What is a guardian home?
A guardian home involves the guardian family caring for one of our dogs as their very own and working closely with us regarding their care. We maintain ownership and cover any costs related to breeding (genetic testing, hip, elbow, cardiac, and eye testing, any hormone testing that is needed for breeding purposes). During the time before breeding we have the guardians bring the dog to us for visits every 6-8 weeks or as determined necessary for the continued comfort of the dog in our home. Because of the required visits we limit guardian families to a 1 hour drive for females, and 30 min for males. We also will board the dog during vacations at no charge.
The guardian dog comes back to us for breeding (about 1 week for females) and then for delivering puppies (about 8 weeks), then returns to the guardian home. When they retire, the guardian gets full ownership (usually after 4 litters, but no more) We practice back to back breeding, which is supported by research (http://www.kentfamilyfarms.com/breeding-philosophies.html). We do this ONLY if the female recovers well from the last litter, and this also makes it so they retire much sooner.
A guardian home is not for everyone because of the extra involvement, but you end up getting a quality dog and family member and provide them with their very own family. Guardian homes allow us to expand our breeding program without having a house full, and the dog gets their very own family that they will retire with.
The guardian dog comes back to us for breeding (about 1 week for females) and then for delivering puppies (about 8 weeks), then returns to the guardian home. When they retire, the guardian gets full ownership (usually after 4 litters, but no more) We practice back to back breeding, which is supported by research (http://www.kentfamilyfarms.com/breeding-philosophies.html). We do this ONLY if the female recovers well from the last litter, and this also makes it so they retire much sooner.
A guardian home is not for everyone because of the extra involvement, but you end up getting a quality dog and family member and provide them with their very own family. Guardian homes allow us to expand our breeding program without having a house full, and the dog gets their very own family that they will retire with.