Guardian Home FAQ
How Do I Know if I am Eligible for the Guardian Home Program?
If you
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live in Nova Scotia
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are okay with the breeder choosing the dog for you
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have no intact dogs of the opposite sex in the home
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take your puppy to basic obedience classes or train the dog yourself
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not move out of the province until the contract is complete (up to 5 years from placement)
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not breed the dog on your own
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be able to give your dog back to the breeder for 2 weeks while in heat and 2 months when whelping and rearing pups (if female)
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read and agree with the Guardian Home Contract to understand the commitment required
What Do I Get for in Exchange for Being a Guardian Home?
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a much shorter time on the waiting list
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purchase fee waived
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a Healthy pup and the opprotunity to be a part of getting Service Dogs to people who need them
Do I Get to Choose the Dog's Name?
Yes! The puppy's call name is yours to choose.
How Long Will the Guardian Dog Be Used for Breeding?
If you are a guardian home for a female, the female will remain in service for up to 5 years. After those two litters, you will have her spayed and all restrictions, along with my primary ownership removed.
If you are a guardian home for a male, the male will remain in service for up to 5 years. After those five years, you will have him neutered and all restrictions, along with my primary ownership removed.
How Long Will the Guardian Dog Be Away From Home?
The guardian dog will spend the first two years of their life mostly at the guardian's home. The guardian will make the dog available for the breeder to complete the necessary health testing at the appropriate ages. Once the guardian dog has passed DNA and OFA testing, she will return to the breeder for 1-2 weeks while in heat to be bred to the intended stud. Once the breeding has taken place, the guardian dog will return home until about 10-14 days before the due date. At this time she will return to the breeder to settle in to have her puppies! She will remain with the breeder until her puppies are weaned and then will be returned to her guardian home.
If the guardian dog is a male, the dog will only be needed for breeding so depending on the location of the dog and the intended female the breeder may take the male to their house for a couple of weeks or the female dog may visit the male's house for dates under the breeder's supervision.
How Do I Manage My Guardian Dog While She is in Heat?
When a female dog is in heat she may be grouchy or want to sleep more. She will be bleeding a bit but generally will keep herself clean. If you wish, she can wear panties while in the house so she doesn't bleed on your furniture.
A female in heat is especially attractive to male dogs, neutered or intact. She must be kept away from any males during her fertile time (usually between day 7 and day 14 of her heat). If she is being bred, the breeder may take her for the duration of her fertile window. If she is not being bred (or sometimes even outside her fertile window) she must be kept away from all males. Even a neutered male can and will breed and tie with a female in heat. While puppies will not result, the breeding can cause damage or pass on a disease. Keeping panties on the female and a belly band on a male should NOT be trusted. They should either be crated and let out in turns or the male should go to another household until the female is out of heat. For these reasons we strongly prefer guardian homes with no male dogs in the household.
Extra care should also be taken that the female does not escape during this time as she can be bred by a random neighborhood dog.
Can I Come Visit My Guardian Dog While She Has Puppies?
Having puppies and rearing them can be stressful for a mother dog and it is best to not have her guardian family visit in the first 4 weeks as it may upset the mother dog when they leave again. If everything is going well and the mother is well-adjusted and happy, a visit may be possible after the puppies are 4 weeks old. For mothers that are a bit more sensitive, it may not be possible to visit them while they are at the breeder's house.
Will My Guardian Dog Be Sad to Leave Her Puppies?
While mother dogs do love their puppies, it is also natural for them to be okay with the puppies leaving. Most of them don't even notice! We try our best to have some of the puppies go to their new homes before the guardian dog goes back to her home so it isn't an abrupt transition but we will do whatever is best for both the mother and the puppies depending on the situation.
What if I have to Move Out of the Province?
If you have to move out of the area while your guardian dog is still under contract you can either return the dog to the breeder, make the trip to see the breeder even though it is farther away, or the breeder may choose to end the contract early if they decide they don't need the dog in their program anymore. The dog may also be returned to the breeder to complete her contract then given back to her guardians permanently after her contract is over.
Any move within the Province of Nova Scotia needs to be reported prior to the actual move, failure to do so will assume you are kidnapping the dog and it will be reclaimed once found.
What if I Need Somebody to Watch my Guardian Dog While I am Away?
Except in certain pre-approved situations, we require that any guardian dog come back to us if their guardian family has to go on vacation and needs a dog-sitter. There is a lower than current "going price" charge for this service.
What if Something Happens to the Guardian Dog While in the Guardian's Care?
Any minor accidents or ailments not related to breeding are the responsibility of the guardian. If the dog is injured or sick to the point where the dog can no longer be bred, the contract will be ended and the dog given over to the guardian home except in cases where such injury or ailments were caused by the neglect of the guardian home in which case the dog will be returned to the breeder and financial restitution may be sought.
What if Something Happens to the Guardian Dog While in the Breeder's Care?
If the guardian dog is in the care of the breeder (while they are being bred / raising puppies) and is injured or becomes ill as a result of something that happens while in the breeder's care, the breeder will be responsible for any medical costs that such an injury or ailment incurs.
What if the Breeder Decides Not to Breed My Guardian Dog?
We may decide against breeding the guardian dog for many reasons. The dog may not pass their health testing, may develop a personality issue, We may also choose to go a different direction with our program.
Once the guardian dog is no longer under contract she is signed over to the guardian home but that does not come with breeding rights. In cases where the female was not used or retired early because of health or temperament issues we will not allow her to be used to breeding. You will recieve an email giving permission to sterilize and once complete, ownership will be solely yours and microchip put in your name
We want to encourage our guardian homes to participate in dog sports! Barn Hunt, Trick Dog Titles, Scent, anything that is fun for both guardian and pup. The focus is on building a bond and obedience in a fun and practical way
What about Dogy daycare or Offleash Parks?
Both of these are off limits. Studies show 85% of off leash park soil contain parasites and viruses. Often other owners are not attentive or simply do not understand "friendly" isn't always true. Intact dogs can be inadvertently bred. Daycare builds stamina to move/play all day. The dogs mostly come home flooded, mot tired. I see, in my training business, a lot of uwanted behaviors as a result from both activities.
I do request photos every 6 months to update the website
Any Other Questions?
This page is still being added to. If you have any questions or suggestions for things people may ask about guardian homes please let us know and we can add to it!
You can find the Guardian Contract Here