Guardian Homes

Guardian Home Program

Our Guardian Home Program is built around one simple priority: every dog deserves a loving, permanent family home.

Some of our puppies are placed with guardian families so they can grow up as cherished companions, receiving individualized attention, training, and daily life as part of a family. This allows us to breed thoughtfully and responsibly, while ensuring our dogs are never displaced or rehomed once their role in our program is complete.

How It Works

Guardian families welcome the puppy into their home as a family pet, where they will live full-time. For the first portion of the program, the dog is co-owned. Once the dog has completed their role in our breeding program, full ownership transfers entirely to the guardian family.

During the first two years, we complete all required health testing (at our cost) to ensure the dog is suitable for breeding. We stay in regular contact and love receiving updates as the puppy grows and settles into family life.

Costs

There is no cost for the puppy — guardian families adopt their puppy for free.

We cover all breeding-related expenses, including:

• Health testing
• PennHIP evaluations
• Breeding-related x-rays and testing

Guardian families are responsible for normal, day-to-day dog ownership costs, including veterinary care, vaccines, parasite prevention, food, training, socialization, and providing a safe, loving home.

Male Puppies

If a male puppy passes all required health testing, he may be eligible to breed between 12–18 months of age. Guardian families must make him available for stud services for short periods, ranging from a few hours to a few days as needed. Male dogs typically remain in the program until approximately 4-5 years of age.

Female Puppies

If a female puppy passes all required health testing, she may be eligible to breed around her second heat cycle. Guardian families must notify us when she goes into heat.

For breeding, she will come to our home for approximately one week and then return home. About two months later, she will return to us to whelp and raise her puppies (approximately 8 weeks). Females are bred a maximum of three times.

Guardian Home Requirements

To be eligible for our Guardian Home Program, families must:

• Live within 150 km of Almonte (closer is preferred)
• Have a fully fenced yard
• Be willing to meet with us 2–3 times per year so the dog maintains a relationship with us
• Commit to providing a safe, healthy, and loving home