Drake (Trojan Night) is our current, proven stud dog.
Drake came to us as a pup from the Keepers at the Harewood Estate in North Yorkshire, just over 3 years ago.
I can honestly say he is one of the most intelligent Working Cockers that I have ever had the good fortune to come across.
He is a tenacious game finder and a loyal and biddable shooting companion. Short in stature, but broad in the chest, he is a veritable powerhouse when it comes to flushing game in thick cover or retrieving from inaccessible rough. Fearless yet soft! All in all, a great dog who sires carbon-copy pups.
Drake is available for stud. Please call me for details and availability.
We realise that this may be the first time that you have taken a stud. It can be a confusing process and sometimes seems very much like a "closed shop," only available to those breeders in the know. Here at LongSword, we try to make the process as easy and as stress free as possible.
It's likely, if you have never had experience of taking a stud before, that you will have lots of questions. By far the easiest way is to give me a call and we can discuss things in more detail, but I will try to outline the some of the major concerns below;
Firstly, and this is the most important issue in any mating, the genetics has to be right! I've over 40 years experience in dog husbandry, so firstly I'll need to see a copy of the bitches' pedigree, in order to satisfy myself that the dogs are a suitable match. If the bloodlines are too closely linked, I'm afraid I won't offer you a stud.
The genetics of Working Cockers is relatively complex, given the amount of line-breeding that has taken place in the not too distant past. Ideally for this breed you need to be looking at a Coefficient of In-Breeding of <12% for any prospective mating.... but it's not actually that simple! Because the jolly old KC refuse to split the breed data between Show and Working Cockers, the normative data that is used to calculate COI for Working Cockers is approximately useless. So my advice to you is don't get too hung up on COI when looking for a stud. It's far better to closely examine both pedigrees, with someone who really understand the genetics of dog breeding for this breed.
Try not to get too hung up on colour. Just because the stud is Lemon Roan, doesn't mean that all the pups will be! Colour inheritance is complicated and highly influenced by the degree of dominance of mix of genes between the Sire and the Dam. Temperament is far far more important! It's important that you spend time researching your choice of stud dog. Temperament should be your first priority, alongside conformation. If you can find those attributes in a dog who has the right genetics and who is an "interesting" colour........ good luck.
We have sired litters with bitches from all over the UK, but for the first time breeder, it really helps if you can find a stud dog that is local to you. Travelling great distances with a bitch in season, only adds to the stress!
Do your homework well in advance. The last thing you want to be doing is having to make a decision about a stud under the pressure of having to get a bitch mated. There is nothing that I like better, than having a first meeting with a prospective stud client at least 6 months in advance of the mating.
Every mating is different! Breeding dogs is an inexact science and whilst the genetics may look fabulous not every mating results in a successful pregnancy.
Mating dogs is not without risk! I speak from the bitter experience of losing one of my most fabulous bitches (and a whole litter of pups) in whelp. It's very uncommon, but utterly devastating and whilst I'm not trying to put you off, you absolutely need to be aware that whelp, particularly for older maiden bitches carries a degree of risk.
If you have a maiden bitch that you want to breed from, don't leave it too late! Maiden bitches over the age of 4 years are likely to require a C-section in order to whelp. Two years old, after two seasons is the ideal time for a first mating. I will offer studs to maiden bitches between 4 - 5 years old, but ONLY after discussion with your vet. If you have a maiden bitch over the age of 5, find another stud dog, or far better still, don't breed from her!
Likewise, if your bitch is overweight, you are increasing the risk.
Examine your reasons for wanting to breed. It's amazing how many people get upset when I ask them why they want to breed from their dog. In essence, the only correct answer is that "she is so fabulous that I want to keep a pup for myself"
So here we are... you've decided that you want a stud and I've done my best to dissuade you! What happens next.....
The business of dog mating is pretty traditional, and I see no reason to be any different to that, so there are some unwritten ground rules that pretty much all breeders adhere to.
Bitches always travel to the dog, never the other way around
Traditionally two matings are offered, the second mating a couple of days after the first tie.
