Need Some Advice Please!

B

Buffington'sMom

Well-Known Member
Owned by
1 cocker
Hello,

Some of you may remember that we lost our 14 year old Buffington very suddenly to Immune Mediated Thrombocytopenia on 9/11/09. He was the first dog I had ever had and, to be honest, I didn't do any 'homework' before we responded to an ad in the newspaper for cocker spaniel puppies all those years ago. We really lucked out with Buffy - his breeders were an elderly couple that were definitely not breeding for money. They just loved the puppies and raised them with such love and attention. They owned both Sire and Dam but no other dogs; took the puppies to the park to socialize with others and seemed to do everything right. When I registered him with AKC and got his certificate, his lineage showed one champion. Buffy was a wonderful dog and we were blessed to have him for 14+ years. We miss him so much.

We are seriously thinking about getting another cocker spaniel puppy, but not until the spring. We have a winter vacation planned and we want to wait until we get back from that to do anything. I know what you are probably thinking - that we should look into getting a rescue and we've given that a lot of thought but we really would like a puppy again. We have rescued all of our cats over the years and saved them from who-knows-what fate. Rescue is a wonderful thing and I am a firm believer in it, but there is nothing like a puppy!

I'm asking for advice about how to find a good breeder. I've done some research online but I honestly don't know who I can trust. We live in Massachusetts and I see that there are breeders that are American Spaniel Club members here, but does that make them better than others? Is there someplace that I can check out their credentials? If I contact them by phone, what should I be asking them?

I'm sorry to ask so many questions, but this is a very important decision for us. I trust you so much and you have always given me such wonderful advice over the years. I hope you don't think I'm being selfish by wanting a puppy instead of looking into rescue, but my feeling is that there are puppies born every day also that need good homes. I know Buffy had an excellent home with us - he was spoiled but he deserved to be....he was the best!

Any advice you can give to me will be much appreciated. Again, sorry for the long post!
 
There are puppies in rescue you know. Even puppies that have pedigrees. That said - the selection of an animal to be a pet is very personal. I had my neighbor apologizing all over to me because she did not rescue. Ridiculous. It is what suits you and the pupper the best that counts. I know nothing about breeders but I'm sure someone here will guide you on your way. Good luck for sure!
 
There are some people here who breed and show. I know they can give you wonderful advice and maybe even recommend someone. You can go to the dog shows, see the dogs, meet some breeders and handlers, and speak with them. If they don't have any breedings planned, they might know someone who does. Make sure you do your homework first so you know what questions to ask the breeder. The breeder will probably have just as many questions to ask you.
 
Susan! I'm so glad that you are going to get another cocker baby! As Karen said, we do have some wonderful breeders here! Gina is planning a litter very soon. I have a retired champion show boy from Stormbeau cockers in OK, his name is Stormy, and Robin is Stormbeau and is very active here. I don't think she is planning a litter soon, but she may know of someone close to you.

It also depends if you want to visit the pup first, or ship it to you.

Do you want an American or an English. You know that Mark from our AOL forum is still active here and will know how to put you in touch with and English Cocker breeder.

If you have noticed Manuel's avitar, Manuel is our list owner, he's dad to Hoshi a beautiful buff boy from Gina.. there are options, you can post here for them to answer, or you can pm them.
 
Thank you, Sharon, Karen and Polly!
I would love to get a cocker puppy from someone on this board! I've seen other websites with cocker puppies available and in order to get them, they have to be flown here to Massachusetts. I'm interested to know what you all think of that. I guess I'm worried about how traumatic that might be for a puppy - to be taken away from his/her family, put on a plane alone and then arrive to meet people that he/she doesn't even know and be brought to a place that he doesn't know at all. Maybe I'm thinking more like a human and I know that would be scary for a child, but I know dogs have feelings too! I would love to hear from anyone that has purchased a puppy using this method.
I would be very grateful if anyone on the board could recommend a good breeder here in Massachusetts. There are several names online, but I know nothing about any of them. I feel a little bit apprehensive about pm'ing anyone, so I'm hoping someone like Robin (or anyone else) will read this post and respond!
I just want to do this right!!!!
 
