Cocker spaniel breeding.

[alainax]

I am very much just toying with this idea so open to opinion on it.

We have a lovely young working cocker spaniel bitch, very smart and very pretty. We are stopped frequently by owners of working dogs asking if we will breed from her or what her lines are etc.

We have bought our own large home with loads of grounds, parks and beaches near by. We are looking at some point in the future to get another dog. I've had dogs all my life, and adore this breed.

The thought crossed my mind that we could breed from our bitch and keep a pup or two. We would then get her spayed. I had read getting them spayed decreases their risk of early death in future ( I have only had male dogs before!).

At first I dismissed this thought as we have never bred dogs before, and would absolute armatures. The more I toyed with the idea the more I thought it might be worth while to ask on here. Especially that if we do decide there may be people who have ideas for complimentary bloodlines for her breeding.

Edit to add- she is a pet, no showing qualifications or working experience. She is 2 currently, I'd be looking only to do this at the most optimal age.

 

[Alec Swan]

Can you post her pedigree?

Unless you're prepared to kennel them, I'd strongly advise against keeping two pups from the same litter!

Alec.

 

[druid]

Nope, I won't breed unless the dog has proven itself either showing or working in some way except in rare cases in minority breeds where the gene pool dictates teh need to breed from certain individuals. Preferably the dog would be health tested also. If you go down the health testing route for your bitch you'll have covered the cost of a very well bred pup already before you start on the cost of a stud fee and raising a litter. There is also the risk of losing the bitch.

I would find a litter of similarly bred pups and buy one - how is your bitch bred?

 

[Clodagh]

I am repeatedly asked if I will breed from my bitch, thankfully she is already spayed but we would never consider it. She is the sun and the moon to me, let others risk their bitches! Also pups kept with their mums are a complete PITA, even if you only kept one it would torment its poor mother unmercifully.

 

[Cinnamontoast]

Wouldn't breed a spaniel of any type unless it was proven in the field or ring. The type is far too common in the UK. Can you check her breeding co-efficient?

Did her sire and dam have full health testing and would you check her hips, eyes, etc? I wouldn't risk my pet to breed, I'd go back to the breeder and get a pup from similar lines. Your dog's puppies might be nothing like her. If you're not looking to improve the breed or establish your own line, I'm not sure the expense and hassle is worth it.

Could you guarantee homes for all the pups? People say they'll take one then back out when the litter is on the ground.

Are you prepared to risk her if she has issues whelping? This would worry me, as would pyometra, so I'd be spaying after a second season.

Food for thought: http://www.petforums.co.uk/threads/thinking-about-breeding-from-your-bitch.9237/

Also some fairly harrowing stories on that website about breeding.

 

[alainax]

Thank you all for the replies. Quite a lot of what I had been thinking, a bit like horses in that there is a risk to your "pet" and she is unproven. She was part of a litter of two, one golden(her) and one very pale.

I would get her health tested prior if it was deemed a check that would be beneficial before making a decision. If we decide not to go ahead she will get spayed.

Is it unwise to keep 2 dogs together who are related? That's very useful to know that keeping a pup with its mum is a bad idea!

She has now had her second season, hence asking the question now as looking to spay if it's a bad idea.


This is her breeding, I am quite sure it is not spectacular, but has produced a lovely little dog.

Edit to add- pic of her for good measure!

 

[Clodagh]

She is so pretty, what a lovely little bitch.

 

[AmyMay]

God, she's gorgeous. I know quite a few mum and offspring homes (usually a son). We also board a couple of brothers. They all get on famously, and whilst I know there can be concerns on how difficult it can be to train litter mates, the couple that we have are generall super.

 

[stormox]

Can you post her pedigree?

Unless you're prepared to kennel them, I'd strongly advise against keeping two pups from the same litter!

