What is a guardian home?

Guardian home is the term used for a family who has one of our amazing breeding dogs living in their home full time. The dog is placed with the guardian home at a minimal initial cost for the guardian, and stays with the guardian for the majority of his/her life. The guardian dog is the full-time pet of the guardian home except for when he/she is being bred, or having and whelping puppies. We do allow visitation during these times. We have exclusive breeding rights, so he/she can’t be bred to males or females outside our program. After a certain number of litters (3-5 for females, more for males), your pup will be spayed at our expense and continue living out the rest of his/her life with you-- the forever family. Our guardian homes for poodles and Bernese Mountain Dogs receive 50% off a Bernedoodle puppy of their choosing.

 

Why do we use guardian homes?

We love all of our dogs. We want to snuggle them, play with them, and get to know their personalities as we enjoy their company. In a perfect world, there would be no such thing as too many dogs! However, while that may be true for us, having all the dogs in our home is not always what is best for our dogs. Guardian homes allow each of our dogs to receive all the personalized love, attention and care they deserve. It gives our dogs the best lives possible—years spent with families who love and adore them as the family’s number one pet priority. It keeps our dogs out of kennels, and allows them to be pets first and foremost. They have two families looking out for their best interests- their guardian home families and our family. The guardian home program is fulfilling for the guardian family, the dog, and us, and it gives everyone peace of mind knowing our dogs are in the best possible situation they could be in.

 

What are the requirements of a family interested in being a guardian home?

Our guardian homes must meet the following requirements:

• Live within 3 hours of zip code 75167

• Have previous puppy experience

• Have a fenced-in yard

• Have no other unaltered dogs in the home

• Be able and willing to to potty & obedience train, as well as provide appropriate socialization

 

What are the responsibilities of a guardian home?

We will decide to whom our dogs are bred and when they are bred.

Female Dogs: The female dog will come to us for breeding (between 3-8 days) and return to the guardian home for the duration of her pregnancy (about 63 days). She will return to us within a week of her due date and remain with us while she whelps her puppies (8 weeks). When her puppies are weaned and join their forever families, she will return to her guardian family until she is bred again.

Male Dogs: The male dog will come to us for breeding (between 3-8 days) and return to his forever family until he is bred again.

Guardian homes are responsible for:

• Keeping their female dog away from any intact males during her heat cycles she’s not with us for breeding

• Keeping their male dog away from any females in heat 

• Not having any other intact animals in the home for the duration of their contract with us

• Communicating promptly with us regarding heat cycles, testing, mating, whelping, and other breeding related activities

• Socializing their dog with children, adults, and other animals starting as a puppy and continuing through their adult lives

• Agreeing on an appropriate diet with the breeder

• Updating the breeder with important health information

 

Our guardian homes are financially responsible for:

• All regular health maintenance costs including vaccines, annual exams, food, flea and heart worm prevention, etc.

• Any emergency veterinarian costs not associated with breeding

 

What are the breeder’s responsibilities?

• Pay for testing required for breeding, and all breeding related expenses

• Care for the dog while he/she is with us for breeding and whelping, and will cover the cost of feeding the dog during this time

• Pay for the dog’s spay/neuter at the end of the contract

 

Before you contact us, please know...

Our guardian home families all sign legally-binding contracts agreeing to the terms described on this page. Before being matched with a dog, all potential guardian homes may be required to participate in a home visit, undergo a background check, or meet with us at a point half-way between our homes.

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In summary…

We believe guardian homes are the best way to ensure the physical and emotional health of all of our dogs. It is meant to be enriching for the guardian families as well, as you’ll get to see your amazing dog’s puppies bring joy and happiness to the lives of families all over the United States. This is the best solution we have found to rejecting the idea of unethical breeding, avoid over-breeding, and continue to breed dogs in the most positive environment possible.

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Please send an email to lonestarbernedoodles@gmail.com if you're interested in being a guardian home for a Bernese Mountain Dog or Poodle in the future. Let us know if you'd like a male or female.