How to Advertise Your Cocker Spaniel for Mating in the United States
To advertise your Cocker Spaniel for mating in the United States, first finish the American Spaniel Club's recommended tests, an eye exam by a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist within the past 12 months and OFA or PennHIP hips at two years or older, and register them with the OFA. Then post an honest ad with your dog's registered name, results, temperament, location and terms, require the same clearances and a negative brucellosis test from the other dog, and sign a written contract before any mating.
In the US the name Cocker Spaniel means the American Cocker; the English Cocker Spaniel is a separate breed, so the other dog must be an AKC-registered Cocker Spaniel too. A clear ad draws owners who care about eyes, hips and temperament and puts off people looking for a cheap, untested match. If your Cocker has inherited eye disease, has needed ear canal surgery or has bitten, do not offer it for breeding.
Key points
- Advertise only when eye and hip results are on the OFA website; the club has used the OFA's CHIC program as its registry since 2024.
- Eye results last 12 months, so repeat the exam every year and update the ad.
- Decide your fee and terms before anyone asks: cash or a puppy, repeat policy, and who pays travel and tests.
- Ask the other dog for the same clearances, AKC registration, a negative brucellosis test and a steady temperament.
Is your Cocker Spaniel ready to be advertised for mating?
- Age and papers: for an AKC litter the sire must be at least 7 months and the dam at least 8 months on the mating date, neither over 12 years, and both registered Cocker Spaniels. Official OFA hip ratings start at 24 months.
- Health: a current eye exam, an acceptable hip result, healthy ears and skin, and no inherited eye disease.
- Temperament: the AKC standard asks for an equable dog with no suggestion of timidity. A Cocker that cannot be handled calmly by a stranger is not ready.
- Type: no disqualifying faults such as blue eyes, oversize height or a color outside the black, ASCOB and parti-color varieties.
- For a female: the club's code of ethics says not to breed her every season and recommends no more than four litters in her life.
Which results should a Cocker Spaniel mating ad show?
| Result | When | What to put in the ad |
|---|---|---|
| Eye exam by a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist | Within 12 months before breeding, then every year | Date of the last exam and the OFA result |
| Hips (OFA or PennHIP) | OFA at 24 months or older | The grade or PennHIP result and number |
| prcd-PRA DNA test | Any age; optional | Clear, carrier or affected |
| Patella or heart | Optional | Result and date, if done |
| Canine brucellosis | Before each mating; the AKC advises testing stud dogs every 6 to 12 months | Date of the last negative test |
| Registration | Before advertising | Registered name and AKC number |
The American Spaniel Club Foundation encourages testing: it offers a rebate for each Cocker whose hip and eye exams are submitted to its OFA CHIC registry, and its breeder rewards ask for a CHIC number, an eye exam within the past 12 months and hips graded fair or better. Treat that as the minimum for any Cocker you advertise.
How do you set a Cocker Spaniel stud fee and breeding terms?
In AKC guidance the stud owner sets the fee and is responsible for collecting it. Payment can be cash, pick of the litter or one or more puppies. There is no national standard for Cocker Spaniel stud fees, so compare similar dogs listed for mating. Decide in advance:
- The fee, any deposit and when the balance is due.
- For payment in puppies: your place in the pick, the age you choose, and a cash option if the litter is small.
- What happens if no puppies are born, such as one repeat mating on the next season.
- What you require of the other dog: AKC registration, current eye exam, hip result and a negative brucellosis test.
- Who pays for travel, boarding, progesterone tests or artificial insemination.
- That you sign the AKC litter registration application only after the fee is paid.
If your stud becomes popular, the AKC requires a DNA profile before his fourth litter in a calendar year or his seventh in his lifetime can be registered.
How do you write a Cocker Spaniel mating ad that gets serious replies?
- Start the title with breed, sex, variety and city, for example Cocker Spaniel male for stud, black and tan, near Denver.
- Give age, height, weight, registered name and any titles in conformation, obedience, agility or field work.
- List every result with its date, and say when the next eye exam is due.
- Describe temperament honestly: with strangers, with other dogs and when groomed.
- State your fee structure, what you require of the other dog and that a written contract is required.
- Use recent photos and a short video of your dog moving. Never market merle or a rare color; the American Spaniel Club says merle disqualifies under the standard.
Posting on PetzLover is free: post your Cocker Spaniel mating ad, choose the mating listing type and the breed, and owners can message you. Keep your phone number out of the ad text. You can also see other Cocker Spaniels listed for mating to compare how they present results and terms.
How do you screen the other Cocker Spaniel's owner?
- What are your dog's eye and hip results, and can I look them up by registered name?
- Has your dog or a close relative had glaucoma, cataracts, PRA, ear canal surgery or seborrhea?
- Has your dog ever bitten or guarded food or toys?
- When was the last brucellosis test, and will you retest before the mating?
- Why do you want to breed, and do you have homes in mind for the puppies?
