Guardianship Opportunities

GUARDIAN HOME INFORMATION

Question: Is there a location requirement for guardianship?
Answer: Yes, guardians are required to live within a 2 hour radius of Ocala, Florida and have reliable transportation. 

Question: How do I apply to be a guardian home?
Answer: Please send us an email or put in an application. Please note on the application, "interested in becoming a Guardian home". 😊 

Question: What happens when my guardian dog retires?
Answer: When dog reaches retirement age, guardian dogs remain with their guardian family permanently. We pay for spay/neuter. 

Question: Who retains legal ownership of the guardian dog/puppy?
Answer: We retain legal ownership for the duration of the guardian dog's breeding career. Upon retirement, full ownership is signed over to the guardian family.

Question: Are there any guidelines I have to follow when I am raising/caring for a guardian dog?
Answer: We have a contract outlining all the details. If interested we can forward an example. We don't require anything crazy, we just want our guardian dogs loved and well taken care of. 

Question: What age will my female guardian dog have her first litter?
Answer: Generally, female guardian dogs are bred on their third heat, which is around 18-24 months.. This depends on the individual dog though. We base everything we do around the dogs. 

Question: How many litters will my female guardian dog have?
Answer: Our female guardians are contracted for a maximum of 4 litters. We consider a litter to be 2 or more puppies born. Some females may have less then 4 litters as we base all of our decisions on our reproductive vet's recommendations, as well as on the individual dog. Sometimes dogs just don't like motherhood - and that's perfectly fine too! Dogs are all individuals and as such we must decide on an individual basis.

What health tests will my guardian dog have completed?
We test hips through OFA, elbows, eyes, heart, thyroid, patellas, and genetics.

How long will my female guardian dog stay with the breeder?
Female guardian dogs generally stay with us for health testing (usually a few days maximum), breeding purposes (usually around a week), and for whelping/raising puppies (usually 7 weeks - one week prior to having their litter and 6 weeks to raise their litter).

How long will my male guardian dog stay with the breeder?
Male guardian dogs generally stay with us for health testing (usually a few days maximum), and breeding purposes (from a few hours to a few days). 

When/How often are female guardian dogs bred?
Female guardian dogs will be bred no earlier than 18 months of age. Females may breed as often as every heat (every 6-12 months) depending on their individual condition after a litter. It is safer for females to be bred every heat due to risk of pyometra. Recent studies also point towards it being healthier for dogs to have their litters earlier and retire earlier.

When will my guardian dog retire from breeding?
Female guardian dogs will be retired no later than their 6th birthday. Usually, they will retire much earlier than this. On average, our females are usually retired by 5 years old. Male guardian dogs retire at 7 years of age. Having a male guardian dog is generally a longer term commitment compared to a female guardian dog, but you are not away from them near as long, we take this into consideration. 

Are there any special care requirements for female dogs during pregnancy?
During the first half of pregnancy, there aren't many requirements. Your dog may be a bit more hungry than usual, and some dogs may have some morning sickness. The second half of pregnancy is when you will start to notice the most changes. You may notice mamas activity has decreased and nap time has increased. Cuddles and belly rubs are vital!  **While your dog is pregnant she must not receive any flea, tick, or heartworm prevention, NO vaccines, or any medications not approved by the breeder. This includes any vitamins or supplements. We may choose to add a supplement to mamas food, but we will send or drop that off to you, it would not be something you are required to purchase. 

Question: Can I visit my guardian dog and/or my guardian dog's puppies while they are with the breeder?
Answer: We do allow guardian homes to visit their dog (for female guardian dog owners) as well as their dog's puppies (for both male and female guardian dog owners). Visits are however only available after the puppies have had their first vaccine and only if we do not have another litter of young puppies in the home. This is to prevent the spread of diseases such as Parvo, Distemper, and Canine Herpes virus. Facetime is also available so guardian families may check in on their dog.

Question: What expenses am I responsible for and what expenses is the breeder responsible for?
Answer: You are responsible for monthly heartworm and flea prevention medication, grooming, dog food, continued training and any other regular expenses associated with owning a pet dog. We are responsible for any breeding-related expenses that would not be present with a normal pet dog. These expenses include health testing, breeding-related veterinary care, spay/neuter at retirement, and breeding-related emergency vet care, we also cover annual vet visits and annual vaccines. 

Question: Are there any specific care requirements expected of the guardian home?
Answer: Guardian dogs must be kept in good condition at all times. This means that you must take care to ensure your guardian dog does not become over or under weight, that they remain clean, mat free, with clipped nails, and in overall good health. 

Question: What are some of the benefits of the guardian program?
Answer: There are a few perks that come with the guardian program. Guardian dogs are entitled to annual vet visits and vaccines paid by us, free health testing, CGC testing fees paid,  free spay/neuter on retirement, and lifetime support. Guardian homes may also be able to get a puppy sooner through the guardianship program vs through our traditional waitlist. Guardian homes also receive an extremely high quality puppy for FREE! We only keep back the very best puppies/dogs for our guardian program. 

Question: What happens if my dog is not suitable for breeding?
Answer: Guardian dogs found to be unsuitable for breeding are not used in our program. Depending on the reason for them being unsuitable you may be offered the option to purchase your guardian puppy at half his/her pet price, or you may be offered your puppy for free.

Question: What happens if I decide I no longer want my guardian dog/puppy?
Answer: We hope that you will apply for a guardian puppy/dog with the understanding that dogs are a lifetime commitment. Unfortunately, sometimes circumstances out of your control may arise where you can no longer keep your guardian dog/puppy. If this is the case, your guardian puppy must be returned to us immediately.
 
Question: What happens if I decide I don't want to allow my guardian dog to be bred?
Answer: We understand this program may not be for everyone! Please keep in mind that we retain legal ownership of all guardian dogs until they retire from our program. Guardian families have a legal obligation to follow the contract.

Our breeding dogs are extremely high quality; they are the culmination of working towards the best health, temperament, personality, structure and coat type possible. We invest a lot financially and emotionally into our dogs, and because of this we impose strict legally enforceable penalties on those who want to take advantage of us and our guardian program but don't wish to comply with the requirements.

We ask that you seriously consider the commitment necessary before applying to be a guardian home. The guardianship program isn't for everyone! If you love our dogs but don't feel you can comply with the commitment necessary for our guardian program please check out our available babies or upcoming litters. 

Question: I have questions about the guardian program that weren't answered here. Where can I find more information?
Answer: Please feel free to reach out to us for more information about the guardian program. We are always happy to answer any questions you may have!