Cocker Spaniel Breeders – What You Should Know About Breeding

Cocker Spaniel Breeders

Are you the proud owner of a beautiful female or male Cocker Spaniel? Perhaps you have a particularly good breed of English or American Cocker Spaniel that other dog owners have looked at with envy and now you’re seriously considering breeding you dog.

Before you flip through the yellow pages or search online for good quality Cocker Spaniel breeders, you should know that there are several factors to bear in mind before taking the leap.

Pros and cons of Cocker Spaniel breeding

Becoming a Cocker Spaniel breeder is definitely a satisfying activity, especially if everything runs smoothly and you are able to sell all of the puppies that are produced; also depending on the breed it can become a very profitable business in the future.

Though besides this you must also be prepared to do a lot of work and accept the consequences of a possible failure, for example female dog owners may pay a lot of money to mate their dog with a male stud, only to find out that they are not a suitable match or it didn’t result in a litter of puppies.

A much more worrying situation in Cocker Spaniel breeding is ending up with a litter of beautiful puppies, but not a single person interested in buying them; you would then have to either reduce the price or give them away losing a large amount of time and money in the process. It is best to know the disadvantages of becoming a Cocker Spaniel breeder and accept the responsibility of the puppies before you get started.

Knowing when a female Cocker Spaniel is ready to mate

You will have to wait for your female Cocker Spaniel to go into heat before you can introduce her to a male stud for procreation. The heat period last for about 3 weeks and it can be tricky to spot the signs, but if you’ve had your dog for some time you should be able to notice certain changes in her behavior.

The first stage of heat is called the “Proteus”, during this time the bitch will appear more affectionate, her vulva swells and she may show her genitals openly to people and other animals.

Shortly after the first stage you may notice blood discharge flowing from her vulva; this is a sign of changes in her uterus. About half way through the 3 week heat period the blood color will take on a pink or tan color, which is a sign that the vulva is at its softest and the eggs have been released; she is now ready to be paired with a male stud.

You must be quick and get the job done within 2-3 days of this color change, if the blood discharge turn back to a dark red color this signals the end of the cycle and you must wait another 6 months or so before trying again.

Sure signs that you Cocker Spaniel is in heat

• Over affectionate behavior
• Tail always up and wagging
• Lifting up the rear and displaying the genitals
• Light red or pinkish-tan colored blood discharge

Choosing a stud or bitch

This is the most important part of breeding, most beginners tend to start with female dog and pay to have it bred with a male stud; this tends to be cheaper than doing it the other way around, unless you own both that is. You’ll need to call around to several owners to find a suitable match; most professional Cocker Spaniel breeders will have the documentation to prove the pure blood line of their own animals.

Take some time to visit each possibility and bring your dog along to see how well they hit it off, in some cases certain dogs will respond with aggression or complete disinterest in each other.

When looking for a breeder use only those that have a significant amount of experience with Cocker Spaniel breeding, you’ll be able to tell because they will go out of their way to show you the certificates and documentation and will appear genuine and enthusiastic about breeding in general.

Visit the possible dog a couple of times over a few weeks to get a feel for their temperament and to give yourself time to spot any genetic defects.

For more information and everything you need to know about the Cocker Spaniel, check out the highly recommended Cocker Spaniel eBook and audio package today!