Your Name:

Street Address or Route & Box Number or P.O. Box Number and Apartment Number (if applicable):

City:

State (Province, etc.):

Zip Code (Postal Code, etc.):

Country:

Phone:

Fax:

E-mail:

Website:

*  What made you decide on this breed?

*  Do you want a male, female or either?

*  Do you have a preference for variety or coat color?  AKC standard varieties and coat colors for the Cocker Spaniel (American) breed are listed below.  This is a long list, the "form field" for you to answer this question is down and to your right.  Just scroll down.  {smile  :)  }

Black Variety:
Black
Black with Tan points  (Also known as Black and Tan.)

Any Solid Color Other than Black (A.S.C.O.B.) Variety:
Buff
Silver
Red
Brown (Also known as Chocolate or Liver which also applies to other Brown "varieties".)
Brown with Tan points (Also known as Brown and Tan, Chocolate with Tan points or Chocolate and Tan.)

Parti-Color Variety:
Black and White
Black and White with Tan points (Also known as Black, White and Tan.)
Buff and White
Red and White
Brown and White (Also known as Chocolate and White.)
Brown and White with Tan points (Also known as Brown, White and Tan or the Chocolate versions.)
Blue Roan (Not Merle.)
Blue Roan with Tan points (Also known as Blue Roan and Tan.) (Not Merle.)
Red Roan (Not Merle.)
Brown Roan (Not Merle.)
Brown Roan with Tan points (Also known as Brown Roan and Tan, etc.) (Not Merle.)

Other Colors:

Sables:
Sable
Sable with Tan points
Sable and White
Sable and White with Tan points
Sable Roan (Not Merle.)
Sable Roan with Tan points (Not Merle.)

Merles:  (Not Roan)
Black with Merle pattern (Blue Merle)
Black and Tan with Merle pattern (Blue Merle and Tan)
Brown with Merle pattern (Brown Merle)
Brown and Tan with Merle pattern (Brown Merle and Tan)
Sable with Merle pattern (Sable Merle)
Sable and Tan with Merle pattern (Sable Merle and Tan)
Black and White with Merle pattern (Blue Merle and White)
Black, White and Tan with Merle pattern (Blue Merle, White and Tan)
Brown and White with Merle pattern (Brown Merle and White)
Brown, White and Tan with Merle pattern (Brown Merle, White and Tan)
Sable and White with Merle pattern (Sable Merle and White)
Sable, White and Tan with Merle pattern (Sable Merle, White and Tan)

Other:
Silvering (Black or Brown that turns Blue.)
Silvering with Tan points (Black and Tan or Brown and Tan that turns Blue and Tan.)
Buff with Black markings
Black with Buff markings
Other?

See the Official Breed Standard
at
http://www.asc-cockerspaniel.org/index.php/the-standard.html

or the Illustrated Standard
at
http://www.asc-cockerspaniel.org/index.php/educational-materials.html

Merle Cockers at http://merlecockers.com/

*  Are you prepared for the feeding, exercising, grooming, fencing and training requirements of an agile, thick/long coated, intelligent flushing gundog breed such as the Cocker Spaniel (American)?  (If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.)

*  What are your interests?  Companion, show, breeding, gundog, obedience, therapy dog, etc.?

*  In order to select the pup that is most compatible with you and your family, please describe your own personality and activities.  Which activities do you expect to have your dog participate in?

*  Which of the following temperaments do you prefer?

Quiet/Submissive
Steady/Even-tempered
Lively/Energetic
Assertive/Protective
Any other traits you consider important for your dog to have?

(Please Note:  We do not and will not breed for fierce, aggressive and other non breed type temperaments.)

*  Have you ever owned a dog before?  What breed(s)?

*  What happened to them at what age?  (Death by accident, disease, old age; got rid of because of behavior problems; left behind with family, other, etc.)

*  Do you currently own dogs (what breed and sex) or any other pets?

*  Do you live in a house or apartment, rural or city, rent or own?

*  Do you have a fenced yard, large kennel, pen or field?

*  Who will be responsible for the dog, mostly?  (Feeding, grooming, exercising, training, etc.)

*  Are you willing to enter yourself and the dog into an obedience class by the time the dog turns six months old?

