Breeding

[funnyface]

I would like to breed from my cocker at some point in the future.  Is there a good time to start?  The main reason being he is so lovely with such a loving nature that I would dearly like to have another dog with some if not all of his traits. 

Would welcome some advice from any of you who have gone down this road.

Many thanks,

Funnyface (and Dax)

[joanne_v]

Hi there. I'm afraid you are very unlikely to get positive views about breeding from your dog on this site. Breeding any dog is not something to take lightly and is not usually a good idea to try if you are inexperienced and not wanting to breed as a professional. Personally I think a dog should only be bred to improve the breed. They must have sound temperament, conform to breed standard, be fully health checked (as should the sire/dam) and also be proven to have ood results in the show ring or in working trials. There can be largew costs involved if something goes wrong and a lifetime responsibility to take back any pups should the owners no longer be able to care for the dog that you sell them. There are so many dogs in rescue centres up and down the country moist of which are due to irresponisble breeding whther it be hobby breeders or puppy farmers. Only trhe best of the best shoudl be bred from and only be experienced knowledgeable breeders. If you put in 'breeding' in the search box I'm sure you'll fijnd dozens of threads saying the same thing. After a good read most people in the same situation as yourself realise that breeding from their pet cocker is not something they would want to take further. Its a lot more complicated than you might originally realise. Hope you can find some good advice. If you have anything else to ask then ask away! Some new members seem to find that when they dont get positive responses to posts like yoursthat they find it offensive but we dont mean to be, we just really care about our dogs  Why dont you do a post on the intro board and let us see pics of your cocker!

Jo

[Jane S]

Welcome to COL funnyface As your Cocker is a boy, have you read the thread about offering pet dogs at stud pinned to the top of this board? If not, here's the link :

http://www.cockersonline.co.uk/discuss/index.php?topic=3420.0

Your boy sounds lovely but if you really are just after a second Cocker with some of his traits, it would be much easier to simply get another pup from the same breeder - far less hassle and you don't run the risk of altering your boy's behaviour for the worse.

[Xensgirl]

Breeding any dog is not something to take lightly and is not usually a good idea to try if you are inexperienced and not wanting to breed as a professional. Personally I think a dog should only be bred to improve the breed. They must have sound temperament, conform to breed standard, be fully health checked (as should the sire/dam) and also be proven to have ood results in the show ring or in working trials. There can be largew costs involved if something goes wrong and a lifetime responsibility to take back any pups should the owners no longer be able to care for the dog that you sell them.

I totally agree with this.  Having bred a litter 15 weeks ago - it starts months before by getting your dog/bitch in top condition for mating; relevant health checks; innoculations up to date; worming ect and it doesn't (or shouldn't!) stop until all the dogs in the litter have died.

I lost one puppy; one had neo-natal conjunctivitis at 8 days; no-one good enough came for one of the boys so I'm keeping him....being responsible enough to insist contracts are signed - mine were a) endorsed not to be bred b) if anything goes wrong I will take the dog back during his/her lifetime.  To breed properly costs a small fortune and the outlay is far more than the profit (what profit? hee hee) I think the only time a person should have a litter is when they want to keep one and that stud dog owners should take as much responsibility as the bitch owner - which does not happen often.

You may have problems finding a suitable bitch for your dog anyway - and making sure she has all the relevent checks too.  I agree that there are enough dogs of any breed out there needing good homes and bringing more into the world without taking all the responsiblity that goes with it should not be undertaken lightly.  If you want another dog, then again I agree, go back to your breeder and get one.

Let us know what you decide?  Please don't think we are offensive on this forum, we are just responsible Cocker owners who love our dogs and try and give advice and support.  Hugz to you and your boy - Julie, Rio and Blue

[Angels of Fur]

I started a post about Studding my Alfie, because i thought that by studding him i would carry on his amazing lines, he had 38 FTCH in his 5 generation pedigree and was a choc tan with amazing temperment.
I knew the consequences and looked into the commitment a stud dog owner has, i realised i had really no say as to where the pups ended up, and couldnt face how i was to feel if pups were later on neglected, i would feel responsible!

I was also told that his lines would carry on elsewhere and that i wouldhave to think real carefully. I have since decided that i am going to keep him as my pet rather than a sex machine 

The costs of the medical tests will outweigh the proft (not that i would be doing it for profit) and realised that its a HUUUUUUUGE responsibility, There are pro's and con's also about it, it could change your dogs temperment (i think anyway) and i couldnt cope with Alfie trying to hump anything in season and leaving his scent. There are many threads on COL to read through, so good luck and lets see what path you decide to take.