Guardian family program
Guardian Home
Our breeding dogs don't live in a kennel — they live on couches, with families like yours. Guardian homes are how we keep it that way.
How it works
A forever home, and a little help from us
Guardian families give a forever home to one of our future moms or dads. You cover the everyday things — food, routine vet care, grooming, love — and we cover everything to do with breeding. Martha, our tri-color mini Bernedoodle, lives with her guardian family and is training to be a therapy dog.
You welcome a puppy
A carefully selected puppy joins your family at no cost, as your forever dog from day one.
We share the journey
For a few litters, your dog comes back to us for breeding and whelping. We cover every breeding expense.
They retire with you
After retirement we spay or neuter at our expense — and your dog stays exactly where they belong: home with you.
Our guardian family program
Loved at home, forever
Our Guardian Family Program ensures that all of our mamas and papas are cherished members of a family where they receive endless love and attention — forever! As we are not a kennel and do not wish to be, our home can only accommodate so many dogs before we run out of space on our couch and bed. This is where our wonderful guardians come in!
Guardian home families receive a top-quality puppy at no cost to you. These puppies will become a beloved part of our guardian's forever family. While the puppy resides with your family, we will retain breeding rights, and they will become a future mama or papa in our program once they are old enough and health testing is completed.
Our guardian families are responsible for regular vet visits, grooming, and feeding costs, just as they would be with any other dog. We offer free grooming for the dog while they are part of our program, provided we are available, you can pick up and drop off at our home, and they are mat-free! Additionally, when available, we are more than happy to watch our guardian dogs when their families go on vacation. We cover all costs related to breeding, such as health testing, reproductive testing, and whelping.
If for any reason we decide not to have the dog become a mama or papa in our program, the guardian family will be required to spay or neuter the dog, and they will remain your family pet. Dogs that are used in our program will be spayed or neutered at our expense once they retire from our program and will continue to remain in the care of the guardian family.
For our boys
Male Guardian Homes
Your boy lives with you full time. He comes to us only for health testing and for short breeding visits, then heads straight back home.
Health testing
All of our males must undergo comprehensive health testing to be cleared for breeding. This involves several vet appointments for hip and elbow x-rays, cardiac and patella physical exams, and eye exams. These appointments typically occur between 12–14 months old, although we may sometimes conduct them as early as 4 months old. When we schedule an appointment, we will inform you and arrange a time to pick up and drop off the dog.
Growing up
He will not be bred until he reaches maturity, usually around one year old. During this time, we ask for regular updates and photos, as well as occasional visits, to maintain a relationship with him. It is important for the guardian family to take precautions to prevent unintentional breeding with any neighboring dogs.
Breeding days
Once he reaches breeding age, we will notify you as soon as one of our females goes into heat to give you an estimated date when we will need to breed him. When our female is ready, we will pick him up and bring him to our house or the vet, depending on what is most comfortable for him. After breeding, he will return home to you. We may need to breed him again within the following day or two, and occasionally last-minute breedings with very little notice may be necessary.
Retirement
Once we decide to retire him from our program, we will have him neutered, and he will remain your family pet.
For our girls
Female Guardian Homes
Your girl lives with you full time. She comes to us for health testing, quick breeding visits, and her final week of pregnancy until her puppies go home.
Health testing
All of our females must undergo comprehensive health testing to be cleared for breeding. This involves several vet appointments for hip and elbow x-rays, cardiac and patella physical exams, and eye exams. These appointments typically occur between 12–14 months old, although we may sometimes conduct them as early as 4 months old. When we schedule an appointment, we will inform you and arrange a time to pick up and drop off the dog.
Growing up
She will not be bred until at least her second heat cycle, typically around 18–24 months old. Before she reaches breeding age, we ask for regular updates and photos, as well as occasional visits to maintain a relationship with her. It is important for the guardian family to take precautions to prevent unintentional breeding with any neighboring dogs during her heat cycles.
Breeding
Once she begins a heat cycle during which we plan to breed her, we will arrange for progesterone testing and breeding. Typically, she will remain with you during this time, and we will pick her up for quick vet visits. Occasionally we may decide it is in her best interest to stay with us for a few days until the breeding is complete.
Pregnancy & puppies
After being bred, she will remain with you throughout most of her pregnancy, except for any needed prenatal vet appointments, such as pregnancy confirmation. During the last week of her pregnancy, she will come to our house to prepare for whelping and get comfortable. She will stay with us until the puppies are ready to go home, after which she will return to you.
Retirement
After 1–4 litters, depending on how she does and enjoys being a mama, we will have her spayed, and she will remain your family pet.
What guardians receive
The perks
- A free, health-tested, curriculum-raised puppy
- Free grooming at our home (as long as the coat is kept mat-free)
- Dog-sitting while you're on vacation, whenever we're available
- All breeding, whelping and veterinary breeding costs covered
- Up to four free training classes (24 weeks)
- Support toward therapy-dog certification if that's your goal
Our requirements for guardians
Is a guardian home right for you?
Location
We only consider families who live within 3 hours of Cold Spring, MN. If you are farther than 30 minutes from us, you must be willing to meet partway. We prefer all male guardian homes to be within 30 minutes of us, and you should plan on staying in the area for the next 5+ years.
Fencing
You must have either a physical or underground fence. With an underground fence, you will need to accompany female guardian dogs outside during their heat cycles to keep stray dogs out of your yard.
Grooming
Keep the dog well-groomed with regular brushing to prevent matting. Use a groomer of your choice at your expense, or bring the dog to us for free grooming — though if the dog is consistently brought to us matted, we will discontinue grooming, as we are not professional groomers.
Family
No unaltered dogs in your home. All other dogs living with you, male and female, must be spayed or neutered.
Training
Be consistent and committed to training. We enroll you in up to 4 training classes (24 weeks) at no charge; you bring the puppy to each class and practice at home. At the end, the dog must pass the AKC Canine Good Citizen test — and if you'd like to go on to therapy-dog certification, we'll support you.
Available for guardian homes
Puppies looking for a guardian family
We don't have a guardian puppy available at this moment. Guardian placements come from our upcoming litters — apply now and we'll reach out when the right puppy is born.