Guardian Program FAQs

Where can I live and still be in your guardian program?

To be considered for our Guardian Program, you must live within 1 hour (for males) or 1.5 hours (for females) of our home in Hillsborough, NJ.

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

We do ask families to check in with us about food options. While we don’t require a specific food, we always like to talk through what will be best for keeping our dogs healthy.
We ask the family to avoid all chemicals unless necessary, and to not give supplements or medicines unless approved by us.
If the dog becomes sick or injured, we need the family to notify us right away so we are involved in all decisions regarding the treatment of the dog. In many cases we 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.
We ask the family to practice safe handling of the dog. To not leave the dog outside if they are not at 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. All these things should be done to protect your dog.
The guardian home is responsible either for the transportation of the dog to us or arranging for us to pick up the dog for breeding or having litters, or for the initial health testing at between 1-2 years of age.

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

FEMALES: As soon as the family is aware the dog is in heat in a cycle she will be bred, we 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 us for about one week and then return home.

MALES: A male dog will be in our home for up to a week, unless discussed otherwise.

How long is a female pregnant?

Dogs are pregnant for 63 days give or take 4 days.

How long do you wait between breedings?

The dogs generally cycle every 6 months. Dogs typically have a litter once a year. She will not be bred before 12 months or after 6 years. Most female dogs will have 3 litters.

What happens when she is ready to have her puppies?

You bring your girl to us a week before she is due so she can settle in. We will whelp and raise the pups and mom will come back home when the pups are between 6 and 7 weeks old.

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

You and your family are welcome to visit. No other visitors are allowed due to the risk of bringing in a lethal virus (Parvo) to the pup. The mom usually is VERY 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 enjoys seeing her family much more than earlier in the process. She is settled into being a mom and things are much happier for all involved during the visit. We ask that you try to decrease the odds of bringing in a fatal virus by bringing in freshly washed sneakers putting them on at our front door. We will ask for you to wash your hands before handling pups.

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

No. Your dog will love coming here. This is where they were raised, and we have had the same team here for years. It is always so much fun for us, and your dog, to come back!

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 ball chasing type of activities. The dog may become pickier with food. If she does, we recommend mixing boiled chicken
and rice into her food. No chemicals may be given during pregnancy. We suggest no vaccinations, worming and heartworm when possible during this time. If there is an illness or injury we ask to be involved in determining how she is treated.

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

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. The guardian home pays for any normal care items for the dog. Food, dishes, leashes, beds, normal vaccinations, toys, etc. We pay for all expenses related to health testing for breeding purposes, all breeding expenses and litter expenses.

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

We contract for up to 4 litters. The number of litters depends on each individual case. We consider a litter 2 or more pups so if a mom has only one pup we don’t count it as a litter. A female averages 3 litters in our program. If the puppies are exceptional quality there could be 4 litters (once a year).

Who pays for the spay/neuter surgery?

We do!

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

Our standards are very high. We adhere to the quality requirements of WALA as well as our own quality ideas. 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 we still may decide to remove it from the program. We aren’t bashful about removing dogs from our program. If we release your dog from the breeding program, you 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. We will let you know when you need to make your dog available for breeding.

Where can I board my dog?

If you ever need boarding we would love the opportunity to watch your dog as long it fits in with our family schedule. Please note we do charge a small fee for this. 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 we produced. We 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?

We make a great commitment emotionally and financially to our owners and guardian dogs. We 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 us. Unfortunately, we have been forced to put a penalty for those who break our contract as we find some want the discounted dog but have no intentions of honoring the contract. We want to work with you and for this to be a win, win, win for all involved. We work hard to select the best of the best of our dogs for our guardian homes. We 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 us and our breeding program we will be very flexible and will do all we can to make this program work for you and your dog.

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

If you have any questions regarding our Guardian Program, or are interested in applying for our Guardian Home Program, please fill out an application. We look forward to speaking with you!