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[Helly D]

Hi. I have a black cocker bitch called Rosie who will be 15 next March. She is still remarkably fit and active and we are looking to buy another one before she is too old to cope with a puppy/young dog. We did the same when our old cocker Sam was 13 and they lived happily together for a year before sadly we lost him.

Finding a reputable breeder though is a bit of a minefield I've found. We got Sam from a breeder in Oxford in 1985 who was known by my vet nurse sister in law so easy peasy. Rosie was slightly more challenging as we wanted a cocker who was black with a tail and finally tracked down a breeder in Folkestone (we live in Southampton).

However, things have changed so much in 15 years with all the testing etc so it's taken a while to get my head around it. We would like a puppy at the beginning of December as I have 4 weeks with no work so can devote lots of time to crate training, house training etc. After that I'm back to work for 2 and a half days a week and have contacted a few dog walkers/puppy creches in the area who can either come to the house or have the puppy at their home so its not left for too long. They seem to be fairly flexible and can do day care or a mix of both as puppy gets older.

I'm wondering if anyone can help with some questions:
1. I'm looking at Champ Dogs, Breeders on Line, Pets 4 Homes and the KC litters. I have listed puppies that are available but its really hard to work out if they are reputable breeders or whether they are just breeding to make money before xmas. I don't want to show my dogs but I do believe strongly in keeping to the breed standard. There are so many poorly bred cockers out there it breaks my heart. Hoping that doesn't come across as being snobbish as these dogs are perfectly loving but a breed standard is a breed standard and as a life time lover of this breed we want a 'proper cocker' as my trimmer calls them (ex cocker breeder). The KC list is not that helpful as many entries don't distinguish between working or show type and its so time consuming contacting people to find out. Also some people have just chosen to have a litter from the pet bitch which I'm not sure about. How do I know if the pups have been reared properly and that the bitch is a good example of the breed without visiting every single litter? Should I just stick with the assured breeders which means a very long journey to pick a puppy up and not easy to visit when there are litters closer to home but difficult to tell if they are proper breeders?

2. We may not have a choice in sex but having owned both sexes I'm not sure whether to go for another dog or a bitch. I have more of a leaning towards another bitch so any views on either would be helpful.

3. There are some pups available at the moment who are about 10 weeks plus so if one was still available around first week of Dec they are going to be a lot older. I have read that the optimum time for a pup to leave its mum and bond with new family is around 8 weeks. Has anyone taken on a older puppy and have they found it ok?

4. Has anyone used puppy day care or had someone come in for a couple of hours in the day to do basic training, toileting, playing etc and has worked out well?

5. Would like another black but there are some chocolate roans and orange & whites around. Has anyone owned these colours. The solids I know seem to have a lot more get up and go and seem generally crazier than the roans & parti coloureds. We like the craziness. Our blue roan was playful but more laid back than our black but it may just be their individual personalities.

Any thoughts or help on the above would be great. Thanks

[elaine.e]

Hello and welcome to COL

Lovely to hear about Rosie . My first Cocker lived until almost 17 so I know how precious and rewarding our oldies can be.

I'm Elaine, owned by 8 year old orange roan gentleman William and 3 year old blue roan and tan naughty boy Louis. I live near Southampton and will PM you this afternoon, but no time now as I'm about to go out for the morning.

PS. I've had solids and parti colours and haven't noticed any difference in temperament between the colours.

[Helly D]

Thanks for your reply Elaine. Amazing to have one at 17! Our vet says she'll probably just keel over one day as she's still really lively when she's out and runs around like a yougster. My husband's response is he hopes it's not in the middle of the new forest as he doesn't fancy carrying her back.

It probably is just personality then with the colours although Rosie's breeder said the solids had more get up and go. She had blue roans and did fly-ball but they weren't really interested whereas the blacks loved it. Funnily I know my Sam would have looked at me in disgust if I'd tried that with him but Rosie could leap up in the air to catch a ball and until recently could run after and catch a ball at low level but she is not very good at seeing it now as she has a cataract in one eye.

Would be great to hear from you later.

