Cobber Working Dog Review
Cobber Working Dog is really cheap compared to the brands people feed their domestic dogs. Does that make you wonder if they’re overpaying, or if Cobber Working Dog is simply made from cheaper ingredients?
The answer is simply the latter, even if you take into account the saving per kilo from buying larger 20kg bags.
But that raises another question – is it really a good choice for your working dogs?
From when I first reviewed Cobber over a decade ago, experience has taught me many Aussies swear by the brand and won’t hear anything bad said about it. It’s therefore up to you whether you agree with my review, or you don’t – I won’t be offended, and you’re welcome to add your thoughts in the comments.
What you need to know about Working Dog Foods
There are two types of working dog formula in Australia. Most – including Cobber Working Dog – opt for lots of cereal grain, whereas a few more bucks will get you Black Hawk Working Dog which is lots more meat.
Which do you think is better for your highly active working dog?
If you don’t know the answer, take a trip into town to one of those posh gyms, and ask the gym junkies if they prefer chicken for dinner, or a cheap loaf of bred.
It really is that simple – meat protein is what builds and repairs muscle, and meat fat is the most efficient source of energy.
High carbohydrate meals of grains may make for a much cheaper dog food, and you can argue your super active dogs will burn off those unnecessary calories and won’t get fat, but how long will they truly be healthy for?
That’s the decision you need to make – Are you looking to feed your working dogs on the best budget option, or the best option for their health and endurance?
Working Dog food is tax-deductible
Cobber Working Dog review
We all know dogs love meat, and many see them as what they biologically are – carnivorous animals of the Order Carnivora, ironically not dissimilar to lions when we consider their short guts, strong stomach acidity, dental structure, and other scientific stuff like that.
For this reason, meat meals as the main ingredient might make you believe Cobber Working Dog is just what your dog needs.
However, as dog food ingredients are listed in order of percentage, it’s easy to pull the wool over our eyes with simple tricks.
You see, the next three ingredients aren’t meats, or animal ingredients. Two are cheap grains – wheat and sorghum, and the other is some form of legumes (we’re not actually told what, for some reason).
The grains may keep costs down (hence the price per kilo), and may offer your dogs energy, but really these are hard for your dog to digest and may cause ill health and joint issues a few years from now.
If you hadn’t read this review, you would likely put poor joint health down to all that running around, but the reality is joints don’t perform very well when you feed a carnivorous animal processed nuggets of grains.
Barley as the 6th ingredient further adds to the carb content, but factor in only two of the top six main ingredients are animal – meat meals and tallow/poultry oil.
There’s nothing great to say about the rest of the formula either. Standard vitamin and mineral pre-mixed (very likely sourced from a country which offers the cheapest option), ambiguous preservatives, and ambiguous antioxidants.
With all that in mind, it’s easy to see why people spend more on regular domestic dog foods, but hey – you’re trying to make a profit, right? At the expense of the health of your working dogs?
If you feed Cobber Working Dog, a saving grace might be to feed them raw meats, off-cuts, organs, raw meaty bones, road kill, or other foods more appropriate for a carnivorous working dog.
Or, if you’re looking for a better Australian Working Dog food, then claim Black Hawk Working Dog as a business expense.
Where to buy
Cobber Working Dog is available from various online and rural retailers.
Ingredients
The ingredients of Cobber Working Dog:
Meat Meals (Chicken, Beef and/or Lamb); Wholegrain Wheat; Legumes; Wholegrain Sorghum; Beef Tallow and/or Poultry Oil; Wholegrain Barley; Natural Flavour (Chicken and/or Beef); Functional Fibres (Beet Pulp, Chicory Root, Yucca Extract); Vitamins and Minerals; Yeast Extract (Postbiotics); Preservatives; Amino Acids; Antioxidant.
Typical Analysis
The typical analysis of Cobber Working Dog dry dog food:
| Protein | 28% |
| Fat | 18% |
| Crude Fibre | 2.4% |
| Carbohydrates | Estimated 36% |
