Hunt Driven. Heart Raised.
the foundation
built on a Rock
"Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house on a rock." Matthew 7:24
In 2008 my husband, Derry, took on a new job adventure as a quail guide. This was something he had never done before so the territory was very unfamiliar. One thing we did know was that if this was going to be his new career, he needed a dog. We knew how we wanted this dog to perform in the woods, but we also had expectations of how we wanted this dog to perform in our home. Fast forward a few months, and a lot of research later, we stumbled upon the world of Field Bred English Cocker Spaniels. We met a man who had been a breeder for quite some time, who later became a lifelong friend and mentor. This is where we found our Rock. This was the beginning of our journey and he became the Rock of our family and the heart of our family business.
Fast forward three years and a whole lot of "figuring it out" later, Rock was thriving in the quail woods and at home with our children. He was truly everyone's dream dog. The more he hunted, played fetch in the backyard, snuggled up with our kids at night and protected them from any monsters lurking in the dark, the more we fell in love with him. Rock was a champ at home and in the woods, but Derry and I knew he wasn't going to stay young forever.
Building the Bloodline
We decided to broaden our horizons and get our first import from the UK with the help of our mentor mentioned earlier in our story. Low and behold the dog makes his way over the pond all the way to our little home, and he had already come with a name, Flint. Now, if you have ever been to our small town of Bainbridge, Georgia you know that the Flint River runs right through the town. God was surely sending us a sign when we brought little Flint into our lives 13 years ago. Flint continued to grow and learn following in Rock's footsteps. Looking back, he was a ball of energy with the most impressive hunt drive we have ever seen. He loved our kids and always managed to help us tire them out playing "tag" in the yard before bed. He was the beginning of a new set of standards that we set for our business, and our bloodlines here at DRDCo.
Rock and Flint are now both hunting the big quail woods in the sky and we cannot thank them enough for all the love and lessons they taught us. They were the beginning of our story, but certainly not the end. Since 2011, we have added over 20 Field Bred English Cocker Spaniels to our family with the best bloodlines imported from the UK. In 2017 we introduced the Small Munsterlander breed to our kennel, we wanted to add a breed that was versatile in their hunting ability, but also still had the "family dog" temperament. In came Izetta or "Zetta" as we call her! Our dogs are our heart and soul. We have poured endless amounts of love, research and care into each one of them throughout the years to guarantee that our clients are getting the most top quality bloodline, hunt driven, heart raised dogs there are to offer.
The DIRT ROAD DOG CO. Difference
Lots of breeders say their dogs can hunt. Ours do it every season. Here's what goes into every DRDCo dog.
Proven in the Field
Our program started in the quail woods, and our dogs still work there every season, behind real hunters, on real birds. We breed for the drive and nose a working dog needs.
UK Import Bloodlines
Our English Cockers come from direct UK import field lines, which we've built on for more than 15 years. We keep our bloodlines pure, and we're selective about every pairing.
Genetic Health Testing
Every one of our English Cocker Spaniels is genetically health tested for heritable diseases before it's bred. We screen hips and elbows through OFA and PennHIP, test eyes, and run DNA tests for inherited conditions like progressive retinal atrophy (PRA). Only healthy, genetically sound dogs are used in our breeding program. Learn More
Raised in Our Home
Puppies are whelped inside and monitored closely, and their feet don't hit the ground until they've had their 8-week vaccinations. Our kennel is inspected at random by the American Kennel Club.
Matched, Not Just Sold
We don't hand out puppies first come, first served. Selection happens at 4–5 weeks, when personality and drive start to show, so we can help match every pup to the right hunting home or family.
Genetic Health Testing
Every one of our English Cocker Spaniels is genetically health tested for heritable diseases before it's bred. We screen hips and elbows through OFA and PennHIP, test eyes, and run DNA tests for inherited conditions like progressive retinal atrophy (PRA). Only healthy, genetically sound dogs are used in our breeding program.
GUARANTEE AND SUPPORT
Every DRDCo English Cocker Spaniel comes with a two-year inheritable health guarantee. Puppies go home with limited registration, which can be lifted once you complete a genetic health test and OFA certification for hips and elbows, if you plan to breed.
Our support doesn't end at pickup. We give you plenty of information up front and help you know what to practice at home as your puppy grows. And we're always just a phone call away.
RUN BY OUR FAMILY
Dirt Road Dog Company is run by our family: Derry, Jessica and our oldest daughter, Morgan. Our kennels sit right outside our back door, our dogs are part of our everyday life, and every puppy that leaves here is one we've known since its first breath.
"From our first phone call with Jessica, we could tell the Cannons do things differently. They took the time to understand what we wanted in a dog and helped us pick the right puppy from the litter. Our English Cocker is everything they said she'd be: a driven, eager hunter in the field and a sweet, gentle member of our family at home. Even now, a quick call or text gets us an answer. You're not just buying a puppy from the Cannons, you're joining their DRDCo family." -Longtime Client
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