What is a Guardian Home?
A guardian home allows us, as responsible breeders, to continue improving and preserving the Labrador or Golden Retriever breed, while ensuring our dogs grow up in loving homes where they receive the individual attention and care they truly deserve. As much as we would love to keep all of our dogs with us, it’s simply not always feasible—or in the dogs’ best interest. Through our guardian program, our breeding dogs become cherished family pets first and foremost, living happy, enriched lives from the very beginning.
As a guardian home, you become the forever family for one of our breeding dogs while they remain in our program. When their breeding career ends, we cover the cost of desexing, and full ownership transfers to you—allowing them to spend their retirement and golden years right where they belong, surrounded by the family they know and love.
Becoming a guardian family gives you the unique opportunity to welcome one of our puppies or young adult dogs into your home, with the full support and guidance of a committed breeder. It’s a program that offers wonderful benefits on both sides—but most importantly, it ensures that every dog is raised in a loving, caring environment from day one.
Guardian Home Benefits
You’ll receive a top-quality dog, carefully selected as the ‘pick of the litter’ for both temperament and breed aesthetics.
All health testing—including hips and elbows, eyes, and DNA screening, —is completed at the breeder’s expense.
Your dog lives with you full-time as a beloved family pet and only returns to the breeder for whelping and raising puppies.
As a guardian, you’re always welcome to visit your girl and her puppies, giving you a chance to get plenty of puppy cuddles.
You will receive monetary compensation for each litter, providing a financial benefit as part of the program.
When your dog’s breeding career is complete, we cover the cost of desexing/spaying, and full ownership and rights are officially transferred to you for their happy retirement years.
There’s a special joy in knowing that your beloved dog is blessing families across the country with wonderful puppies who become cherished companions.
Most importantly, when you join our guardian program, you become part of our family. We’re here to support you every step of the way—whether you need help with boarding, training, health advice, or simply staying connected throughout your dog’s life.
Guardian Home Requirements
First and foremost, please know that our guardian dogs are always considered part of the family. If you ever find yourself in a position where you can no longer care for the dog, they will always have a home with us—no questions asked.
Below are some important requirements for becoming a guardian home. Most are simply part of being a responsible dog owner, with a few additional commitments to ensure this partnership works smoothly for everyone involved—especially the dog.
By meeting these requirements, you help ensure your guardian dog thrives and our breeding program continues to focus on health, happiness, and the integrity of the breed.
Proximity: Live within a reasonable distance from us or be willing to meet halfway for health testing, breeding, and whelping.
Good Communication: Open and regular communication is essential. Guardian homes must be responsive and work closely with us to coordinate breeding schedules and health care.
Basic Training: Teach your dog basic manners and commands such as sit, stay, lie down, no, leave it, and drop it. Your dog should walk politely on a lead.
House Training: Ensure your dog is fully toilet trained and comfortable in a crate.
Socialisation: Have the time and willingness to socialise your dog with other dogs, people, and new environments, helping them grow into a confident, well-rounded companion.
Indoor Family Life: Our guardian dogs must live inside as cherished family members. They are not to be left outside or kennelled long-term.
Healthcare Commitment: Keep up with annual vaccinations and routine veterinary care.
Exercise and Enrichment: Provide your dog with regular physical exercise and mental stimulation to keep them happy and healthy.
Maintain Healthy Weight: Keep your dog lean and in good physical condition, avoiding excessive weight gain.
Health Communication: Notify us immediately if any health issues arise so we can work together to make the best decisions for the dog’s well-being.
The Breeders Responsibility
As part of our guardian program, we are fully committed to supporting both our dogs and their guardian families throughout every stage of this journey. Our role is to ensure the health, happiness, and success of the program, while making the experience as rewarding and positive as possible for you.
Below are the responsibilities that the Breeder has towards the guardian family.
Provide the guardian family with a healthy, top-quality dog, selected for excellent temperament and breed standard.
Cover the cost of all required health testing, including hips, elbows, DNA screening, etc.
Pay for all breeding-related expenses, including progesterone testing, ultrasounds, x-rays, semen collection and analysis, and reproductive vet visits.
Educate and support guardian families on all aspects of the breeding process. This includes understanding how to detect a heat cycle, how to care for a pregnant female, and how to appropriately care for a breeding male, if applicable.
Cover the cost of desexing (spay/neuter) once the dog retires from the program, and transfer full ownership to the guardian family.
