We get asked dozens of questions during the course of a normal week! Below is a sample of some of the more frequent, they are not in any order of importance. If you don't find an answer here then please do feel free to contact us You may also like to visit our Puppy Information page where you will find additional information.

Where are you located?
The Dog Breeding Diploma
About Us
Assessing potential puppy buyers
What age do your puppies leave home?
Are your puppies wormed, micro chipped and vaccinated?
Are your dogs tested under the KC/BVA Health Schemes?
What is OptiGen PRA testing?
What is OptiGen/Antagene FN testing?
Are puppies given a health check by a Vet prior to leaving home?
Are your puppies registrations endorsed by the Kennel Club?
Do you supply a Sales Contract with your puppies?
What information do you supply with your puppies?
Do you sell puppies to working households?
What are your views with regard to families with children?
Are your puppies home reared?
When viewing the puppy is it possible to the pups Mother?
What sort of support can we expect from you?

Where are you located?

We are in Herefordshire (please click here for a map) which is centrally located in the Country. We are within easy reach of the M5 motorway (J7) and other major routes. We are happy to supply detailed travel directions. Please ask if you require them.

The Dog Breeding Diploma

We are hobby breeders, however as a conscientious and caring breeder, I have studied the Animal Care College Dog Breeding Diploma course. The aim of the course is to encourage ethical breeding practices where the welfare of the mother & her puppies are paramount. The course also covers the hereditability of canine diseases, genetics, whelping, canine anatomy/structure, the Kennel Club Breed Standards and a dog's movement & balance. More information about the course can be found here!

About Us

We are a small hobby "kennel" of parti-colour Cocker Spaniels. We have enjoyed living with and showing this lovely breed for many years and we are proud of our dogs & their achievements.

All our dogs share our home with us and are much-loved companions. Likewise our puppies are born and reared in the house and are well socialised.

We are Kennel Club Accredited Breeders and as such all our dogs are health tested with KC/BVA Eye Certificates for CPRA/GPRA and Glaucoma. They are also OptiGen prcd-PRA tested, OptiGen or Antagene FN tested (or from two clear parents & hip scored with scores below the Breed Mean Score for the breed. We are pleased to say that all Powerscourt puppies are unaffected with either prcd-PRA or FN.

Our dogs are sweet natured, have outstanding temperaments and are confident and sociable. In addition to this, they are typical examples of the breed that win well at all levels of competition.

Assessing Potential Puppy Buyers

We believe that the exchange of information works both ways, we will require information from you to help us assess your lifestyle in relation to puppy ownership, but likewise we are also happy to tell you about us, our dogs and their puppies & answer any questions you may have.

What age do your puppies leave home ?

Our puppies leave home at approximately 8 weeks old. They are fully weaned by the age of 6 weeks, however for their development, puppies need to have access to and play with their mother until at least 7 - 8 weeks of age.

There is some flexibility about when our puppies leave us, we do occasionally keep puppies longer in order to fit around people's existing holiday commitments etc. However as all puppies go through a further socialization phase it is preferable if owners can collect their puppy at 8 weeks of age so that he/she can adjust to their new home environment during this important developmental stage.

Are puppies wormed, micro chipped and vaccinated?

Puppies are wormed upon the advice of our Vet. This is carried out at 3, 5 & 7 weeks of age. Details of dates etc. are contained in the puppy care pack that accompanies each of our puppies.

All our puppies are micro-chipped and registered in the new owners name at no extra cost to the owner. Their details are held on a national database administered by the UK Kennel Club.

We no longer have our puppies vaccinated before leaving for their new homes. Until recently we routinely vaccinated our pups, however the majority of the vets used by new owners use a different brand of vaccine to our own vets. This has resulted in our pups having to start the Primary Course of Vaccination again and this is not something that we feel is beneficial to the pup.

Are your dogs tested under KC/BVA Health Schemes?

There are two KC/BVA health schemes for Cocker Spaniels, one is the Eye Scheme, the other is the Hip-Scoring Scheme.

All our dogs are examined by a veterinary ophthalmologist under the eye scheme. There are two tests available, Gonioscopy (for glaucoma) & GPRA/CPRA (other eye conditions are also examined during this test). We undertake both tests and our dogs are tested at the age of 12 months. We are pleased to say that all our dogs are unaffected with any eye condition/disease.

