Finding a good breeder

M

Mthrnght

New Member
Hi,

I'm a new member to this forum. My wife and I decided that it was time to get a dog - we've always wanted one but our lives have been too hectic up till now - and after a lengthy time researching, we decided that the English Cocker is the perfect dog for us!

However, I've also been doing research on breeders, and apparently it can be very difficult to find a reputable breeder who has the puppies' best interest at heart. Does anybody have any advice on how to find breeders, and how to make sure they are as good as they make themselves out to be? Does anybody know of any really good breeders they might recommend? We live in VA, USA, but we're not at all averse to spending the day driving in order to get a great pup!

Thanks in advance for any feedback!
 
Welcome to My Cocker Spaniel. You are on the right track, doing research is very important. Good breeders are always looking for the perfect homes
for their dogs. I would attend as many local dog shows that you can, visit the back area, talk to the show people. Talk to your neighborhood vets and groomers. Visit the AKC website and see the list of local AKC breeders. Social Media also has become very big. Join some English Cocker groups on FB and Twitter, it's much easier to get the show breeders to talk to you if they recognize you from interaction on FB. Also check out instragram.

Addition:
The really good breeders often have waiting lists for their pups. They don't have very many litters a year. They will also sometimes have show dogs they retire and want to find perfect homes for. Also local rescues will have dogs looking for homes.
 
Once you've made a list of prospective breeders, Google their names, kennel names to make sure nothing bad pops up.
 
Ditto to that. I'm also looking for an English Cocker. I thought I had found a breeder. They weren't too far from me, but as I did more research, I found that they had been arrested for animal cruelty!

When you find a breeder, if at all possible, go and visit the breeder so you can see how the dogs are kept, even when they don't have puppies! If they don't want you to visit, I'd be leery.
 
Polly said:
Welcome to My Cocker Spaniel. You are on the right track, doing research is very important. Good breeders are always looking for the perfect homes
for their dogs. I would attend as many local dog shows that you can, visit the back area, talk to the show people. Talk to your neighborhood vets and groomers. Visit the AKC website and see the list of local AKC breeders. Social Media also has become very big. Join some English Cocker groups on FB and Twitter, it's much easier to get the show breeders to talk to you if they recognize you from interaction on FB. Also check out instragram.

Addition:
The really good breeders often have waiting lists for their pups. They don't have very many litters a year. They will also sometimes have show dogs they retire and want to find perfect homes for. Also local rescues will have dogs looking for homes.
Click to expand...

Good advise Polly, I plan on attending the Seattle Kennel show in March to do just that. My list of breeders in our area is a little out of date after 15 years :(.
 
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