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Ten years ago, central Victorian kelpie breeders Carol and Len Hobday's lives changed.
Key points:
- A new film has been released from the Red Dog franchise, telling the true story of Koko, the original film's canine star
- Koko's breeders, Carol and Len Hobday, were inundated with requests for red kelpie puppies following the release of the first film
- Unable to vet suitable owners from the maelstrom of public interest, they have since stopped breeding the pups
They were at a dog show in Melbourne where they met dog trainer Luke Hura, eventually leading to their red kelpie Koko starring in the much-loved Australian film, Red Dog.
"It has completely changed our lives, and it's changed how we think," Ms Hobday said.
While the Dunolly couple are thrilled with the movies, which included the prequel Red Dog: True Blue in 2016, and the latest film Koko: A Red Dog Story, they no longer breed kelpies.
After 25 years of breeding they stopped following the release of the initial film.
Inundated by calls from people wanting the same "beautifully-trained" red kelpie who "did everything he was told", the couple disconnected their landline and decided to take a break from breeding in the hope the novelty wore off.
Ms Hobday likened the public's interested in red kelpies to the adoration of Dalmatians in the 90s following the movie 101 Dalmatians, and said it was impossible to vet all the suitable owners.
"We were just worried the wrong kind of person was after the breed," she said.
Ms Hobday said kelpies needed a lot of exercise, both physically and mentally.
"They're not a breed of dog that everyone can manage," she said.
"So, we decided we're getting old, we'll leave it to other people to breed."
'He took the oxygen out of the room'
From the very beginning Koko was a special dog who loved people according to Ms Hobday.
"He did everything except say, 'yes' or 'no' back to you — he just had a way of communicating," she said.
As a young pup he would often accompany Ms Hobday on her visits to the Dunolly bakery where the two would share a scone, with the red kelpie sitting on a chair.
Producer of all three films, Nelson Woss, described the former Australian champion show dog turned movie star as charismatic with star qualities.
"When he walked into the room he took the oxygen out of the room and he took everyone's attention," he said.
"People fell in love with him."
While the initial plans were to have Koko return after his filming duties when he met the film's producer, it was an instant bond and eventually after many requests the Hobdays decided to "gift" the dog to Woss.
While Koko was a much-loved addition to Woss's family after the filming ended, he died in 2012 from a congenital heart disease — far too young, according to Ms Hobday.
Now the tale of Koko's rise to fame after starring in the original, is being shown in the new movie — a true story, it has been told as part-dramatisation, part-documentary.
"I think this documentary is Nelson's way of saying goodbye to the dog," she said.
Having formed such a close bond with the producer, once a request came for another dog for the prequel, the Hobdays decided to have one last litter and two of those dogs were given to the film.
"That's the last litter we've had," Ms Hobday said.
Unfortunately, Phoenix who starred in Red Dog: True Blue, died from a brown snake bite at the age of three while living in Queensland with his trainer.
'It just keeps going'
Ms Hobday has come full circle when it comes to dogs.
Over 30 years ago, frightened by a dog that came running towards her in outback Queensland, as a solution to her fear, her son bought her a purebred kelpie puppy which eventually led to breeding.
"We live for our dogs — they're four-legged children," Ms Hobday said.
"I'll always have a kelpie."
After watching Koko play Red Dog, Ms Hobday is about to view herself on the screen, along with the actor playing her.
Yet to see the film, she is thrilled with the trailer and said the casting of her character was "so good" it was "scary" — a friend even mistook the actress for Carol.
"I think she's perfect, absolutely perfect," she said.
Since the announcement of the release date of the documentary in November, the Hobdays have once again been inundated with requests from the public for kelpie puppies.
"When you think it's finished it just keeps going," Ms Hobday laughed.
Koko: A Red Dog Story is on limited release.
Topics: human-interest, animals, film-movies, comedy-film, business-economics-and-finance, industry, film, dunolly-3472, bendigo-3550, kalgoorlie-6430, broome-6725