Hi I have a a pup that only has 9 non FTCH in her 5 generation pedigree and 4 of them were winners I am told, I have had a very lively springer pup in the past from a general working background and they are like chalk and cheese the springer was a bouncy energetic pup my Cocker is on a different level
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If you want a gundog then I would go for a trial bred dog to be honest its the only way you know you are getting a dog with the correct breeding, if you just buy a working Cocker you will be taking a gamble unless you know the parents and have seen them working.
Most gundog breeders want a strong FT pedigree so they can prove the working lines.
Not all FT bred pups are very hyper but most are, they are the thoroughbred race horses of the gundog world and you should be prepared that you might just end up with a pup that extremely testing for the first 6 to 8 months.
If you had asked me 3 months ago would I have another with this breeding I might well have said no but at 8 months Teal is getting so much better and I feel all the hard work has been worth it.
Her nose pace and marking are incredible for a dog of this age and she is very smart ( this also makes her harder work) but I just know she will turn out to be a cracking little worker.
So if you are really prepared to train the pup for the gun and go in with eyes wide open about the possibility of having a hooligan in the house for the first 6 months or so I would go for a pup with the best breeding you can get