What is a Guardian Home?

The guardian program allows us to grow our program and continue to better our breeds, without sacrificing any of our dogs happiness and need for love and attention. While we want to keep all of our dogs with us, we understand that they will be happier with more one-on-one attention than we can give them. As a guardian home, you are the permanent home for one of our breeding dogs while they are in our program. Once they are retired (and spayed/neutered at our expense), full ownership transfers to the guardian family and they get to keep the dog forever.

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Becoming a Guardian Home gives you the opportunity to have one of our puppies or young adults as a family pet while he or she remains in our program at no upfront cost to you! By offering the guardian program, we are able to ensure that our dogs get to live the best possible lives in a loving, caring home where they receive as much one on one attention as possible.

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What are Guardians responsible for?

Guardian homes are responsible for all “regular” pet parent costs including but not limited to: grooming, food, routine veterinary care and vaccinations, bedding, toys etc. Guardian homes assume responsibility for the care and maintenance of their guardian dog in terms of coat care, general health and well-being. 

What are some requirements for being a Guardian Home?

 

• Keep the dog as an indoor family pet, and never allow them to live outside

• Be willing and able to socialize the dog with other dogs as well as people

• Provide adequate exercise and mental stimulation

• Be able to bring the dog to and from the breeder within 24-36 hr notice

• Must be able to communicate, cooperate, and coordinate with the breeder effectively

• Contact the breeder in the event of any serious illness or accident

• You may not be a guardian home for a different breeder (with the same breeds) while participating in our program

• Some sort of fencing system. A fenced in yard is preferred, but not required

 

What is the Breeder Responsible for?

• Provide guardian family with a healthy dog at no cost

• Pay for health testing

• Pay for all breeding related expenses (ie progesterone testing, semen collection, etc)

• Teaching the guardian family how to detect a heat cycle and how to care for a pregnant dog if they don’t already know

• Pay for the spay/neuter upon retirement

• Provide lifetime support for the dog

• Always be willing to take the dog back if the guardian family can no longer care for them

 

Does it confuse or negatively impact the dog by going back and forth?

We realize that people have a life away from their pets and vacations will be planned! So, when you go on trips, we ask that our guardian dogs come and stay with us as a “home away from home”. Initially, they may be slightly confused wondering, “Where’s my family going?”, but typically within 1-2 hours they are settled in. By staying with us and spending time with our family, they will transition easier when puppies come and their stay is a bit longer!

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Interested in being part of our guardian home program? Take the next step and fill out our Guardian Home Application below!