Where would I find approprite information about Flat Coated Stud Retrievers in and around cheshire?

There are people on this board who have more knowledge about Flat coats than me but if you are considering breeding from your bitch then it is advisable to use the BEST dog for your bitch rather than the closest one.

hi before your bitch is mated has she been tested for hips and eyes,and what is her pedigree,is she black or liver and what colour genes dose she carrey,what are you looking for in the dog,show or working or both,but first temparent, are you a member of the flatcoated society which the litter secretary will help you find good owners for the puppies,do not go for the closest dog thats near, do your homework first,if you need any help you can ring me on 01252310267,after 8pm..

terri

ps is she a pet flatcoat,plus you could go back to your breeder to help you out,and has she got any endorsements on her registration which need to be lifted before she mated ,

Leigh Note:edited

Terri, please have a look at this link:

Important ~ Puppy and Stud Dog Postings

Leigh

sorry,

Hello Guest,

I'm hoping so much that you bought your own flatcoat from a responsible breeder in the first place.

You will be able to judge this for yourself if they were a member of one of the recognised Flatcoated Retriever Clubs, or a well-recognised Gundog Club such as URC, and that when you bought her, you were given a comprehensive package which quite possibly would have included a code of ethics should you wish to breed from her.

The best thing that you could do is to go to your regional representative for the Flatcoated Retriever Society, whose name I will give you if you e-mail me.
Flatcoats are very special dogs, and their breeding has not been undertaken lightly over the years, and your regional rep will advise you of all the pitfalls.

Kind Regards
Jo and the Casblaidd Flatcoats

Hi,
Before you mate your bitch you must have her tested for glaucoma, and hip scored. These tests must be carried out under the British veterinary Association / Kennel Club schemes. If you live in the South of England then the best person to contact for eye testing is Rona Dixon at ronadixon13@btopenworld. I also hold regular eye testing sessions at Haddenham Village Hall, between Thame and Oxford every year. Glaucoma testing is a one off test which must be done even if you only keep your bitch as a pet. Glaucoma is the most painful eye disease any dog can get. If not treated in time, (and this is a matter of hours not days), the dog will go blind. If you breed a litter you must inform the new owners that they should test their puppies at around six months or older for glaucoma. Glaucoma in flatcoats is polygenic, the hereditary pattern is not known, and the dog has to have a pre-disposition to the disease, to be affected by full blown glaucoma you also need a trigger factor. This could could be an injury, an illness etc...
Hip scoring is done at a year old and I have found when doing my own dogs that slightly older is better. Around two years of age and try to get bitches done midway between seasons for a more accurate x-ray plate. Each hip is scored out of 53 points making a total of 106. The lower the hips score the better the hip joint. Flatcoats are currently averaging 9 in total. To work out your hip score both hip joints total points are added together. Example: 2 on the left hip and 3 on the right hip will equal 5 in total. often seen on pedigrees as 2-3=5.
You will find that most folk are willing to help you find the right stud dog or right puppy. The search for a stud dog should not be undertaken lightly. As Jo says flatcoats have been carefully bred over many generations by caring breeders. You will find truly responsible stud dog owners will ask you "Why do you want a litter from your bitch?" also "Have you got any homes lined up for the resulting puppies?" The reasons behind this questioning are we really care for every puppy which is born. I would hate to think that my stud dog would be used and the bitch owner then didn't take a lot of time and trouble to rear properly or to thoroughly check out potential buyers. The latter particularly as there are a number of dealers who fraudently try to buy flatcoat puppies. They then ship them to Japan and other far eastern countries, and neither the bitch owner nor the stud dog owner ever hear of them again. They are bought by dealers and dealers agents, shipped out to another dealer and then they get passed from home to home, at best. You can find out more about this by contacting an organisation called JAWS.
I would agree with both Jo and Terri when they suggest the breeder of your bitch
is probably the best person to ask about a stud. However if you do not wish to follow the breeders advice you can find out a lot by joining the Flatcoated Retriever Society or talking to flatcoat owners. We have regional advisers and some areas have training groups too. I live in Buckinghamshire, the regional representative is Mary Tanner. You can contact me via email at foxpath4@yahoo.com for any information regarding flatcoats, regional advisers and eye testing.
I hope that you have found our advice helpful.
Polly & the Foxpath Flatcoats