What is a Guardian Home?
In order to give our breeding dogs the very best life possible, it is important to limit how many dogs we personally keep at our home. We also understand that in order to breed the highest quality dogs possible, we need to continuously evaluate and add quality blood-lines to our breeding program. So, how is this possible? For us and many breeders like us, the answer is a Guardian Home Program.
Our Guardian Home Program allows us and other dog breeders like us to expand our dog breeding program the right way….by keeping our breeding dogs out of kennels and in Guardian Homes where they live as Cherished Family Members. In order to be considered as a Guardian Home, you must either live within 45 minutes of our home or be willing to drop off/pick up the dog at our Repro Vet in Lomira, WI, for health testing, vet visits, breeding, and whelping puppies.
As a Guardian Home, you get a free puppy and you become that puppy’s forever home. For female dogs, we retain breeding rights for a certain number of litters starting at sexual maturity and ending once the female has whelped a set number of litters. Each Guardian Dog Contract is unique, but it is normally three or four litters depending on what we’re trying to accomplish with a particular female and how well she reacts to being a Mother. Male dogs are bred on an “as needed” basis. We normally retire our male dogs from breeding before they are five years of age.
Guardians are responsible for the dog’s regular health maintenance: annual exams, vaccines, food, etc. We pay for genetic health testing required for breeding, and all breeding-related expenses. Once the dog has passed their genetic health testing he/she is added to our breeding program. We decide when each dog will be bred and to whom. Females stay with their Guardian Family during pregnancy (normally lasts 63 days) and then are returned to us at least a week before their due date to deliver (whelp) and then raise puppies (approximately 5 weeks). Once the puppies are weaned, then the female is returned to her Guardian Family.
When the dog is older and completes his/her breeding obligations, we pay for spay/neuter and your dog comes home to enjoy the wonderful life you have provided for him/her since puppyhood.
There are many things that Guardian Families need to consider. Guardians of females sometimes have to deal with several heat cycles and keeping their girl protected from unwanted males. The Guardian Family will need to learn the signs of a heat cycle and be willing to communicate, cooperate and coordinate with us to ensure a successful breeding. Because of canine venereal diseases, male dogs can only mate with approved females so the Guardian Family is responsible for keeping the male away from intact female dogs.
We view our Guardian Home Program as a true “win-win” situation. Our Guardian Families receive a “pick of the litter” quality puppy for free, and we have the satisfaction of knowing that our breeding dogs are living life as cherished family members.
If this sounds like something you might be interested in, please email me at brenda@wolfriverbernedoodles.com and we will send you an application.