Our Team
Meet the team at Pawsitive Psychology
Our Therapy Dogs - Australian Cobberdogs
The Master Dog Breeders & Associates only registers pure breed dogs, and officially recognised Cobberdogs as a ‘pure breed in development‘ in January 2012. The MDBA is the only registry body in the world authorised to register Australian Cobberdogs. The Australian Cobberdog (ACD) has been specially bred for therapy dogs, assistance dogs and companion dogs. Toffee and Kandi are both registered Australian Cobberdogs.
The temperament of Australian Cobberdogs really sets them apart from other breeds. They approach people in a beautiful friendly manner. Cobber Dogs also have a unique intuitive ability to feel emotions of those close to them. They ‘feel’ the presence of sickness, sadness and joy and will respond by cuddling up, playing or just staying close. Cobberdogs actually make eye contact to connect with you and will even respond to your facial expression and body language. Altogether, these qualities make the Australian Cobberdog very special. See them in action below! These dogs are loving and consistently totally non aggressive, calm, gentle, social, humorous and extremely clever.
Cobberdogs are perfect therapy, assistance or companion dogs.
Toffee and Kandi have been bred at Ridgy Didge Australian Cobberdogs on the Sunshine Coast.
Source: Ridgy Didge Australian Cobberdogs
Toffee and Kandi have been assessed and certified as therapy dogs in a professional setting by K9 Support Dogs, Benalla, VIC.
Animal Assisted Therapy is included on my Indemnity Insurance.
Toffee
Toffee is a seven year old, female, Australian Cobberdog. She is a medium size, has a cream coloured, non-shedding, allergy friendly wool coat, which is very dense and curly. Toffee often gets mistaken for a sheep, especially by cattle dogs or kelpies.
Toffee is a very happy dog and is always ready for fun. She approaches people with a wide grin and an enthusiastically wagging tail. She quickly tries to engage them in fun game of tug-a-war or fetch.
Toffee senses if clients are distressed. She will then hop up beside them, make eye contact, reach out with one of her fluffy front paws and giving the message “I am here for you”.
Toffee loves her treats, but she loves her balls even more, especially if the game takes place on the beach. She would swim to New Zealand to retrieve her ball.
Toffee has a boisterous streak and quite a bit of spunk in her. She is not shy to meet new people. She will play fetch for hours and often invents games to entertain herself. At home Toffee sees herself as the “top dog” and tends to keep a watchful eye on feline brother and sister. She also has appointed herself as the neighbourhood guard dog and regularly announces the mailman and any deliveries.
Toffee had one litter of nine puppies in 2018. She passed on her gentle nature and inquisitive mind to her puppies. Several of her puppies have followed in their mum’s paw prints and become therapy, assistance and companion dogs. Toffee has retired as a breeding dog so that she can concentrate on being a therapy dog.seven
Kandi
Kandi is a six year old, female, Australian Cobberdog. She is a small medium size or a large mini. She has a beautiful brown merle fleece coat that is allergy friendly. Kandi has two different coloured eyes which gives her that ‘old soul’ look.
Kandi is a very gentle and calm dog. She quietly approaches people, makes immediate eye contact and then just ‘leans into them”. Kandi is an expert at communicating with her eyes. Her eyes speak volumes. It often seems as if she can gaze into the most hidden crevices of one’s soul. She loves to be very close to clients and particularly likes to sit on their feet. If she senses a client’s distress, she will put her beautiful head onto the client’s lap or just cuddle up to them. Kandi has a particular fondness for men and she brings out the gentle side in any man.
But Kandi can be mischievous and she is extremely stubborn, especially on our walks. If she wants to take a different route she will plant her fluffy front paws on the ground and not move an inch. Then we have these long conversations with our eyes as who is the leader of the pack.
When Kandi thinks nobody is watching her, she will do something naughty. She regularly steals Toffee’s ball and then just sits there with the ball between her paws or in her mouth.
On our daily walks Kandi constantly has her nose to the ground in the hope to sniff out other animals. She gets a bit too excited when she sees a few kangaroos and it is quite challenging to hold her back so that she does not to chase them.
Kandi had two litters of six puppies each, one in 2019 and another early 2021. Many of her puppies have also become therapy, assistance and companion dogs. Kandi is happy to concentrate on being a therapy dog.
Therrie Rosenvald
BBehS (Psych); BSocSc (Psych) (Hons); MProfPsych
As psychologist and animal lover I wanted to combine my two passions and founded my private practice Pawsitive Psychology, Animal Assisted Therapy. I am a great believer that the interaction with animals stimulate emotional and physical reactions that are not only beneficial but necessary for humans.
My two therapy dogs, Toffee and Kandi, are an integral part of the therapy process. Clients immediately take to them.
My main interests are trauma, depression, anxiety and dissociative disorders. I particularly like working with elderly clients and clients with disabilities, be it psychosocial and/or physical disability. I have nearly 15 years of experience working in the disability sector both as a psychologist and a disability support worker.
I have also worked in a mental health hospital setting, where I treated diverse psychological problems in one on one sessions with inpatients. I facilitated diverse therapy groups with both inpatients and outpatients.
After a few years of the tree change in Maleny, Sunshine Coast Hinterland, I decided it was time for a sea change. Early 2021 I moved to the Hervey Bay region and opened my private practice in Pialba.
I am a:
- WorkCover approved provider
- IFS trained therapist, L1, L2
