Shooting Background vs Trailing Background

[Emilyoliver]

But on the other side of this, health testing is now being used as an extra marketing tool. Many breeders advertising on free ad sites now have 'pra, fn tested parents' as a first line. And just because sire and dam have been tested (or are hereditarily clear) doesn't automatically mean the pups have been well, carefully or responsibly bred. 

[Hannahc7]

Apart from Kennel Club guidelines, do you know of any problems with older females being mated? I think this bitch looks really healthy and happy, and is such a lovely calm dog and the line is so good I think I would be prepared to take a risk on her although I am looking up health tested breeders now, thank you for the links 

[Jane S]

Apart from Kennel Club guidelines, do you know of any problems with older females being mated? I think this bitch looks really healthy and happy, and is such a lovely calm dog and the line is so good I think I would be prepared to take a risk on her although I am looking up health tested breeders now, thank you for the links  

The risks increase for older bitches as they do for older women - they're more likely to have trouble conceiving and/or need a c section if a pregnancy does result. It's unusual to breed from a bitch this old - wonder how many litters she has already had? And are you fine with having an unregistered puppy? (unless the breeder has prior permission from the KC to breed from this girl)

[Jane S]

And just because sire and dam have been tested (or are hereditarily clear) doesn't automatically mean the pups have been well, carefully or responsibly bred.  

No of course it doesn't mean that but I'd far rather breeders were testing than not, whether they're using the fact they test to sell more puppies or not. I hate all these free ad sites personally but that's another topic

[spaniel04]

Thanks Jeff!   That's another area that has caused me confusion! So many breeders that have great lines haven't done health testing. One of the ones I am on the list for the Dad is tested but the Mum isn't however she is 8 years old so he said if there were any problems they would most likely have surfaced by now? She looked very healthy when I went to see her?
I have found there are more breeders that don't do health testing than do! Obviously I want a healthy pup but was beginning to think maybe I was asking for too much?

If the dam is already 8 years at the time of whelping the pups can not be registered with the KC. Something to keep in mind. 

[praia]

It's interesting to read this thread as it is just as difficult to find breeders of working type Cockers who do all appropriate health and genetic tests in America.  Nearly two years ago during my puppy search I was speaking to many working type breeders who had recent imports from the UK and although they had dogs with excellent pedigrees, the fact that very few subjected the breeding pairs to what I saw as basic health tests worried me and eventually became the deciding factor of where I would get my puppy. I had originally wanted a worker as I thought that would best match our lifestyle and the activity level of my older spaniel, but I eventually chose to purchase a show type from a breeder who went above and beyond for all health tests and provided proof of those results from both dam and sire. 

Health is the first priority for me when purchasing a dog.  No matter how much I may fall in love with the dogs, I refuse to support breeders who produce dogs that may suffer lives in broken bodies. 

[Smokey 1]

It seem that reading this topic it has been drawn to a health testing debate but regarding the op's original question I think it is fair to say that not every pup out of a litter will get the same upbringing, who is to say that the gamekeepers pup would not come on to become a FTCH if trained to do so ? and on the other hand the pup from both FTCH parents goes to a home as a pet and is everything the owners could ask for ?

A bloke once asked me about little Syds pedigree and he was quite impressed but he did say it would be his parent's parent's that he would want to look at. Maybe there is too much foucs on having ftch throughout a pups pedigree and not enough planning on the enviroment, rules etc in which the pup grows up in.

As for a pup with lots of ftch in it's prdigree not being easy to, I have to disagree both Lilly and Syd have been very easy to train. I think to the point were Syd has almost taught himself. You will not go wrong with a working cocker, like everything else in life "you get out what you put in"


Smokey

[Hannahc7]

Thanks for your all your help.
And thanks for the advice Smokey. I think I will just keep to trusted breeders and then just judge it by the mother and the pups temperaments.
Will keep you posted!!