[Kitchen Cottage]

  She is 3 and a half and had one, unplanned, litter but I would really like to mate her with another working cocker down the road... both have LOVELY temperaments and, following Freddie's demise, its made me realise I want a mini me misty.

She is orf to get some man love tomorrow !

She had 6 live puppies last time and I still know where they all are 

Cross your fingers that she takes!!

[doganjo]

Hope you've done the health checks for Cockers on both of them!  Check the KC lists - eyes, kidneys, and liver

http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/media/9846/abshealthreqs.pdf

Spaniel (Cocker) 1) Eye Testing - Annual 2) DNA test - prcd-PRA 1) Hip scoring 2) Eye Testing - Gonioscopy

[Humblepie]

im speechless   

[Kitchen Cottage]

Misty has had her healthcheck last time she whelped.  She was very healthy

I doubt if Jacob has, he's a farm working cocker but I know his parents and he is a really good little dog.

I have homes for any size of potential litter already.  Misty is a VERY good dog in terms of temperament and working ability.

 

I regretted Fred having sired a litter because he was soooo lovely, but I had him neutered quite young.   I don't want to make the same mistake with Misty.  I want a mini-Misty for the future.

Humblepie... thank you for the silence 

[doganjo]

Very pleased you had her eyes and kidneys checked last time.     I have met a number of very sad puppy owners who lost their dogs to inherited disease far too young.  Good luck with the planned litter.

[NicandChic]

A Health check isnt the same as a DNA test for PRA, FN & glaucoma...hips are also important, all horrible inherited conditions prevalent in show & working cockers.
We had a litter from our show cocker using a fully tested stud so the pups would not suffer from the horrible conditions. Using an untested stud & bitch you have the potential for blind pups at birth/ down the line, kidney & hip problems.

I'm sure it's to late but this is a good working cocker site for anyone reading looking into breeding their working cocker http://www.workingcockerhealthscreendirectory.com/

[Kitchen Cottage]

She had her hips done but not the rest.  I can trace her back 7 generations (she was bred by a friend in Ireland) so I am not worried.  Should I be?  I only had her hips done because she bred accidentally with a Labrador and I was worried about hips (he had a really low hip score).

[NicandChic]

This page gives a good over view of the tests http://www.workingcockerhealthscreendirectory.com/healthissues.htm

[doganjo]

She had her hips done but not the rest.  I can trace her back 7 generations (she was bred by a friend in Ireland) so I am not worried.  Should I be? I only had her hips done because she bred accidentally with a Labrador and I was worried about hips (he had a really low hip score).

If you don't want new owners coming back to you with sick pups, yes.  It is always wise to have the recommended tests done.  Why not wait till her next season and use the next six months to have those tests done?  A really low hip score is good!  They should be as close to zero as possible.  My three are well below our breed average of 18 (7,7,and 14)  Knowing the breeding behind your own bitch is certainly a very good thing, but have her ancestors all been cleared of the eye and kidney problems that Cockers are prone to?  How can you tell - do you know all the progeny for those 7 generations?

[Kitchen Cottage]

That's a plan Doganjo....Since I had Freddie put to sleep I can't bear the thought that with another lovely dog I won't have projeny.  Freddie was, well, a bit of a jaffa who showed no interest in the female form.... but Misty is such a lovely loving companion I would really love a bitch out of her to carry on her nature.

Will my vet be able to do all these tests?  When Misty got pregnant last time (she is very clean so I don't actually notice when she is in season usually and she lived with Freddie who was by then neutered) I paniced and the vet recommended hip scores but nothing else.

I doubt if there is anything in her bloodline (all her relatives live in Sligo in very close communion  and she was well bred) but I'm going to take a bit more care with the Sire.

Jacob is lovely and, again, very well bred but both him and Misty are working and not show dogs so I tend to concentrate on temperament.

Ah well, only chooks this time round then!

[doganjo]

Your vet should have all the details of what tests should be done and where - some of the eye tests need a specialist though.  My breed only needs hip scores so I'm really not up to scratch, I know labs need eyes done too though so it's quite a normal thing for vets to know about.  Take him the list from the KC website and he should be able to guide you - you should be able to trace any of Misty's ancestors which have had tests done from here if you know their correct KC name.
http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/services/public/mateselect/test/Default.aspx?utm_source=ABSNewsletterSummer13&utm_medium=P7ElbowsPara5HTRF&utm_campaign=ABSNewsletterSummer13

The Working Cocker Club link is a good place to start though.

[NicandChic]

You're vet probably won't know much about breed specific dna testing, the company used is this one http://www.optigen.com/index.html I think they post out a cheek swab which your vet then carries out the swab & verifies the details. Think it worked out about £400 when we looked in to it.

We chose not to test our girl but used a tested stud (even if our girl was a carrier the pups could be nothing more than a carrier - & not suffer from any of the diseases - unless mated to another carrier or affected - but we endorsed all pups just to be safe, plus thoroughly investigating her line, KC dna result finder etc)

[Old Shep]

im speechless   

me too!  had to go back through old posts to make sure that you are the same Kitchen Cottage!

 

[doganjo]

You're vet probably won't know much about breed specific dna testing, the company used is this one http://www.optigen.com/index.html I think they post out a cheek swab which your vet then carries out the swab & verifies the details. Think it worked out about £400 when we looked in to it.

We chose not to test our girl but used a tested stud (even if our girl was a carrier the pups could be nothing more than a carrier - & not suffer from any of the diseases - unless mated to another carrier or affected - but we endorsed all pups just to be safe, plus thoroughly investigating her line, KC dna result finder etc)

Sounds a excellent compromise to me. 

[Kitchen Cottage]

I didn't mate her but actually the sire was tested because, when he's a little older, he'll be used quite a lot.  Kenny said that it cost hims £75?  Given that is a LOT different from £400 can I rely on the results.  After another litter (assuming she takes at some point) Misty will be spayed,  I really want a Mini Misty.... she is such a lovely dog!.