Guardian Homes- Whats its all About
🐾 Becoming a Guardian Parent
(Also known as a Guardian Home or Host Home)
Some people refer to this arrangement as a foster home, but we believe “guardian” is a better term — because this is a permanent placement and a lifelong partnership.
A Guardian Home provides a loving, forever home for one of our top breeding prospects — the pick of the litter. These dogs represent the very best of our program, and our guardian families play an essential role in helping us continue to raise exceptional, healthy, and well-tempered dogs.
🌟 Benefits for You
- No adoption fee — we cover the full cost of the puppy
- A lifetime family companion — once retired, your dog is fully yours at no charge
- Free boarding while your dog is with us for breeding or whelping
- Beautiful temperament — motherhood often enhances a dog’s loving, nurturing nature
👉 View Available Guardian Dogs:
https://www.lakewoodranchdoodles.com/available-guardian-dogs
🤝 How the Guardian Program Works
In a Guardian Family arrangement, your family provides a safe, loving, forever home for an intact breeding prospect who will become part of our breeding program. In return, we waive the adoption fee as our thank-you for your long-term commitment.
Guardian families must live within a reasonable distance of Lindsay, Ontario and be willing to work closely with us throughout the dog’s breeding career.
🐾 Guardian Family Responsibilities
For the first 5–6 years, you are the dog’s emotional owner, while we remain the legal owner during their breeding career.
Guardian families agree to:
- Provide a loving, stable home and family life
- Feed the breeder-specified diet (free-fed / “grazing” style)
- Maintain routine veterinary care, vaccinations, and parasite prevention
- Ensure appropriate training, exercise, and socialization
- Make your dog available for health testing and breeding as needed
A clear guardianship contract outlines all expectations and responsibilities.
Each guardian dog will join your family fully vaccinated, and names are pre-selected by us to maintain lineage consistency within our breeding program.
🐶 Guardian Moms — What to Expect
- Female guardian dogs will have a maximum of six litters, up to six years of age
- You’ll notify us whenever she comes into heat
- When breeding is planned, she will stay with us:
- 2–18 days for mating
- 6–10 days before delivery, remaining with us until puppies are weaned (typically 5–6 weeks)
We always communicate well in advance regarding breeding plans and schedules.
🏡 Retirement — Your Forever Family Pet
Once your dog retires:
- Females retire after their final litter
- Males retire at approximately seven years of age
At retirement, your dog is spayed or neutered and officially becomes your forever family member.
- You cover normal daily expenses (food, grooming, toys, routine vet care)
- We cover all breeding-related costs, including health testing, breeding, and whelping
- No adoption fee — ever
This is our way of honoring your years of care and dedication.
🐕 Dogs in Need of Guardian Homes
Only our very best puppies are placed into guardian homes — carefully selected for temperament, health, and conformation.
We are currently seeking guardian families for select dogs.
📞 Call us for more details.
📝 How to Become a Guardian Parent
Step 1
Email us a short description of your family, home, backyard, availability, and dog experience.
Step 2
If we feel it’s a good potential match, we’ll invite you to visit and meet our available guardian dogs.
Step 3
We meet twice — once at our ranch and when the dog goes home for a trial.
On occasion we do a home visit. All family members must be present for the home visit.
These meetings allow us to answer your questions and ensure everyone fully understands the guardianship commitment.
Lakewood Ranch Doodles