Helen

[SophieBlueRoanLover]

I found my blue-roan show type pup back in the summer through the KC litters list (you have to re-register after 2 weeks or the emails stop!), and went through the whole thing of emailing every litter only to find out that most were working (if only people would state that!) which did waste quite a lot of time, but eventually found my pup not too far away after looking for a few months (we don't have a car, so I didn't want to have to spend £50 going to see a litter with one left and no pictures provided! I would have been prepared to travel if I'd thought it was worth it though (I had very specific requirements of a dark blue roan!). I usually asked for pictures of the mum (and dad if possible) and pups, as well as the KC names of the parents and then googled to see if I could a) see any pictures, b) have a look at the lines to ensure not inbred (or mixed with working) and c) check health tests.

I've only had males and would've gone for either sex - each has its advantages and disadvantages, but I don't think there's a great deal of difference with personality. I'm one of 4 girls so maybe having male dogs was a good contrast!

We got my pup at 9 weeks, which was a lovely age in terms of cuteness and being able to determine exactly what socialisation and training the puppy gets, but if you get an older one you may miss out on all the broken nights and accidents! The only thing with an older one is that you don't know exactly what socialisation and training they've done, but if you're happy with the breeder then they're likely to have done the right amount.

I don't have any experience of puppy day-care, although this is something I'll have to do myself once I get a proper job again (took time off to get the pup!)

[Emilyoliver]

Hi and welcome. The best way IMO to find a puppy of quality and as per standard would be to go to some shows, see what you like and meet the owners/breeders. That's how I found mine - like you I wanted a 'proper cocker'.  The downside of this method is that you're likely to have to wait for a puppy. Good luck with your search. Otherwise, gender-wise, I have both. Emily is more independent and 'crafty' - the boss. My boy, Ollie is the most affectionate dog I've ever known. I'd have either (although I had Emily spayed whereas Ollie is entire so has been less hassle with no seasons.  My choc roan (bitch), is very gentle and laid back. My blue roan is mad, loopy and the most fun (if noisy!) dog, so I wouldn't believe that blues or parti's in general, are lazy types. They're all just different. I've never had an older pup so can't help there. I have a dog walker (and my mum) in daily to visit and walk the dogs whilst I am at work. They've always had this arrangement and it's worked well for us. All the best with your search. Hope to see pics (of both) soon.

[DeeDee]

Hello and welcome to COL. I'm Diana and I have just become the owner of a six months old, white and black ticked Show Cocker boy puppy. {On Tuesday to be precise.} He's still with his breeder as I'm having some work done to the house and I don't want to bring him here till it's completed. Meanwhile, I look at his photos and count the days......

I had made plans which I didn't fulfil. Originally, I wanted an eight week, black show Cocker boy in Spring 2013, as the thought of 2.00am trips into the garden for toileting filled me with horror. Although it was a few months away, I decided to start my research as it's a minefield out there. I looked at the Kennel Club, Champdogs, Spaniel rescues, other dog rescues and sites like Preloved. There were some horror stories out there which were really upsetting.......

Then, I found a local breeder on Champdogs who had a six months old puppy for sale. I posted on COL asking for advice about having an older puppy. Several people asked if the pup was called Rory and that they knew both him and his breeder who received glowing comments. I received some fabulous, helpful comments which led to my contacting the breeder with emails and phone calls and, on Tuesday, I went to meet her and Rory.

We hit it off immediately and I fell totally in love with Rory. By the end of my visit, he was mine and all my earlier plans were abandoned.

So, what is the point of this somewhat rambling post? Well, be flexible and, do as you're doing, ask for advice. Trust your instinct. I KNEW that Rory's breeder was totally committed to her Spaniels and wanted what was best for them. And, most of all, continue to use COL for, without their members' help and advice, I wouldn't own Rory today.

Good luck with your search.

Diana

[Ruby Tuesday]

5. Would like another black but there are some chocolate roans and orange & whites around. Has anyone owned these colours. The solids I know seem to have a lot more get up and go and seem generally crazier than the roans & parti coloureds. We like the craziness. Our blue roan was playful but more laid back than our black but it may just be their individual personalities.

I have a chocolate roan and she definitely has moments of craziness if that is what you like!