stud dog wanted

[the secretary]

hi very new member here looking for a mate for Hattie. She;s 2yr old and had 2 false pregnancies, poor girl!
Hattie is black n white, slight build due i think to all tha pheasent hunting she does, on her own i add not
officially! she,s a real sweetie who mothers the orphan lambs n plays with the kittens. we live in n.wales, she will next be in season july onwards sometime. please help. I have been told i will have to breed her with a parti colour is this right? i was hoping for
black pups, if not then black n white;s. Her siblings were all blue roan which i believe to be predominant so don;t want to put her to a blue stud. Hope this makes sense to someone!

[Jane S]

Breeding a litter is a huge responsibility as there are already so many unwanted dogs in the world. You need to be sure you're ready for those responsibilities and have a genuine reason for breeding. If you are wanting to breed because your bitch has phantom pregnancies, I would personally think she would be better off being spayed as having a litter will not cure her phantoms. Check out our FAQ page on breeding HERE for more info on what you need to consider before breeding a litter.

If you do have a genuine reason for wanting to breed, then you need to do hours of research into finding a compatible stud dog for your bitch - it's not just a case of finding any dog of your preferred colour. You also need to learn about the hereditary diseases which exist in Cockers and have your bitch at least eye tested if not hip-scored before considering breeding from her (any stud dog you contact should also be tested). Normally the breeder of your bitch (if experienced and reputable) would be the best person to advise you on all aspects of breeding including finding a compatible stud dog.

Colour inheritance in Cockers can be complicated as there are so many colour genes involved. Black is dominant over all other colours and solids are dominant over particolours. If you have a particolour (black and white), then mating her to a solid stud dog with no particolour ancestry will produce all solid puppies but there may be other colours in the background which could come through which is why you need to research the pedigree of your bitch and any potential stud dog and know them inside out. You would only get all black & white puppies if you mated your bitch to a black & white dog and then only if neither of them carried any other recessive colours like orange/lemon or liver/chocolate. Colour should however be only a secondary consideration when planning a mating - health, type and temperament must all come way before colour!

Jane

[the secretary]

Thanks Jane for your comments. Hattie,s breeders are in fact just owners of 2 cockers, not breeders but
 obviously KC reg. Not sure they;re in the know reg other suitable stud dogs. i will research my bitch;s breeding
as i;m quite keen to do this. i;d keep a pup and have 2 people lined up already as Hattie is adoreable. would still like to hear
from potential stud dogs.

[Jane S]

Sorry but no reputable stud dog owner will contact you on the basis of the info you've posted so far - there's not enough to go on It doesn't sound like your breeders have the knowledge or experience to help you so you have a lot of work ahead of you. It's best to research your bitch's pedigree before you start looking for a stud dog - have a read of the posts on this board for ideas of how to do this. Is your Cocker a Working Cocker by the way? If so, do you work her?

Jane

[the secretary]

ok i;ll get her breeding up on here asap. not working line just very very keen!
No other bird interests her but the male pheasant, he has such a lovely call!

[Gilly]

You do realise there is a difference between a Working Cocker and Show Cocker?...you can work either but there is quite a difference which would influence the kind of Stud you would use.

[Black Angel's]

In my opinion you're not very well prepared for having puppies..

[Cayley]

You need to ask yourself, do you want to be responsible for upwards of 10 pups for the next possibly 15 years of their life, when the pups go to there homes your responsibilities don't just leave with them, you should be willing to take the pups back if the owners situation changes. It is a very emotional time breeding a litter, there is a lot of work that goes into it  .

 

[Cob-Web]

You do realise there is a difference between a Working Cocker and Show Cocker?...you can work either but there is quite a difference which would influence the kind of Stud you would use.

How is she doing in the show ring (assuming she is a show dog) ?? The only responsible reason for breeding is to improve the breed; so proven show results (or proven working skills for a working line) would be the first thing I would look for in the parents of any puppies as well as clear health testing for PRA and preferably hip scoring as well.

I would look for a breeder who was an active member of the Cocker Spaniel Club (or other breed club ), and who has the experience to offer support and advice after the pup came home with me.

If you are confident that you and your bitch can offer this, then you are likely to find loving new homes for all the puppies that your bitch has; assuming that they and she survive pregancy and birth

I'm not alone in my desire to find a healthy and reputably bred puppy - those people who don't look for these things tend to have done less research, and may be less committed to a puppy - is this the type of home you want your puppies to go to??

[BigJim&Kate]

I would look for a breeder who was an active member of the Cocker Spaniel Club (or other breed club )

IMHO I really can't see a reputable breeder offering the services of there stud dogs.

You need to decide whats best for you baby, I personally (if I had a bitch) could not put her through the ordeal of having a litter.

Janes Link again http://www.cockersonline.co.uk/discuss/index.php?topic=3428.0

(Sorry to repeat Jane but it didnt stand out for me  )

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Jim

[the secretary]

Oh Dear! What a rightious lot! I had been hoping for a teeny weeny bit of help however i appear
to have been hung drawn and quartered! How apt for Easter. Goodwill to you all.

[silkstocking]

Oh Dear! What a rightious lot! I had been hoping for a teeny weeny bit of help however i appear
to have been hung drawn and quartered! How apt for Easter. Goodwill to you all.

I have read all the posts and I haven't found anyone to be "rightious", extremley helpful and honest actually!! 

[Jane S]

You've been given good advice Neil - whether you choose to take it is up to you. I get the impression you were hoping for stud dog owners to just start contacting you but as I've explained before, this just won't happen - you have to do your homework first and then contact compatible dogs yourself. New breeders all have to start somewhere but you'll find you have to demonstrate you're willing to learn and act responsibly to get people to take you seriously - digging at all those who have expressed any concern for what you plan to do isn't the right way to go about doing this. If you had read any of the heartbreaking threads from members here who have inadvertently bought puppies from bad breeders, you might perhaps get where we're all coming from.....

Jane

[PennyB]

New breeders all have to start somewhere but you'll find you have to demonstrate you're willing to learn and act responsibly to get people to take you seriously - digging at all those who have expressed any concern for what you plan to do isn't the right way to go about doing this. If you had read any of the heartbreaking threads from members here who have inadvertently bought puppies from bad breeders, you might perhaps get where we're all coming from.....

Jane

and as a general point many dogs are at best languishing in rescues because of irresponsible breeding or at worst being put to sleep for no other reason than nowhere to go

[miche]

I am lost for words on this one