Guardian Home Program

Thank you for your interest in the guardian home process. Below I have listed information about our guardian home program and benefits.

At Lucky Dog we try to provide only the best for our adult breeding dogs who serve as loving members of our family. To ensure I am able to give these dogs the best possible home life while being able to expand and produce the best possible puppies, I like to limit the number of dogs I have living at my home. I am now offering a guardian program where qualified families will receive a FREE puppy/dog while I retain the breeding rights.

 

Benefits of the Guardian Home Program

1. I do not believe that puppies or dogs are best served by being kennel raised. Dogs are social animals that adore their families and want to be with them, involved in their daily lives and participating as loved family members. By placing them in a home environment that will be their forever home from the time they are puppies, or by placing as a young adult, I am doing the best to ensure their happiness and best start in life. I prefer to not have to kennel raise a dog by utilizing guardian homes, and feel best about this method and how it works in my breeding program.

2. Some wanted the experience of raising pups for their family without the lifetime commitment to the pups they produce or simply liked the idea of how the programs works and wanted to be a part of it with me. In essence, you get a top quality Aussiedoodle or Goldendoodle free and all you invest is a little time for bringing the dog to me or arranging to have the dog picked up when I need it for testing or breeding or whelping.

3. I benefit as a breeder because I do not need to care for more dogs than I am comfortable with or can manage easily in my own home. Each dog has a forever home from the time they are young and a cherished member of a family until they pass into doggie heaven. There are always a lot of questions that people have about the guardian program, and I've tried to anticipate most of those and answer them below. I'd rather address all the questions right upfront than to have someone feel like they weren’t really aware of how it worked. And, in all honesty, it’s a very simple program even though it may seem like a lot of details.

4. Many guardian homes eventually decide they would like a puppy out of their dog. Normally most pets would be spay/neutered and the owners wouldn’t have this option. With the guardian program since your dog will be having pups you will have the opportunity to see these precious puppies and purchase a puppy if you choose to do so. You can either foster another guardian “grandpup” or purchase from the litter.
    

Requirements
 

Where can I live and still be a part your guardian program?

 

I require that you live within an hour of Altamont, KS.

 

What rules do I have to follow when raising the puppy or dog?

 

The family needs to feed Purina Pro All Stage food and Nuvet Vitamins.

I ask the family to get my approval for supplements or medicines before administering.

If the dog becomes sick or injured, I need the family to notify me right away, so I am involved in all decisions regarding the treatment of the dog. In many cases, I can save the family a lot of money if it is a simple issue, and in other situations, the treatment may need to be specific if the dog is going to be bred soon, or is pregnant.

I ask the family to practice safe handling of the dog. Do not leave the dog outside if no one is home. Don’t let the dog sit in the back of an open pickup. Use a leash in public. Provide basic obedience training, so the dog has manners. I suggest our guardian families to use the Baxter & Bella Online Training Program for their new puppy. All these things should be done to make your dog an enjoyable family member.

The guardian home is responsible either for the transportation of the dog to me or arranging for me to pick up the dog for breeding or having litters or for the initial health testing at between 1-2 years of age.

 

At what age do you start breeding dogs?

 

I will usually breed females on their second heat, which typically starts between 18 and 24 months.

We do not breed males until they are over 12 months old.

 

How long is our Guardian dog with you when you breed?

 

As soon as the family is aware the dog is in heat in a cycle she will be bred. I will have them arrange to have her here or pick her up by about day 5 – 7 of the heat cycle. She will remain with me for about one week and then return home.

A male dog will be in my home about three days for a mating.

 

How long is a female pregnant?

 

Dogs are pregnant for 9 weeks give or take a few days.

 

What happens when she is ready to have her puppies?

 

You will bring your girl to me a week before she is due so she can settle in. I will whelp and raise the pups and mom will come back home when the pups are six to eight weeks old, when completely weened.

 

Can we visit her when she has the puppies if she is at your house?

 

You and your immediate family are welcome to visit. No other visitors are allowed due to the risk of bringing in Parvo to the pups. The mom is usually very busy and focused on her babies the first two weeks after she has her pups. Usually by the time puppies are two weeks old the mom is ready for little breaks from the puppies and can enjoy seeing her family. I ask that you try to decrease the odds of bringing in any fatal virus by bringing in freshly-washed shoes, putting them on at the front door and I will still have you spray Lysol and step through Bleach water. I will ask for you to wash your hands with a special soap before handing mom or pups.

 

Does this negatively affect the dog emotionally to go from the guardian home to the breeder’s home?