The KC/BVA eye test for PRA is a clinical examination, it is not possible to determine whether clinically clear animals (at the date of examination) are carriers, clear or whether they will become affected with PRA at a later date. Because of the limitations of the scheme we also started DNA testing our dogs in 2004 (when the test first became available) and we continue to test as appropriate.

All our dogs are DNA tested (or are from "Normal/Clear" parents) & we are pleased to say that we have no affected dogs. "Clear/Normal" dogs will never develop the disease and are not carriers of prcd PRA and cannot pass this disease onto their offspring. "Carrier" dogs will also never develop this disease & provided they are mated to "Normal/Clear" dogs, none of their offspring will develop the disease either.

We also take advantage of the KC/BVA Hip-Scoring scheme & our dogs are X-Rayed at the age of 12 months. ALL X-Ray films are sent to the BVA for scoring. We are pleased to say that our dogs have scores which are below the Breed Mean Score (average for the breed). For details on our health testing results please visit our health testing page.

What is OptiGen PRA testing?

OptiGen is a DNA-based test that helps breeders avoid the most common form of Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA). PRA refers to a group of diseases that cause the retina of the eye to degenerate slowly over time. The result is declining vision and eventual blindness. “prcd” stands for “progressive rod-cone degeneration”.

Prcd-PRA is inherited as a recessive trait, which means that for a trait to develop the dog must inherit two mutant genes responsible for the trait. One gene is inherited from each parent (thereby making two genes in total). A “Carrier” dog has one mutant gene and one “Normal” gene & is known as “heterozygous” for the trait/disease.

A “Carrier” dog will NEVER develop the disease but can pass it onto their offspring (if they are mated to another “Carrier”.

A “Normal” dog has no copies of the mutant gene and is termed “homozygous clear” for the disease meaning both copies of the gene normal. The will NEVER develop the disease or be able to pass it onto their offspring. A dog carrying two copies of the mutant gene is termed “homozygous affected” – both copies of the gene are abnormal (mutant).

“Normal/Clear” dogs are statistically normal for prcd-PRA & will not develop this disease or pass it to offspring. No known “Normal/Clear” dog has developed prcd-PRA or produced prcd-PRA-affected offspring. Source OptiGen For details on our health testing results please visit our health testing page.

What is OptiGen/Antagene FN testing?

Autosomal Recessive Hereditary Nephropathy is another term for the fatal kidney disease known as FN (Familial Nephropathy). Familial Nephropathy (FN) is a recessively inherited fatal renal (kidney) disease that has been recognized in the English Cocker for more than 50 years.

FN is inherited in the same way as prcd-PRA. Both are recessive conditions and for the disease to occur both parents need to be “Carriers” or “Affected”.

A DNA test for FN became available in December 2006. We were the first UK to test ALL our dogs and we were delighted to discover that ALL results were “Normal”. This means our dogs are not carriers of FN, they will never suffer from FN and neither will they be able to pass the disease onto their offspring.

The American company OptiGen hold the license to perform DNA tests for FN on US & Canadian resident dogs. They are also able to test samples belonging to none resident dogs provided they were previously prcd-PRA tested by OptiGen (prior to Dec. 06). The French company Antagene hold the license to perform DNA tests for FN on European dogs.

"Significance for breeding: Genetically Normal dogs can be bred to any dog and will produce no pups affected with FN." Source OptiGen /Antagene. For details on our health testing results please visit our health testing page.

Are puppies given a health check by a Vet prior to leaving?

Yes. All our puppies are examined by our vet prior to leaving for their new homes. Puppies are examined thoroughly, particular areas of examination are: -

Teeth - to check the bite
Ears - to check for infection/ear mites (there shouldn't be any infection/mites!)
Mouth & Throat - to look for deformities
Hips - manipulation to check joints
Patella's - to check for Patellar Luxation (slipping kneecaps)
Bottoms - the check for soiling (an indication of a possibly ill puppy)
Abdomen/Groin - to check for hernias & that internal organs are correctly placed
Legs & feet - to check all toes are present
Coat - to check for fleas and mites (there shouldn't be any infection/mites!)
Respiration (using a stethoscope) - listening for crackles (chest infection etc.)
Heart (using a stethoscope) - listening for heart murmurs
Temperature taken (a raised temperature is an indication that infection is present)
Testicles (in males!) - to check the location of the testicles

The full health status of the puppy is declared to each owner and is also contained in the Puppy Sales Contract. Our Vet is always willing to discuss his examination with owners.