Alec.

definately do not keep two siblings- they will bond to each other and not you unless you are an experienced dog handler and prepared to take them out/train them separately.
I also note that although there are FtCH in her pedigree they are quite a few generations back, and the dam has show breeding in there.

 

[Alec Swan]

She seems a bonny little dog, there's no 'real' breeding in there until we go back 5 generations, but if you're focussing on pet homes for the pups, and assuming that the bitch is of sound temperament, then there's no reason why not. I also wouldn't worry too much about the risk to the bitch having pups, I've never yet lost one, and there are those who'd warn of the risk, but breed with their own mare, where the risk must be greater, I'd have thought!

The problem which you may encounter, with the run-of-the-mill breeding, which she has, and with no specific target buyer, is that whilst pups look cute and appealing up to 8 weeks, by the time that they get to 14-16 weeks, for the pet market, they've lost their appeal and you may well be stuck with them. She doesn't have the breeding to support the sale of pups for working homes, and if there were those who wanted the pups for working purposes, they'd almost invariably want them with docked tails.

Were I you, I'd do my best to secure as many homes as possible for the pups, and BEFORE she's pregnant!

Whatever you do, good luck!

Alec.

 

[galaxy]

http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/services/public/breed/pdf.ashx?breed=2052&item=1011011

On page 2 list the health tests recommended for cocker spaniels

 

[Moobli]

What a pretty little bitch.

I would do all the health tests required for the breed and ensure you have interested parties before even considering breeding. Working cockers are currently enjoying increased popularity as pets but personally I would want to be sure I had enough interested parties (who were able to offer a busy, active little dog the right home) before embarking on the search for the right stud dog etc.

There is a risk to your bitch, however small, and you have to be prepared for that heartache or extra cost in terms of c-section should there be a problem during whelping.

I would also advise against keeping litter siblings. They often either bond very strongly together to the exclusion of their owner, or they can fight on maturity (especially same sex siblings).

Good luck, whatever you decide to do.

 

[Cinnamontoast]

Google littermate syndrome. I'm sure you remember my tale of dragging my sorry self round midnight woods when my pair decided deer hunting was more attractive than coming back. They've had a few episodes of dicking off (to the park, across a main road) and I wouldn't trust them loose in the woods. Saying that, they are gorgeous together and my first two littermates were fabulous. We will do it again.

Mother and son should be fine, keeping a male would be preferable to a bitch.

 

[Clodagh]

cinnamontoast - off topic here, sorry OP - but I am intrigued why, in spite of all your tales about not being able to let your dogs off the lead and so on, you still would get litter mates again? This is not intended to be a snipe but I am genuinely interested, no one I know recommends it, the breeders I got our dogs from wouldn't sell two to the same house, yet you say you would do it again? I love walking our dogs and love that I can just walk and they are with me yet doing their own thing, having to lead one would ruin it for me.

 

[Cinnamontoast]

Because the first two, Brig and Jake, were brilliant, no bother. I love having brothers, one each! They were working bred, which I'm convinced makes a huge difference so I would only go for working. The two I have now are fabulous but definitely have the bonded thing, so can't be trusted in the woods together. (Zak is very DA too) They are fine together as long as they have a dummy/ball. Bear goes to the woods with Brig and is no bother, so I still get good walks, all three go to the river and do water retrieves, again, no bother.

I love the fact that we have brothers, they're so sweet together.

 

[Clodagh]

Because the first two, Brig and Jake, were brilliant, no bother. I love having brothers, one each! They were working bred, which I'm convinced makes a huge difference so I would only go for working. The two I have now are fabulous but definitely have the bonded thing, so can't be trusted in the woods together. (Zak is very DA too) They are fine together as long as they have a dummy/ball. Bear goes to the woods with Brig and is no bother, so I still get good walks, all three go to the river and do water retrieves, again, no bother.

I love the fact that we have brothers, they're so sweet together.

Thanks for that.

 

[NiceNeverNaughty]

do you do agility with her? her type are hugely popular now in those circles