- Who is your vet, and who will help with whelping?
It is fine to say no. The club's code asks breeders to stop using a stud or female that keeps producing serious inherited defects such as blindness or deafness, so turning down an untested or unsuitable match protects your dog's name as well as the puppies. The other side of this deal is covered in how to find a mate or stud for your Cocker Spaniel.
How do you keep yourself and your Cocker Spaniel safe?
- Supervise every mating and keep both dogs on leash until they have met calmly.
- Do not send your dog to a stranger's home without a visit and a signed contract.
- Refuse a check for more than the fee with a request to send back the difference; the FTC describes this as a fake check scam.
- Avoid gift cards and be careful with payment apps, which make money hard to recover.
- Check local rules: Los Angeles, for example, requires a breeding permit before a dog is bred.
- Use the Report Scam button on any suspicious listing or message.
If you plan to sell puppies from your own litter, read how to sell Cocker Spaniel puppies, and see how to buy a Cocker Spaniel puppy for the questions careful families will ask you.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I advertise my Cocker Spaniel for stud?
Finish a current eye exam by a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist and OFA or PennHIP hips, register them with the OFA, and get a negative brucellosis test. Then post a mating ad with the registered name, results, temperament, location and fee terms, and require a written contract.
How much should I charge for Cocker Spaniel stud service?
There is no national standard; fees vary with health results, titles and demand. Compare similar dogs listed for mating, choose cash or a puppy, and write the fee and any repeat policy into the contract.
Can I advertise my Cocker for mating before its hip results?
You should not. Official OFA hip ratings start at 24 months, and the American Spaniel Club recommends hip results for every dog bred. Owners who care about the breed will ask for them.
Can a prcd-PRA carrier Cocker be used for breeding?
A carrier can be bred to a dog that tests clear, because no puppy can then be affected, though some may be carriers. Say so in the ad and require a clear result from the other dog.
Should I advertise my Cocker's color?
Give the variety, but do not sell on color. Black, ASCOB and parti-color are all correct under the standard, and the American Spaniel Club says merle disqualifies and should not be bred.
Do I need a license to offer my Cocker Spaniel for stud?
There is no national license for offering a stud dog, but some cities and counties require a breeding permit or an intact-dog license. Los Angeles, for example, requires a breeding permit before a dog is bred.
Helpful guides
Pet for MatingHow to Find a Mate or Stud for Your Cocker Spaniel in the United StatesBreed only a healthy, tested Cocker Spaniel: both dogs need OFA or PennHIP hips and a current ophthalmologist eye exam, a sound temperament and no merle, and every mating needs a written stud agreement.
Pet for SaleHow to Buy a Cocker Spaniel Puppy in the United StatesSee both parents' yearly eye exams by a veterinary ophthalmologist and their OFA or PennHIP hip results, meet the mother, sign a contract, and budget PetMD's average of $1,500 to $3,000 or more for an American Cocker Spaniel puppy.
Pet for SaleHow to Sell Cocker Spaniel Puppies in the United StatesBefore you sell Cocker Spaniel puppies, put the parents' ophthalmologist eye exams and OFA or PennHIP hip results in the ad, follow your state's sale-age and lemon-law rules, price within typical ranges and sell with a written contract.
Pet for AdoptionHow to Adopt a Cocker Spaniel in the United StatesTo adopt a Cocker Spaniel, apply to a Cocker rescue or shelter, expect checks and a home visit, pay the fee (Spot Pet Insurance says typically $100 to $300; breed rescues often $350) and ask about eyes, ears, skin and temperament.
Pet for AdoptionHow to List a Cocker Spaniel for Adoption in the United StatesPrepare your Cocker Spaniel with a vet check, spay or neuter and a fresh groom, describe its eye, ear, skin and behavior history honestly, set criteria and a modest fee, then screen applicants and sign an adoption contract.
Pet for RehomingHow to Take In a Rehomed Cocker Spaniel in the United StatesMeet a rehomed Cocker Spaniel in its home, get its eye, ear, skin and vaccine records, ask direct behavior questions, pay only a modest fee, sign a short agreement and book your vet and groomer in the first week.
Pet for RehomingHow to Rehome Your Cocker Spaniel Responsibly in the United StatesBefore you rehome your Cocker Spaniel, ask your breeder and local Cocker rescues, update vaccines, spay or neuter and groom the dog, disclose its health and behavior honestly, charge a modest fee and hand over in person with an agreement.
Pet WantedHow to Respond to a "Cocker Spaniel Wanted" Ad in the United StatesReply by message, ask what the person wants and why a Cocker, check their vet reference and identity, keep your address private until you trust them, refuse overpayments and shipping, and hand over with a written agreement.
Pet WantedHow to Post a "Cocker Spaniel Wanted" Ad and Get Replies in the United StatesSay exactly what you want, where you live and how far you will travel, give a realistic budget and describe your home and grooming plan, then check every reply, meet before paying and never pay to ship a dog you have not seen.