Do you supply a Contract of Sale?

Yes. Our puppies are sold with a Contract stating:

Name, gender, date of birth, KC Reg. No., micro-chip No.
Health declaration and veterinary examination findings
Details of the parents health status
An option to return a puppy with a full refund
Details of Kennel Club Endorsements to the Registration document
Our promises and commitment to the Purchasers
Your promises and commitments to us the Breeders

Full details of the contract available upon request from potential purchasers on our waiting list.

Are your puppies registrations endorsed by the Kennel Club?

Yes. All our puppies kennel registration documents are endorsed. As responsible breeders we take the future welfare of our puppies very seriously. Generally our puppies are sold as pets and the "Progeny Not For Registration" endorsement will not be lifted. Full details relating to the endorsements are contained in each puppies Contract of Sale.

What information comes with the puppy?

The puppies will be supplied with:

Food (approx. 2 weeks supply) + measuring cup
Kennel Club Registration document
Five Generation Pedigree
Micro chip documentation (in the purchaser's name)
Insurance documentation
Sales Contract
Comprehensive care manual
Food bowl, squeaky toy, treats, chews, soft toy, clicker trainer & training advice book

Do you sell puppies to working households?

Every request for a puppy is treated upon its own merits and this applies equally to working households. Depending on the number of hours worked, the number of people in the household, the working times/pattern of the owner and/or whether there are suitable alternative arrangements in place, then we will consider the request without immediately dismissing it.

Young puppies need attention every 1 - 2 hours throughout the day (all day!). This includes frequent toilet trips, feeding, playing with & some general training. Cockers are 100% people orientated, they need social interaction in order to be happy. A lonesome Cocker is a very unhappy person who will get up to all sorts of mischief (i.e. be almost impossible to house train, be noisy and be destructive). This will be a miserable existence for a puppy/dog and will tarnish your enjoyment of your new pet.

If your working hours are long and/or you are going to be away from the house for more than two hours at a time we suggest that you wait for a puppy until your circumstances alter. I'm afraid it's not sufficient to leave a puppy all day even if you plan to visit him during your lunch break, neither is it feasible to take a puppy to work with you or rely on the goodwill of neighbours to take the time & responsibility to care for YOUR dog.

What are your views with regard to families with children?

We are generally happy to sell puppies to families with children. Every request for a puppy is treated upon its own merits.

As part of the our assessment process, we seek to identify many factors, which will confirm the suitability of the potential owner. Their home lifestyle is one area and this includes their relationship with their children. In most situations, it is easy to see if the family are respectful of each other and that children are well behaved. In a happy, loving, courteous & disciplined household, there is no particular reason why a puppy/dog should not be well cared for and loved.

However, as a general rule we will not sell a puppy to a pregnant or newly delivered mother or to a family with very young children (i.e. under 5's). As a mother myself, I know how tiring these times are and many owners unfortunately do not fully comprehend the amount of work involved in owning a puppy.

Are your puppies home reared?

Yes our puppies are home reared. All our dogs share our home and our puppies are born in the study and remain there until they are four weeks old. After this they move into the kitchen were the environment is more stimulating!

Once the puppies reach 6 weeks of age, they join us (and the adult dogs) in the sitting room for brief periods in the evenings where they get ample opportunity to socialise with the other dogs & to enjoy a cuddle from us!

When viewing the puppy is it possible to see the pups Mother?

Yes, you can meet Mum. We actively encourage new owners to meet Mum as we believe it's important for you to meet the mother of a pup you are considering for adoption.

What sort of support can we expect from you?

Having a new puppy in the household is always an enjoyable and fun time. However, puppies can be hard work at times and you can expect to have a few "ups and downs" from time to time.

We will support you with advice at any stage of your puppy's/dog's life. You are welcome to telephone us or email with any worries or queries you may have (night or day). We will be happy to share our experiences with you & help you resolve any areas of concern. We will also resume ownership (or help find a suitable new home) for any of our puppies (regardless of how old they are) should the need arise.

When you set out to purchase a puppy you may feel that support, help and advice are not necessary and perhaps these areas will not be a priority when searching for a puppy. However, please don't under estimate the value of choosing a breeder who will support you. It won't be until you have a dilemma that you will realise that lifelong support & commitment from your puppy’s breeder can be invaluable and perhaps save you a lot of distress/heartbreak!