Provide monetary compensation for each litter, as a thank you for partnering with us and contributing to the future of the breed.
Offer lifetime support to our guardian families and their dogs. Whether you need help with training, boarding, health questions, or just staying connected, we are here for you every step of the way.
FAQ
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There is no upfront cost to join our guardian program. You’ll receive monetary compensation for each litter, and when the dog retires and ownership transfers to you, any remaining balance is settled. This makes it an affordable way to welcome a top-quality dog into your family while helping to support responsible breeding.
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If you live relatively close, we take full responsibility for transporting the dog for health testing, breeding, and whelping. For guardian homes located further away, transportation becomes a shared effort, with arrangements made to meet halfway. This helps ensure the process remains smooth and convenient for everyone involved.
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Guardians are responsible for all “regular” dog care. This includes providing food, treats, toys, etc. You are also responsible for normal vet care, anything that is not breeding related. The dog must be kept up to date with annual vaccinations, flea and tick, and heartworm meds. In short, guardians are expected to provide the same loving care and attention they would for any cherished family pet.
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Initially, they may be slightly confused wondering, “Where’s my family going?”, but typically within 1-2 hours they are settled in. What you have to remember is that they will have spent the first 8-weeks of their lives here with us, that means all the smells and sounds are imprinted and will be very familiar. We also make sure that they are as comfortable as possible by giving them a lot of extra attention.
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Becoming a guardian home for one of our dogs is a significant, long-term commitment and a decision that should be made with careful consideration. Our guardian dogs are of the highest quality, hand-selected to improve and preserve the breed, and this program plays an important role in our ethical breeding practices.
We take the process seriously and will carefully vet each potential guardian to ensure they fully understand the responsibilities involved and are completely comfortable before welcoming a dog into their home.
Please remember that the breeder retains full legal ownership of the dog until their breeding career is complete. As a guardian, you enter into a legal agreement and share in the responsibility of helping us raise and care for these special dogs.
While this program is incredibly rewarding, it’s not the right fit for everyone. We encourage you to carefully reflect on this commitment before applying to become a guardian home. If it’s the right fit, it can be a truly special and fulfilling experience!
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When your guardian dog reaches 1 year of age, they will undergo comprehensive health testing to ensure they meet the highest standards for our breeding program. This includes evaluations for hips, elbows, eyes, and genetic testing.
If, at that time, the dog is deemed unsuitable for breeding by either the breeder or a veterinarian, they will be retired from our program immediately, and full ownership will be transferred to you.
This ensures that only the healthiest, most suitable dogs remain in our program, and that every dog goes on to enjoy a happy, well-loved life as a cherished family companion.
Male VS Female
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Male
What to Expect as a Guardian for a Male Dog
Being a guardian for a male is typically less involved on a day-to-day basis but still plays a vital role in the success of our breeding program.
Male guardians need to understand that their dog will remain intact (not neutered) for most of his life, as males generally retire later than females.
Your dog will need to be available for stud duties when required, sometimes with just a few days’ notice.
When needed, he will come to stay with the breeder for a few days to complete his breeding duties and then return home to you.
Overall, guardianship of a male is a simple and rewarding arrangement. You enjoy life with a beautiful, well-bred dog while knowing he is contributing to the future of the breed. When the time comes for retirement, we cover the cost of neutering, and he enjoys his golden years as a fully retired family companion.
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Female
What to Expect as a Guardian for a Female Dog
Being a guardian for a female is a bit more hands-on, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. You’ll play an important role in helping bring new life into the world, while your girl remains a cherished family companion throughout the process.
When your female comes into season, you’ll need to notify the breeder promptly so breeding arrangements can be made.
After mating, she remains with you for the first 7 weeks of her pregnancy, enjoying her normal routine of love, care, and comfort in your home.
At 4 weeks post-mating, either you or the breeder will take her to the vet to confirm pregnancy.
About one to two weeks before her due date, she will return to the breeder’s home to safely deliver and raise her puppies. She remains there until the puppies are weaned and ready to go to their new homes, at which point she happily returns to you.
Each female will have a maximum of 3 to 4 litters in her lifetime, although we don’t set an exact number in advance. Her health and well-being always come first, and decisions about future litters are made based on how she handles each pregnancy and birth.
This experience not only brings the joy of raising a wonderful dog but also allows you to witness the amazing journey of motherhood—all while helping create healthy, happy puppies who bring love to families across the country.