Cockers!

[HazyDay]

Does any one know the answers to my qestions?

I want to buy a bitch and may be a stud cocker. what price should I be looking at? (what to breed pets)

How long do females stay preg?

How long do you wait to breed a female?

do you dock thier tails or do your vets?

Im thinking about buying a female this spring and if i can find i good stud breed her next spring (2008)

[sisterpine]

Wow I am thinking that you need to do lots more research on breeding dogs at this point. Once you have all the health and beauty qualities you are looking for then you start to think about registration and breeding. I would surely not breed a bitch with her first heat, but that may be just me. As far as how long does a dog stay pregnant, at the longest it will be till she delivers puppies LOL usually about 8 weeks i htink. Vet does the docking. i am sure there are many breeding experts who will pipe up with more advice, sis

[Tango]

Perhaps start with reading the "Ethical Breeding" sticky at the top of the first page in this forum to help you understand some of the finer points in breeding and maybe prepare you for some replies you may not be expecting.

[chma4]

I am a cocker breeder, like you when I started, I did not know everything there was to know about breeding. i would agree with the others that you want your bitch to be older than one year when you breed her. You want to make sure that you choose a stud that suits her. You want his good points to help her weak ones. NO dog is perfect, so you try to choose dogs that will improve each other. Another thing to consider, is that she may not go into heat when you plan. She might not go into heat in spring of 2008, or in spring at all. She may cycle in fall only, or mid-summer, each bitch is individual. There are also bitches who go into heat 3-4 times a year or more or not at all. What is your plan when this happens? If you have a stud in your home, you will need to be able to have a home for him while she is fertile. Otherwise you could have 4 litters of pups a year and this EXTREMELY unhealthy for your bitch. Or, in a case like my bitch, she may get pregnant before she shows signs of heat (odd, it did take me two litters to figure out what the problem was) I had to isolate my bitch from my stud perminantly. Also, you must consider things such as (and in this order) Health, temperment, confirmation, coloring, coat. Even in the pet trade, these things are ALL improtant. Some colors sell better, people know what a cocker should look like in their mind. They have a picture of what a cocker is to them, and not EVERY AKC registered cocker fits that bill. If your dogs are not healthy and well socialised, you could very well have a suit on your hands. Check out your state laws. I have people who contact me because the dogs nipples dont look the way they expected (had one clients vet refer to the nipples as "bilateral abdominal scarring") be prepared it is stressful and not always fun dealing with a world of stupid people. You try to only sell to people you believe will be compitant and responsible people, but it doesnt always work that way. And what if you cant sell them all? What if someone returns one? Well anyway, back to your questions. Dogs are pregnant for 9 weeks, (58-63days) on avareage. Docking and dewclaw removal is done by a vet at 24-72 hours old. It is in my opinion an awful practice and I will no longer be breeding cockers because it is just to disheartening for me. Price wise, you will pay anywhere from $500-$2000 for a bitch. $500 being very low end, probably not very well bred, and not health screened to $2000 being dual championed parents and ofa screened for hips and CERF for eyes. Now I have a red/buff female that I am selling for $800. She is AKC champion sired, has a lovely temperment, a nice moderate coat, nice long ears, good confirmation and has been examined by several veterinarians. She is the only female I would allow to be sold as a breeder to the right person and she is $800. She is not OFA or Cerf and her mother's line is not a showline. Her fathers line is one of the most impressive out there, but you must take into consideration all aspects of a pup to determine a price. Please do some research, get yourself a good vet who will see you no matter what time of day it is and be at your beck and call. It is important to have a good vet in your pocket. So many things can go wrong during pregnancy, labor and delivery, you need to be prepared and oh yes, dont think you will make money. In the end, if you are an ethical breeder and you are lucky, you might break even.
GOOD LUCK
Christina

[Maura]

IMO, you should save your money for one dog and get the best you can. Attend dogs shows, and contact the Cocker Spaniel Club in your area (go to akc.org). You will be able to meet with people who breed cockers, but also with people who love them. There are differences between lines, for instance, field vs show. Some people breed for show only, others for show and correct conformation, and temperment. You'll be able to associate with people who will mentor you and help you decide where to get your first puppy from. If you have a female from a real good line, you will be able to breed her with a great stud, even if you don't show the female.

The difference between a well bred puppy and a carelessly bred puppy can be hundreds of dollars. This means you have to put more money up front, but you will get more from selling puppies, as well as be able to attract good homes for them.

[fordson major]

hazy, since you are in canada, check out the ckc web site. many good dog shows on the maritime circuit.
http://www.ckc.ca/en/Default.aspx?tabid=87
too be sold as purebred, you will have too register them through the ckc. check out there rules before you get involved in breeding any dog. finding a good breeding animal will take a lot of time and/or luck!

[Snowdancer]

I'm not meaning to sound harsh but if you don't know some of the standard facts about dogs such the length of gestation; you probably should hold off on getting any dogs for breeding purposes until you learn the basics.

I understand everyone starts out as a newbie but there are some general facts & standard health information that one should know before deciding on even buying a pet let alone breeding animals.

[starjj]

Have to agree with the other posters. You really need to educate yourself BEFORE getting into breeding. If you think it is a quick way to make some money you are mistaken. Read the sticky like the other poster said ETHICAL breeding is what it is about and not knowing the length of pregency for a dog is a red flag that you have not educated yourself as to what it takes to breed dogs that are quality. Anyone can put two dogs together (the shelters are full of them) yes even purebred dogs end up in shelters mainly because of backyard breeders.

[celticheart]

Originally Posted by Tango

Perhaps start with reading the "Ethical Breeding" sticky at the top of the first page in this forum to help you understand some of the finer points in breeding and maybe prepare you for some replies you may not be expecting.

DITTO--DITTO--DITTO!!