 

No. Within an hour or two they are usually settled. Remember they will already “know” me from the times I have taken them for testing or when I have “dog sat” for you. I try very hard to give them so much attention and love the first couple days that it is a pleasant and enjoyable experience for them. This is also important as everything the mother feels causes things to happen inside her body that can affect the babies. The less stress and the more relaxed she is, the better it is for babies. Bringing her and hanging out with her for an hour or so and just pretending like it’s any other visit you’d make is very important. If we can have the family sneak out so the dog isn’t even aware they’ve left, that is usually best too.

 

What happens during pregnancy and what do I have to do differently with the dog?

 

Pregnancy is actually very easy. The dog may act a little more tired, or not eat normally for a few weeks. The last couple weeks of pregnancy she is usually becoming hungrier and sleeps more as time progresses. Otherwise, normal activity is typical and it is important to continue with walking the dog right up to the end. This helps during delivery. Being in shape is always best. Normal play and romping and running during the first half of pregnancy is great. After that, we limit activity to walks on a leash and no extreme activities. We suggest adding ¼ cup of plain yogurt or cottage cheese every day and we will provide prenatal pills during the last 2 weeks of pregnancy to give extra nutrition.

No chemicals may be given during pregnancy. We require no vaccinations, no flea or tick medicine nor heartworm during this time. We will worm her while she is being bred.

 

What happens if the puppy gets sick or injured while in the guardian home’s care?

 

While the dog is in your care and home, any illness or injury that happens is your financial responsibility, just as it would be if you had a non-guardian pet. I need to be involved in knowing what is going on and determining medications, but the family is responsible for those expenses. I have your dog’s best interest at heart so it is good to have me to consult with. If you are negligent and your dog is lost or dies when in your care, I will ask for you to be responsible for our financial loss. If your dog is injured or dies and can no longer participate in the program and you were being responsible, we will not hold you liable for the loss. Bad things can happen to anybody.

 

What expenses do we pay for and what things does the breeder pay for?

 

The guardian home pays for any normal care items for the dog. Food, dishes, leashes, beds, normal vaccinations and worming, vet bills unrelated to breeding, toys, etc.

I pay for all expenses related to health testing for breeding purposes, all breeding expenses and litter expenses. I may also do a little extra here and there to help.

 

How many litters do you usually breed before retiring the dog?

 

I contract for up to 4 litters. Sometimes I don’t breed at all. So the number of litters depends on each case. I consider a litter 2 or more pups so if a mom has only one pup we don’t count it as a litter.

 

Who pays for the spay/neuter surgery?

 

Lucky Dog will! This is usually about 2 months after the last litter of puppies is weaned or for male dogs on or before their sixth birthday.

 

What happens if the dog doesn’t pass a health test as you want them to for becoming a breeding dog?

 

My standards are very high. Remember, that breeding quality and pet quality are two different things. Just because a dog may not be the best breeding candidate doesn’t mean she/he isn’t the perfect pet. Your dog can pass all the tests, and I still may decide to remove it from the program. If I release your dog from the breeding program, I will spay/neuter your dog. You will still have gotten a quality dog for only the normal costs of having a pet.

 

What if I have a male guardian dog?

 

Male guardian dogs are usually used for breeding after 12-18 months. I ask that you make your dog available for breeding. Most of our guardian boys aren’t used for breeding very often. Most of the time the dogs will need to be with us less than 24 -48 hours each time picked up.

 

Where can I board my dog?

 

If you ever need boarding, I would love the opportunity to watch your dog as long it fits in with my schedule. Otherwise, you would board your dog as you would any pet when you vacation. It is always great to have the opportunity to play with one of the dogs I produced. I love the additional opportunity to interact with the dog and family.

 

What happens if we join the guardian home for a quality breeding dog but don’t intend to honor the breeding contract?

 

I make a great commitment emotionally and financially to our owners and guardian dogs. I ask that you only enter into our guardian program if you are willing to make the same level of commitment to your dog and to me. Unfortunately, I have been forced to put a penalty for those who break my contract as I find some want the discounted dog but have no intentions of honoring the contract. I want to work with you and for this to be a win, win for all involved. I work hard to select the best of the best of our dogs for our guardian homes. I have a financial penalty to discourage those that would want to get a discounted dog and break the contract by using the dog for their own breeding program. If you are willing to make an honest commitment to me and my breeding program, I will be very flexible and will do all I can to make this program work for you and your dog.

I don’t want to be controlling or intrusive into a family’s life. I consider our dogs and owners like extended family and enjoy the interaction I have with them in the guardian program. I am very fair and reasonable and want to work with you to make this a win, win situation for both of us. I hope that you will consider partnering with us.