You can be part of our Hearty K9 team and serve as a guardian home for one of our breeding dogs. 

What does that look like?  You would get to have a pup or an adult dog from Hearty K9’s, which could be a female Golden Retriever, an F1 Goldendoodle, or a male Poodle.  You would keep the pup at your home, treat it like your own pet, but we would still use him/her in our breeding program. 

How the Guardian Home Program Works

Female Dogs (Golden Retrievers & F1 Goldendoodles)

Once they come of age and have completed all required health testing, we would breed them annually or every other cycle. (The girls’ cycles normally occur every 6-8 months, but some vary from 4-12 months.) We normally breed a mama dog for 4 litters. (Starting at close to 2 years of age, depending on their cycles, they can be 5 years old to 6+ years when they are finished.) When it is their time to be bred, we would need them here for 4-14 days during their cycle. Then you would take them back and keep them until 10 days before their due date, and return them here. They would help here and be with their babies normally until they are ~9 weeks old. You have the option to keep them here for every cycle if you don’t want to deal with the diapers while they bleed, which can be 14-21 days. The first week has heavier bleeding, which gradually lessens. Folks have often planned holidays when the girl is having puppies. You are also welcome to come and visit when the pups are here. When females are in season, they cannot be left unattended in your backyard or be off-leash in public. 

Male Dogs (Poodles)

I would need the guardian families to be nearby and willing to travel more readily.  You could either choose to drive for conjugal visits every other day during a girl’s cycle or just drop off the boy and leave it here while he is being used during the girl’s cycle.  Depending on the year, he is normally used 1-4 times. We have used males until they are older, as their job never gets old to them. The earliest that we would likely end a contract with a healthy, fertile male is at 7 years old. Males cannot be off-leash in public places. 

At What Age Must the Dog Be When a Family can Start a Guardian Program?

They can be as young as 8-10 weeks old to as old as close to retirement.  For example, I have had folks take on an older female that I still wanted for one more litter. She had a head start in a family, and they only had to go through the breeding and whelping of one litter. 

What Kind of Family is Best for a Guardian Home?

We are looking for families who:

• Love Hearty K9s and believe in our vision and values
• Already have another dog that is spayed or neutered
• Can remain calm and matter of fact when the dog needs to leave for their “job”
• Are easy to communicate with, can drive, and are flexible with their schedule
• Have a securely fenced yard
• Live within 1 hour of our location (longer distances may only work for shorter contracts)

Four Benefits of Being a Guardian Home for a Hearty K9

1. You can leave the dog with us when you go on a holiday at no cost to you.  (Maximum 4 weeks a year for free).  We highly encourage short visits like that, so the dog is well acquainted with us, and going back and forth becomes just a regular thing for the dog. 
2. You get a puppy or dog that does not have all the up-front costs of purchasing one. 
3. This dog would be all yours when they are done with the breeding program. 
4. You get to be a part of the Hearty K9 team, in part, helping provide quality K9 companions for more years to come.

Guardian Home Costs & Responsibilities

• A $500 initialization fee is paid to Hearty K9s at the start of the contract. If the agreed upon contract is fulfilled, we will cover the cost of spaying or neutering.
• All food and daily supplies for the dog are the guardian’s responsibility.
• Regular vet care costs are the guardian’s responsibility. Anything related to breeding is covered by Hearty K9s.
• Travel and time to bring the dog to Hearty K9s for breeding and whelping is the guardian’s responsibility
• You must feed the same dog food we use, currently Royal Canin. We offer it at our discounted bulk rate when available.

Rewards & Bonuses

• For every litter a female has with us, the guardian home receives one free large bag of dog food.
• If a female completes all 4 litters in good standing, the guardian home receives a $1,000 bonus.
• If a male is used 2 or more times in a year, the guardian’s home receives a free bag of dog food
• If a male has been in a guardian home in good standing for 7 or more years, the guardian home receives a $1,000 bonus upon retirement

Interested in Becoming a Guardian Home?

If you are interested in being a guardian home for one of our breeding dogs, please contact us, and we can chat further.