The Girton eLink

Welcome Poppy

The Wellbeing Dog

My life before Girton

I’m an Australian Cobberdog and was born at Dantapelle Australian Cobberdogs in Murrumba Downs just outside of Brisbane, Queensland. My mother is Miss Frankie, a small apricot-coloured standard Australian Cobberdog and my dad is Mr Jakki Bear who is a medium-sized black Australian Cobberdog. I have eight brothers and sisters from my litter. I flew down to Melbourne when I was eight weeks old and live with Ms Briggs and my furry brothers Fergus, a black Curly-Coated Retriever, and Clawed, the Business Office cat.

What I am most looking forward to at Girton

I just can’t wait to visit Senior School and meet all the students and staff. When I’m visiting the school, I get to wear my very own uniform – a blue bandana. I also have a bandana which says ‘I need space’. Being around lots of people can be exhausting and sometimes I need a break to help me stay calm, so please don’t call my name or crowd me, and it’s better if you address my human rather than call my name. I can’t wait to be friends with everyone at Girton but it will take me a little time to settle in. ‘Cobber’ is a typical term in Australia used to refer to a friend, which is exactly what I will become to all the students and staff at Girton - a friend that you can count on.

What I have achieved so far

I’m still a pup, but I already know how to sit and I come running when someone calls my name. I’m a fast learner and I’ll train for ages if there are treats! Ms Briggs is teaching me that outside is best when I need to poop, and I play in a playpen when she’s busy to keep me out of trouble. At night, I sleep in an enclosed crate which makes me feel cosy and safe.

 

This year, I’ll be working closely with Ms Briggs, Dogs Connect and our Senior School Inclusive Education Teacher, Ms Crane, and I’ll begin to spend more and more time at school, with some downtime in the Business Office when I need a break. I’ve already learned that cats can be hard work and I’m still trying to figure out how to play with Clawed. The best way to describe our relationship is that Clawed tolerates me, but I’m working on that.

My favourite things to do

My new brother Fergus is so much fun and I follow him everywhere. We go investigating together around the house and he lets me jump all over him when I want to wrestle. Sometimes I get the zoomies and get rid of my energy by running laps around the backyard. There is one thing that drives me crazy and I’m so determined, but I just can’t catch my tail, however hard I try. 

What you can do to help me settle in

I’ll be undergoing a strict training schedule this year to make sure I am the best Wellbeing Dog this school could ever have (move over, Murphy). But I’ll need your help. To make sure I stay calm and relaxed there are three things I need from you:

  1. Say hello to the person and not to the dog – when you see me at school or even down the street with Ms Briggs, say hello to my human rather than me. If there are lots of students calling my name it will make me feel a bit silly and I won’t be able to do my best work. Imagine if you heard your name called from every direction all day?
  2. Give me space – Just like you, dogs need their own personal space and it’s perfectly normal for us to have varying tolerance levels for unfamiliar people. We’re not robots! Some situations or environments can be stressful for dogs, especially school playgrounds where there are students running and making noise.
  3. Keep moving – don’t stand and stare. For a dog, being stared at can feel really threatening. And besides, staring is kind of rude, don’t you think? Well, it is for dogs anyway. Think about it this way: when people stare, their bodies freeze in place with still arms, yet their heads follow the dog or person they’re staring at while they move away. This body posture really freaks dogs out.

A bit about Australian Cobberdogs

The Australian Cobberdog is a pure breed recognised by the MDBA (Master Dog Breeders and Associates) that was developed over many decades from a combination of at least 22 breeds. While the Australian Cobberdog may look like a Labradoodle (a cross between a Labrador and a Poodle) it is a highly regulated breed with its own DNA sequence that was carefully bred to be a non-shedding and allergy-friendly dog with a gentle, non-aggressive nature. The Australian Cobberdog has the ideal characteristics and amount of energy to serve as a Wellbeing Dog and is very intelligent and quick to learn how to do its work.