Well I will make this post short as I'm on my iPhone and takes a while to actually type. I've bought two puppies and had them flown to me without any problems. One of them was about 12 weeks and the other 16 weeks. The pups were none worse for wear, had good temperaments, etc. I've also had one adult dog I bought flown to me with good results. In addition I've flown puppies between the ages of eight and twelve weeks and the clients were happy with their purchases. The only drawback would be that you wouldn't be able to see the sire and dam in person. Questions I'd definately ask is if any health testing has been done on the parents ( at a minimum both CERF and OFA), any guarantees, and references. if you see a breeder you're interested in you might ask on this board if any of us know them. I do know Gina is having some litters come up soon but I most likely will not be breeding until the fall. The economy in my area just can't support me to breed right now and there are a lot of dogs including cockers in rescue. I just can't see adding to that. Equally I have three rescues right now ranging from 11 months to three years. The 11 month old is ALL puppy. He's the purebred brown and tan I recently aquired with papers from a puppy miller. I'll help you as much as I can with any questions you may have as I'm sure anyone else on the board will also. Excuse any typos there may be in this post.
 
Hi Susan,

I'm glad that your family is looking for another Cocker to share your lives. There's just something wonderful about this breed, isn't there? There are lots of options in terms of finding a new family member. As has been mentioned, rescue is a GREAT source of wonderful dogs. Some of the dogs in rescue are just waiting to become the perfect family member. Retired show/breeding dogs also make wonderful pets. Sometimes they require a bit of an introduction to household living (depending on how they lived at the breeder's home), but that small investment of time and effort is typically repaid over and over again.

If you want to buy a puppy, here are my recommendations:

- Ask for copies of health testing certificates. In Cockers you should particularly be looking for CERF (Canine Eye Registry Foundation) and OFA (Orthopedic Foundation For Animals) certificates. In the place of OFA you may get a PennHip certificate, if the breeder chooses to use that registry. Some breeders also test for patellas (knees) through OFA, and thyroid. Eyes and hips are the bare minimum, on both the sire and the dam
- Ask to see the dam of the litter (and the sire, if he's on the premises, which isn't always the case). You can get a lot of information as to how your puppy could turn out based on what the dam is like. A lot of temperament and behaviour are affected by the puppy's first few weeks with mom and the littermates

The ASC Breeder Referral listing that you've checked is certainly a good place to start in terms of finding a good breeder. Not every breeder that belongs to the ASC is great (nor is every breeder that doesn't belong to ASC bad!), but it's a starting point. If you start contacting breeders, and they don't have puppies, hopefully they will refer you to somebody nearby that does have puppies. I also recommend checking out http://www.merrilycockers.com for their Breeder Referral listing. It's quite comprehensive, and there may be breeders listed there that don't belong to ASC.

If you have questions about particular breeders, it's best to either PM or email people here. I'm happy to help however I can in terms of answering questions, etc.
 
ahhhh puppies!!!! I love puppies -- it's a good thing they're so cute!

I'm glad you are thinking ahead of time and doing some research. Lets see,

I have had pups shipped here and have shipped pups/adults out. No issues really, as long as it's not blazing hot or freezing cold.

If you are in Mass... that gives you a few options. You can always drive to few other surrounding states if there is a pup available in another area. The other option is, fly out to meet the pup and fly him/her back with you, in a sherpa bag, right under the seat.

Is there a particular color you're interested? That will also narrow down your search. Some breeders only do buff, some do parti's, some do blacks, black & tans, browns, etc.

Most show breeders won't let them leave until at least 12 weeks -- they are determining if they are show quality or not. Some they can tell right away - some need a little time to grow and develop and see how they do on lead, how the body is, etc.

Absolutely be prepared to ask about health testing. Also be prepared to be asked questions. For instance, you want a puppy, but will you be home most of the day? or do you work full time?

Yes there are pups in rescue, but we dont' always know the pedigree, but basically, I think you need to meet the pup and let the pup decide. Some breeders will tell you which one is going to be submissive, or naughty, and will try to match your personality and lifestyle to the pup.

There is a puppy aptitude test that helps with this.

