Our next litter

Rosie turned four years old on the 19th June. She came on heat the middle of May. I have been very lucky to be allowed to use a very nice Working Cocker spaniel Ozzy with her. I had said I might use Ernest with her again if I had no other options as I always have a backup plan when breeding from my bitches. For me breeding is about moving forward and learning. This litter will be 1/2 Cocker, 1/4 Brittany and 1/4 Cavalier. A pure spaniel dog with a lot of hybrid vigour. From using Cocker on a 5/8 Cavalier bitch and producing Polly 5/16 Cavalier. I think you still retain enough of the Cavalier especially when using other spaniels in the mix. What I am understanding and seeing as I move forward is that you will soon get the Cavalier problems back if you hurry too quickly to bring Cavalier back up in the mix. It is not going to be as simple as crossing out and then just crossing back and each time increase the amount of Cavalier because you don't have enough healthy Cavaliers to do it that way. The way I see things going forward is to not get too hung up on how much of this or that is in them, as that is nearly as bad as line breeding and not breeding from what you see in front of you. For me with whatever breeding I have done it has always been from looking at what I have in front of me and imagining in my mind what that will produce. If my imagination thinks there is a click then I look at pedigrees and health tests. 
Ozzy who I have used with Rosie, I was allowed to visit before Rosie was ready for mating. So I could take a good look at all the breeders Working Cockers, as this is someone who works her dogs and also competes them in Field Trials as well. I have been lucky to find this breeder and be allowed to use such good dogs in my program. She bred Ozzy, his Dad and his Grandfather. Ozzy will be three years old in August and is DNA clear for all relevant tests for Working Cockers. He is eye tested so far "clear" and has also been gonioscopy checked being so far "clear" for glucoma. Hip scored 12 and elbow scored 0.
Very excited about this litter. Should produce good looking very trainable spaniel types that are  happy as family/helper/companion/working dogs. Tomorrow it will be four weeks since the first mating, so should know in about the next week or so if pregnant. I think I can already feel something but want to give it a few more days to be sure.
To see Rosie's previous and only litter so far click ​HERE

Rosie

Ozzy

Rosie

Ozzy