*  What are your views on methods of correcting undesirable behavior in a pup/dog?

*  How many members in your family/household and your/their ages?

*  Is anyone in your family/household afraid of dogs/big dogs?  Who?

*  Who will the dog be a companion to?  Children (ages), adults or both?

*  What are the occupations/professions of each of the members in your family/household?

*  Where do you intend to have your puppy/dog?  In the house, outdoors or both?  Please describe.

*  What type of shelter from the weather will the dog have?  (Your house, dog house, other?)

*  Do you have any intentions of ever cropping or having the ears cropped, docking or having the tail docked shorter, removing or having the front or back dew claws removed, "debarking" or having the dog "debarked"?  Please explain.  (The tail has already been docked the appropriate length as according to the AKC breed standard.  The AKC breed standard states that front and back dew claws may be removed and so this has already been done as well.)

*  Are you willing and able to contact us (the Breeder) and return the puppy/dog if you can no longer keep the puppy/dog or no longer want the pup/dog, at any time, for whatever reason?

*  Why do you want a Cocker Spaniel (American) instead of another companion breed like a Yorkshire Terrier or Poodle, etc.....instead of another gundog breed such as an English Cocker Spaniel, Golden Retriever, etc.....instead of a guard dog breed such as a German Shepherd Dog, Rottweiler, etc.....or instead of a livestock guardian breed such as an Akbash Dog, Kuvasz, Komondor, Anatolian, Maremma, etc.?

*  Do you have a pool, etc. that the puppy/dog could drown in?

Section 3:  Neighbors and Laws

*  Do you have nearby neighbors?  Do you know how they will feel about your owning a dog/flushing gundog?

*  Are you aware of the laws governing dogs and owner responsibilities in your area/town?  Are you prepared to keep your dog indoors or deter nuisance barking?  If a safe arrangement cannot be made with the neighbor(s) and/or law, are you willing and able to return the dog to us (the dog's Breeder)?

Section 4:  Companion or Flushing Gundog

*      Spayed/neutered dogs usually make better gundogs and companions.  They are not preoccupied with "other things".
       Intact females in season must be confined for at least three weeks every six months or so and have been known to be irritable with people, other dogs and other pets.
       Intact males will be distracted when a female is in season and can also be more irritable with people, other dogs and other pets.
       Females in season will attract "unwanted visitors" to your home while intact males will be attracted to female dogs and other canines in season from miles away.  Both may leave your property in search of such or accept the "visitor" into the area and breed with them, producing unwanted puppies to be euthanized in animal shelters.
       Both sexes will roam if not in a well fenced area and tying a dog out does not help against unwanted pregnancies.  Males will come to a tied female and females will come to a tied male.
       Cocker Spaniels, whether male or female, * will * breed with other breeds, mixes, predators, etc.  Even if there are other Cockers "available".
       If you have and questions or comments, feel free.

Section 5:  Companion/Gundog or Show/Breeding/Companion/Gundog

*  What types of birds or other animals will the dog be flushing and/or retrieving?

*  What type of terrain or weather will the dog be flushing and/or retrieving?

*  Will there be a lot of underbrush or water retrieval?

*  Will the area the dog is flushing/retriving in be fenced or open?

*  Will there be a lot of other hunters with you most of the time, or only occasionally?  Will they bring other dogs or animals with them?

Section 6:  Breeding Dogs

*      Breeding dogs is time consuming and provides no profit when done properly.  Careful placement of pups is essential for successful integration with new families.  Breeders should be able to raise and test their dogs in flushing activities in order to verify that those traits important in flushing gamebirds are maintained.  Breeders should also be able to show their dogs in conformation, at least occasionally, to further insure breed type, structure, movement, soundness and temperament.
       Dedicated and responsible Breeders are welcome.
       Any questions or comments, feel free.

Section 7:  Conclusion

*  A Cocker Spaniel, whether acquired for companion, flushing gundog, show, breeding or anything else.....as well as any other dog or animal.....is an investment, a family member and a lifetime commitment.  Are you willing and able to make that commitment?

*  For air shipping, what is your closest large airport?

*  Is there anything you would like to add or ask?