So, lets say you are in a pile of pups and you pick one up that you seem drawn to, and you try to turn this pup over in your arms (belly up) and it wiggles and fights and squirms to get away. Hmmmm.. maybe that's not the right one for you.


Here's a link that I've given to many new wanna be puppy owners http://www.members.tripod.com/antique_fcr/goodbreeder.html

Best of luck and if I hear of anything available in Mass, I'll post. There are some breeders up there, but there are also some excellent breeders in a few other states not too far away.
 
Good for you for looking into rescue.
If you go the breeder route, I suggest you take a look and maybe copy the file we have on our website about: Questions To Ask the Breeder.
It is at the bottom of this page: http://www.csrbc.org/adopting.html
Look under the Petfinder pictures.

It is good to ask the breeder these questions over the phone, not when you have a cute puppy on your lap.

Good Luck.
 
You are so right, Manuel....this is exactly the information that I was looking for!

Thanks to Robin, Kelly, Linny and Carol for your additional great replies. Now I know the right questions to ask. We're not looking for a showdog - we just want a cocker that we can love as much as Buffington. Now that our kids have been out on their own for a few years, it's a real empty nest here. We love our cats, but there is nothing like the unconditional love of a dog and that wiggle butt greeting when you come through the door!

I think I'll start by contacting breeders in Massachusetts and go from there. I really like the idea of being able to see the dam. As I mentioned earlier, when we got Buffy as a puppy, the dam was right there with all of the pups. She was a sweetheart and I can see that Buffy got his sweet temperament from her. The sire was there also, but outside because the breeders said he was very protective and would likely bark at us. They did bring him into the house so we could see him as well and he was fine but we didn't approach him, either. Our kids were 8 and 11 at the time and were very active in sports, especially baseball and softball so Buffy went to all of their games with us. He met literally hundreds of people over the years and loved almost everyone. It's funny, but there would occasionally be one person that he just didn't like for whatever reason. It could be one person in a crowd, but he would target that person and bark at him/her! Maybe that was a little bit of his daddy in him!

Thanks again, EVERYONE for your help. If any of you do know any good breeders here in New England, please let me know.
 
Susan
Another good idea that I've heard through the years is to go to your local dog shows, that way you can meet the breeders and see their dogs in action.
 
Susan,
I didn't want a showdog either but not all the puppies that come from very good breeders become showdogs either. Dylan was from a breeder who did conformation, agility, and obedience with her dogs. Dylan never became a showdog but I know his lines were good and there was good temperment and genetic testing behind him.
 
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Yup, what she said. The show breeders might have one or two pups in the litter that are not show quality. For instance little things like coloring might not be what they are looking for or tail slightly off topline or some other slight thing that a pet owner could care less about. They normally won't put a show quality pup in a pet home. Plus they can't keep them all. So you get the benefits of a show background that has been card for and has started some training.
 
Susan
You might check out http://e-cockers.ning.com
Robin invited me to join that group. I did, I don't post there, but a lot of the show people do. They have a classified page that they list cockers for sale on. There is also a group on yahoo: cockersavailable@yahoogroups.com That you might want to join, I'm not sure if it's exclusive to show/agility breeders though.
 
Thanks, Polly...I found a cocker spaniel show here in Massachusetts but it's not until June. I think that's the same show that I went to years ago and met BarbCVa and a few others, so they must have it around the same time every year. I don't know if I can wait until June! I've written to a couple of local breeders, so we'll see if they respond.
 
Karen and Linny....that's exactly what I'm looking for....good lines, good temperament and good genetics. Now that I've seen some of the breeder's websites, I am seeing what you all spoke about regarding a breeder that breeds for quality, not quantity. I like reading about how the testing is done on puppies and now I know the importance of it. When we got Buffy, I remember the breeder talking about things like this and, because I knew nothing about it, I couldn't have cared less. Now I'm going into this much more educated thanks to all of you! You just have NO idea of how much I've learned over the years just from reading your posts.
Just tonight my son called me to ask my opinion about what he should give his Rottie who has an upset tummy. I do remember reading about boiled chicken/hamburg and rice and I told him to add some pumpkin, so we'll see how his Rottie does with that for dinner!
 
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