Daley Connections Australian Cobberdogs

11/10/2026

Upcoming Guardian Home Opportunities

Guardian homes play an important role in our ethical and responsible breeding program. Breeding prospects (future breeding dogs) are carefully placed into their forever home at around 9 weeks of age (the Guardian home), allowing them to grow and bond with their forever family.
The dog remains owned and contracted to me (the breeder) for a set amount of time. It is different for males and female dogs. If at 12 months of age the dog passes all appropriate assessments (hip and elbow radiographs, DNA test, structural assessment, ophthamology test, temperament test), the dog will be utilised for breeding purposes. For a male dog, we may borrow him from time to time for a few hours here and there. For a female, they typically have 2, sometimes 3 litters with us. We do all of the mating, and the female comes to us a week before she is due. She stays here for 6 weeks and returns back home when the pups are weaned.

When the dog retires from official breeding duties, he/she is desexed and lives out their best life with his/her forever family. We pay for all breeding related expenses, and the Guardian covers all of the typical costs associated with having a pet (food, annual vaccinations and health check, leads, puppy school, etc).

Guardian owners receive a prospective breeding dog, one with exceptional genetics, physical conformation (bodily structure), and temperament, at no cost. It is the puppy who is 'pick of the litter' and shows all of the traits we look for in a breeding quality dog. It is important our guardian homes are fully committed to training the puppy (obedience, sit, stay, crate trained, walking loosely on a leash, not reactive, well socialised etc) as he/she is representing the calibre of dogs we are producing.

Guardian homes gain access to breeder expertise, resources, and ongoing support for the life of the dog. Many guardians find joy in being part of a purposeful program that promotes the health and quality of Australian Cobberdogs.
The ideal Guardian home we will be seeking is:
• Within a 30 minute drive of Bendigo (I am willing to extend this if a guardian family is able to work with us to help with transportation when needed and is the perfect fit)
• Ready to welcome a beautiful puppy into their home within the next six months
• A person or family who is committed to loving and caring for the puppy/dog for the duration of its life
• Willing to socialise and appropriately train the puppy (including a full course of puppy school plus ongoing obedience training)
• Prepared to feed a high-quality diet as recommended by the breeder
• Experienced with dogs
• Living in a home with a fully fenced yard
• Able to spend at least 3-4 hours with the pup every day, especially in the first few months of life (this would suit someone who works from home or retirees)
• Is willing to have the puppy indoors and around the family. She/he will sleep and spend plenty of time indoors around the humans
• Is willing to abide by contractual conditions.

Being a Guardian is incredibly rewarding; you will be the enviable owner of an exceptional puppy who will bring you endless joy and unconditional love. If you have discussed this arrangement with your family and you meet all of the criteria above, please email me directly at [email protected].

Please also let me know if you'd like to engage with any of our current guardian families who can attest to the love, care, time and dedication we invest in our breeding dogs.

08/10/2026

Melbourne friends. What a great opportunity for a Cobberdog!
https://www.facebook.com/share/1V18vW5Tgz/?mibextid=wwXIfr

🐾✨ CALLING ALL PAWSOME MODELS! ✨🐾

We love our community and want to give a little something back…. so we’re on the hunt for some adorable dog & cat models to join us for a couple of fun photoshoots! 📸🐶🐱

📍 Melbourne based
📍 Richmond
📅 13th November & 4th December

Whether your fur baby is a seasoned poser or just naturally photogenic (aka knows they’re cute 😏), we want to see them!

COMMENT 🐾 below if you’re interested and we’ll be in touch! 💕

05/10/2026

We've just updated our website to reflect our anticipated pairings over the next 12 months. You can check it out here: https://www.daleyconnections.com.au/ourlitters

Photo model: DC Felix Boo 'Bear'

01/10/2026

Important Safety Post

As spring growth takes off across Australia, it’s time to be vigilant about grass seeds and the danger they pose to our dogs.

The danger increases as seed heads change from green to beige or straw-coloured and become dry, stiff and “crusty”. Many develop sharp, barbed awns that catch in a dog’s coat, pierce the skin and work deeper into the tissues.

Grass seeds commonly lodge between the toes, around the paw pads and inside the ears. They can also become embedded around or within the v***a or p***s, and enter the eyes or nose. Once embedded, a seed may no longer be visible and can migrate to a dog's heart, lungs or brain.

My tips and things to watch for:

* Persistent licking, chewing or “munching” at a paw.
* Limping, holding a paw up, or redness and swelling between the toes.
* Repeated head shaking, scratching or kicking at an ear, or a head tilt.
* Excessive licking around the ge****ls, or painful or difficult urination.
* Sudden sneezing, eye redness or squinting.
* Unusual irritability, restlessness or reluctance to have an area touched.

To reduce the risk, take notice to avoid the seeding plants/areas in your yard or out in public when walking your dog.
Keep grass and weeds managed at home.
Check your dog's coat, paw pads, groin and ears after a walk.
Keep your cobber trimmed appropriately over the warmer months.

It is important that if you suspect an embedded grass seed, you seek veterinary advice pronto. Before I knew what I was looking for, all three cobbers in our home required emergency surgery to have embedded seeds removed. They are pesky things that can be fatal, so avoiding areas with lots of sprouting seeds is the best prevention.

Please share this post to help educate everyone about the dangers of these small but pesky things.

30/09/2026

What a wonderful few days it's been visiting some of our local breeding prospects. It gives me great pleasure to introduce you to DC Felix Boo 'Bear'. Bear is the sister to Ophelia 'Poppet' from our Brussels Sprouts litter. He is maturing beautifully and it was so lovely spending time with his guardian family as we worked together to give him his first major groom. Bear will mature to be between 10-12kg. He has a magnificent straight fleece coat and beautiful structure to accompany his divine temperament. I found myself in awe of this future breeding boy's soulful eyes. He is utter perfection and the result of international collaboration with other like-minded breeders💙

29/09/2026

This gorgeous little choccy drop is another one of our future breeding prospects. Meet Winnie, a delicious little ray of sunshine from our Friends litter (Stella x Alfred) born in January this year. Winnie is looking to mature to around 10-11kg and stands at 43cm. She has mesmerising hazel eyes, and a temperament just like Stella. She has a luscious straight fleece coat, and is incredibly perceptive. She is resilient, confident and very cluey. Thank you Caitlin and Jack (and Vanessa and Charlotte) for the love and care you give both Stella and Winnie 🩷🥰.

28/09/2026

DC Ophelia "Poppet".
Macey x Miki
She is utter perfection 🩷. Thank you to Judy for raising her so well. Genetics + optimal start to life with mum Macey + well socialised and trained in her guardian home. This trifecta is what we strive for in every puppy we produce.