Molly's First Litter

[emsseee]

Hi We have just had our first litter from Molly, everthing has gone fab so far  they are now 4 days old so sweet!
Just wondering what i should charge for the pups???  They are from working line mum and dad both got fantastic lines, local breeder has said £800 but I'm thinking this might be too much so just looking for some input Thanks 

[Jane S]

Prices vary - there is no set price for Cocker puppies and some breeders just charge what they think would-be owners would be willing to pay. Factors like KC registration, good health test results for both parents (DNA tests, eye test, hip score), proven ability of the parents (working or showing) can all influence price. As £800 is at the top of the price range (working type litters are often much less than this), I'd probably expect all the above factors to apply, particularly the health testing but really it's your decision. Can't the stud dog owner help you with advice on this, especially if they are local (or your breeding mentor if you have one)?

[Nicola]

I think £800 is high for working strain dogs unless they are from exceptional parents, and I mean the bitch as well as the dog - ads for litters pretty much always say that they are from fantastic lines, usually because most of them descend from the same very popular stud dogs

My own working Cocker bitch is a FTCh and her last litter (when she was an OFTW) to a Championship winning FTCh stud weren't a huge amount more than that; they were all pre-booked to trialling homes, several of them abroad. She is also DNA tested, eye tested and hip scored. Her next litter will be FTCh-FTCh but they still won't be priced over the odds, they are pre-booked already and she's not in season yet. For good quality working dogs from proven working parents, ideally with at least some health testing, I would expect to pay £500-600 (I live in Buckinghamshire - it would have been closer to the £500 mark when I lived up in Scotland).

[Mel B]

When I was looking for my second cocker I did try and source a health tested litter that also had a strong FT pedigree but I found it was pretty difficult to get both.  In the end I went for pedigree over health testing in order to try and guarantee working ability.  That said I was able to research siblings, off spring etc of the stud dog, many of which had been health tested so this reassured me.  When I looked at some health tested litters they were around £600 so I personally think £800 is very high.

Have a look at the Felsted Gundogs classified, UK gundogs etc which will give you an idea of what others are charging.