For a maiden bitch, we would usually try the first mating on Day 11. Day 1 is the first day that you see blood. However, whilst all bitches are different, they will only stand for the stud dog when they are ovulating. Some ovulate late, some early, some in text-book fashion. With a maiden bitch it's very hard to tell until you try a mating. In my experience, it is very unusual to miss a mating due to early ovulation. The most common reason for an unsuccessful first trip to the stud dog, is that the bitch isn't ready.
Maiden bitches will normally stand for a dog they know at an earlier stage. So if you have a mix of dogs and bitches at home, your maiden bitch may be standing and flagging for your dog as early as Day 8........ but this is no guarantee that she will stand for a unfamiliar stud dog. This may necessitate a few trips to the stud dog before we get a successful mating. Hence the advice to try to find a local stud.
All stud dogs are different. Some are gentlemen, some less so. With a maiden bitch, a forceful, experienced stud dog makes life a lot easier.
If for any reason the mating is unsuccessful in producing pups, a free mating is offered, the next time the bitch comes into season.
Payment of the stud fee is always at the first mating.
We occasionally take bitches in for residential board whilst they are being mated. This really only applies to those who are travelling a considerable distance for a stud. In this case, we charge a nominal B&B fee on top of the stud fee.
I'd highly recommend that you attend the mating. In that way you can be sure that the dogs have tied and that the stud dog you are paying for, is the one that is used on the bitch. If you have never seen a mating before, be prepared for it to be quite physical. Some dogs and bitches prefer just to get on with it with a minimum of fuss, whilst others need a good deal of physical intervention in order to achieve a successful tie. Maiden bitches can be quite aggressive and very vocal during a first mating.
A successful mating will result in a tie. Here the dog and bitch are locked together and will normally reverse so that they are facing away from each other. It's good practice for both the dog and bitch to be restrained on leads for the duration of the tie. Ties can last for up to 40 minutes. Pregnancies can result from "slip matings" where a very short tie or no tie at all is seen, but in reality, these are quire uncommon.
It's all quite normal. Go with an open mind.
Drake came to us as a pup from the Keepers at the Harewood Estate in North Yorkshire, just over 3 years ago.
I can honestly say he is one of the most intelligent Working Cockers that I have ever had the good fortune to come across.
He is a tenacious game finder and a loyal and biddable shooting companion. Short in stature, but broad in the chest, he is a veritable powerhouse when it comes to flushing game in thick cover or retrieving from inaccessible rough. Fearless yet soft! All in all, a great dog who sires carbon-copy pups.
Drake is available for stud. Please call me for details and availability.
We realise that this may be the first time that you have taken a stud. It can be a confusing process and sometimes seems very much like a "closed shop," only available to those breeders in the know. Here at LongSword, we try to make the process as easy and as stress free as possible.
It's likely, if you have never had experience of taking a stud before, that you will have lots of questions. By far the easiest way is to give me a call and we can discuss things in more detail, but I will try to outline the some of the major concerns below;
Firstly, and this is the most important issue in any mating, the genetics has to be right! I've over 40 years experience in dog husbandry, so firstly I'll need to see a copy of the bitches' pedigree, in order to satisfy myself that the dogs are a suitable match. If the bloodlines are too closely linked, I'm afraid I won't offer you a stud.
The genetics of Working Cockers is relatively complex, given the amount of line-breeding that has taken place in the not too distant past. Ideally for this breed you need to be looking at a Coefficient of In-Breeding of <12% for any prospective mating.... but it's not actually that simple! Because the jolly old KC refuse to split the breed data between Show and Working Cockers, the normative data that is used to calculate COI for Working Cockers is approximately useless. So my advice to you is don't get too hung up on COI when looking for a stud. It's far better to closely examine both pedigrees, with someone who really understand the genetics of dog breeding for this breed.
Try not to get too hung up on colour. Just because the stud is Lemon Roan, doesn't mean that all the pups will be! Colour inheritance is complicated and highly influenced by the degree of dominance of mix of genes between the Sire and the Dam. Temperament is far far more important! It's important that you spend time researching your choice of stud dog. Temperament should be your first priority, alongside conformation. If you can find those attributes in a dog who has the right genetics and who is an "interesting" colour........ good luck.
