other predators, and they have perfect temperament for it! Only very strong, powerful and endurant dogs can be succesfull at job like that and the Haymana Karasi is exactly like that! They are absolutely loyal to the flock so as to its owners. They are very courageous and they would even die for its pack. Alertness, indepence and intelligence are other traits that are necessary for this job and Haymana Karası has all of them. The Haymana Karası is very adaptable breed that is extremely devoted and loyal to its master. Because of that, they can happily live just as companion dog and not as livestock protector, but they need plenty of exercise, so they stay healthy and happy. These dogs create very strong bond with its family and they want to be part of your daily activities. On the other hand, because of their natural protective instinct, they are alert and suspicious towards unknown people or other animals and it will take a while until a complete stranger will gain a trust of this dog. Health and grooming The maintenance and grooming is extremely easy with the Haymana Karası. This breed can keep itself in good condition and even without any grooming they will keep the coat in okay condition. Of course, regular brushing is only beneficial as it will remove any dirt and loose hair, but it is not necessary. Just like with all dogs, you should also regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed. The Haymana Karası is usually quite healthy and hardy dog breed with average lifespan between 10-15 years, which is actually extremely good for such a large dog breed. Most giant dog breeds have much shorter lifespan. These dogs are hardy and usually very healthy. The only health concern associated with this breed is ocassional hip and elbow dysplasia. History
To properly understand the origins of Australian Cobberdog, it is important to know the history of the Labradoodle. The Labradoodle is a mixture of a Poodle and Labrador Retriever. The first man who intentionally bred Poodles and Labs together as an effort to develop a new breed was Wally Conron, who wanted to develop a breed that will make excellent hypoallergenic guide dog. At first, these dogs were perfectly fitting the breeding goal, but as they became extremely popular, many kennels and breeders began breeding these dogs without any type of criteria and they would simply mix any Poodle with any Labrador without properly choosing the right dogs for the breeding. This caused, that the offsprings were completely unpredictable, wheter it comes to their temperament, size or shedding levels. These breeders basically destroyed Wally Conrons work as they produce their dogs purely for profit and they were not trying to create quality dogs. But there were still some breeders, that wanted to make quality Labradoodles. One of them were Mellodie Woolley and Beverley Manners, who decided to try to standardize the Labradoodle dog and achieve a breed recognition and they decided to change the breeds name to Australian Cobberdog instead of Labradoodle. They wanted to achieve, what Wally Conron had initially set out to do and breed a calm, intelligent and hypoallergenic dog, that could serve as a perfect therapy and guide dog. In 2012 the Australian Cobberdog was accepted by a worldwide breed registry Master Dog Breeders and Associates and all the Australian Cobberdogs have a pedigree and they are bred accordingly to a breed standard, just like any other purebred dog. The ancestry of Australian Cobberdog is still the Poodle and Labrador Retriever, but a small infusion of Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier was added into the breed as well. But in general, the main difference between the Labradoodle and Australian Cobberdog is, that the Australian Cobberdog has predictable qualities, while the Labradoodles are very often completely unpredicatble. In a nutshell, the Australian Cobberdog is exactly what the Labradoodle should have turned out to be if the shady breeders would not destroy it. Temperament The main goal of developing the Australian Cobberdog was to develop an even tempered and calm, empathetic, friendly and gentle dog, that will be suited as assistance or therapy dog. And indeed, the Australian Cobberdog does have all these qualities. It is also quite intelligent and eager to please dog. Cobberdogs enjoy learning new tricks and commands, they like different puzzle games and they like to be challenged mentally. Of course, they also enjoy physical activity, such as jogging, hiking, swimming or vigorous playtime. It is essential to exhaust your dog mentally and physically in order to have a happy and healthy dog in your home. The Australian Cobberdog is known to be very versatile and they can live in tiny apartments or in large home with big yard. They can live in city or in country. They can live anywhere as long as they are with their people. They are very loyal to its own pack. And not only that they love their own people. The Australian Cobberdog is friendly and trusting to almost anyone. They also make playful and gentle companions for kids, but of course, the child should be old enough to know how to act around dogs properly. And what about other animals? Generally speaking, the Cobberdog can be socialized to live with almost any household pet. Appearance The Australian Cobberdog looks similar to other dogs with Poodle ancestry. This is mostly thanks to the shiny and fine coat. There are actually two accepted coat types, one is wavy and the second one is more straight with only soft wavy touch. True Australian Cobberdog should not have a smooth and straight – Labrador like coat. The typical colors of Cobberdogs are gold, red, chocolate, black or cream. Great fact about the coat is, that it should be non-shedding and hypoallergenic. And indeed, vast majority of Cobberdogs do not shed. But it is important to say that all dogs produce some dander and saliva so they can trigger the allergies even without shedding. No dog is 100% hypoallergenic! The Australian Cobberdog has balanced body and they come in three different sizes. You can see the size comparisons on the screen right now! Health and grooming The Cobberdogs have coats that require a diligent grooming routine. It is not hard, but it takes a lot of time or you will have to pay some money for professional grooming services. Regular daily brushing will prevent matting and you will have to clip the coat from time to time, because it does not shed naturally. You should also take proper care about the ears, eyes, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed. Great fact about the Australian Cobberdog is, that it usually very healthy and hardy dog. The average lifespan is between 13-15 years. Smaller Cobberdogs will typically live little bit longer than larger Cobberdogs. Of course, just like any other dog breed, even the Cobberdog can suffer from some health issues, such as progressive retinal atrophy, degenerative myopathy, some allergies or infections, but as i said before, these ilnesses are rather rare and this is usually very healthy dog breed. |