WHAT IS A GUARDIAN HOME?
The guardian program allows us to grow our program and continue to better our breeds, without sacrificing any of our dogs happiness and need for love and attention. While we love all of our dogs, we understand that may be happier with more one on one attention than we can give them.
As a guardian home, you are also the permanent home for one of our breeding dogs while they are in our program. Once they are retired, full ownership will transfer to the guardian family and they will get to keep the dog forever.
Becoming a Guardian Home gives you the opportunity to have one of our puppies or young adults as a family pet while he or she remains in our program at no upfront cost to you!
At Dalmatians & Co, we firmly believe that all dogs deserve to be a part of a family. By offering the guardian program, we are able to ensure that our dogs get to live the best possible lives in a loving, caring home where they receive as much one on one attention as possible.
What Are The Requirements To Become A Guardian Home?
Have a fenced in yard (though some exceptions may be made)
Teach basic commands such as sit, stay, lay-down, “no”, quiet, and leave it as well as how to walk politely on a leash
Must be willing and able to train using positive reinforcement only
Potty train and crate train the dog by 9 months of age if they are not already
Keep the dog as an indoor family pet and never allow them to live outside
Keep the dog off of the ground where other dogs frequent (dog parks, pet stores, etc) and away from unknown dogs until the dog is fully vaccinated (around 16 weeks)
Be willing and able to socialize the dog with other dogs as well as people
Provide adequate exercise and mental stimulation
Be able to bring the dog to and from the breeder within 24-36hr notice
Must be able to communicate, cooperate, and coordinate with the breeder effectively
Contact the breeder in the event of any serious illness or accident
You may not be a guardian home for a different breeder of the same breeds while participating in our program
Benefits to Becoming a Guardian Home?
You are getting a top quality dog at no up front cost
The dog will be health tested at the breeder’s expense
Families are allowed to visit their female and her puppies
Monetary compensation for each litter
The breeder pays for spay or neuter
Guardians with females get to name the puppies in her litters
Once retired and spayed/neutered, full rights and ownership are transferred to you
Knowing your canine companion is blessing families all over the country
We consider all of our puppy/dog owners family, but when you become a guardian you are truly part of our team
FAQs About Guardian Homes
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No, you will receive a top quality dog that has been hand selected by us to remain in our program at no upfront cost!
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Guardians are responsible for all of the normal care that goes with owning a dog such as the following:
Routine vet care
Shots
Flea, tick, and heartworm meds
Food
Toys and treats
Etc
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Initially, they may be slightly confused wondering, “Where’s my family going?”, but typically within 1-2 hours they are settled in. We try extremely hard to make sure that they are as comfortable as possible at their “home away from home” by giving them a lot of extra attention. It is also why we keep our guardian dogs in our home with us, as part of the family! We even allow them to sleep in bed with us if they choose to!
Please take into consideration that you may also play a role in how quickly your dog adjusts. The more relaxed she is, the less stressed out she will be. Humans can project emotions on their dogs, so, if you are crying or acting nervous when leaving your dog, then she will most likely be more stressed.
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Provide guardian family with a healthy dog at no cost
Pay for health testing
Pay for all breeding related expenses (ie progesterone testing, semen collection, etc)
Teaching the guardian family how to detect a heat cycle and how to care for a pregnant dog if they don’t already know
Pay for the spay/neuter upon retirement
Pay a monetary sum per litter
Provide lifetime support for the dog
Always be willing to take the dog back if the guardian family can no longer care for them
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Guardians are responsible for all transportation to and from us. We try our best to give a minimum of 24-48 hours notice of when you will need to bring him or her to us.
Questions to Ask Yourself Before Joining
Can You Be Without Your Dog While They’re with Us?
For males, the timeframe that they’re gone is much shorter, generally 1-3 days. Females will be generally be with us about a week during the breeding cycle, then again for about 7 weeks when they have puppies. This may happen up to two times a year.
Can You Put the Time and Commitment in into Training and Socializing Your Dog?
One thing that separates us from many breeders is that we try our best to treat our guardian dogs as part of the family. This means that they will live in our home while they’re with us. While we do move our litters to our puppy area around 3 weeks to start the weaning process, they are always invited into our home.
To be able to do this, all dogs must have obedience training and be well socialized with people and other dogs. At a minimum they should know how to sit, stay, lay-down, “no”, quiet, and leave it. Along with other basic manners (ie no jumping up, proper door etiquette (not bolting out), no counter surfing, etc).
They must also be housebroke and crate trained.