We have sired litters with bitches from all over the UK, but for the first time breeder, it really helps if you can find a stud dog that is local to you. Travelling great distances with a bitch in season, only adds to the stress!
Do your homework well in advance. The last thing you want to be doing is having to make a decision about a stud under the pressure of having to get a bitch mated. There is nothing that I like better, than having a first meeting with a prospective stud client at least 6 months in advance of the mating.
Every mating is different! Breeding dogs is an inexact science and whilst the genetics may look fabulous not every mating results in a successful pregnancy.
Mating dogs is not without risk! I speak from the bitter experience of losing one of my most fabulous bitches (and a whole litter of pups) in whelp. It's very uncommon, but utterly devastating and whilst I'm not trying to put you off, you absolutely need to be aware that whelp, particularly for older maiden bitches carries a degree of risk.
If you have a maiden bitch that you want to breed from, don't leave it too late! Maiden bitches over the age of 4 years are likely to require a C-section in order to whelp. Two years old, after two seasons is the ideal time for a first mating. I will offer studs to maiden bitches between 4 - 5 years old, but ONLY after discussion with your vet. If you have a maiden bitch over the age of 5, find another stud dog, or far better still, don't breed from her!
Likewise, if your bitch is overweight, you are increasing the risk.
Examine your reasons for wanting to breed. It's amazing how many people get upset when I ask them why they want to breed from their dog. In essence, the only correct answer is that "she is so fabulous that I want to keep a pup for myself"
So here we are... you've decided that you want a stud and I've done my best to dissuade you! What happens next.....
The business of dog mating is pretty traditional, and I see no reason to be any different to that, so there are some unwritten ground rules that pretty much all breeders adhere to.
Bitches always travel to the dog, never the other way around
Traditionally two matings are offered, the second mating a couple of days after the first tie.
For a maiden bitch, we would usually try the first mating on Day 11. Day 1 is the first day that you see blood. However, whilst all bitches are different, they will only stand for the stud dog when they are ovulating. Some ovulate late, some early, some in text-book fashion. With a maiden bitch it's very hard to tell until you try a mating. In my experience, it is very unusual to miss a mating due to early ovulation. The most common reason for an unsuccessful first trip to the stud dog, is that the bitch isn't ready.
Maiden bitches will normally stand for a dog they know at an earlier stage. So if you have a mix of dogs and bitches at home, your maiden bitch may be standing and flagging for your dog as early as Day 8........ but this is no guarantee that she will stand for a unfamiliar stud dog. This may necessitate a few trips to the stud dog before we get a successful mating. Hence the advice to try to find a local stud.
All stud dogs are different. Some are gentlemen, some less so. With a maiden bitch, a forceful, experienced stud dog makes life a lot easier.
If for any reason the mating is unsuccessful in producing pups, a free mating is offered, the next time the bitch comes into season.
Payment of the stud fee is always at the first mating.
We occasionally take bitches in for residential board whilst they are being mated. This really only applies to those who are travelling a considerable distance for a stud. In this case, we charge a nominal B&B fee on top of the stud fee.
I'd highly recommend that you attend the mating. In that way you can be sure that the dogs have tied and that the stud dog you are paying for, is the one that is used on the bitch. If you have never seen a mating before, be prepared for it to be quite physical. Some dogs and bitches prefer just to get on with it with a minimum of fuss, whilst others need a good deal of physical intervention in order to achieve a successful tie. Maiden bitches can be quite aggressive and very vocal during a first mating.
A successful mating will result in a tie. Here the dog and bitch are locked together and will normally reverse so that they are facing away from each other. It's good practice for both the dog and bitch to be restrained on leads for the duration of the tie. Ties can last for up to 40 minutes. Pregnancies can result from "slip matings" where a very short tie or no tie at all is seen, but in reality, these are quire uncommon.
It's all quite normal. Go with an open mind.