The Australian Labradoodle remains a young and developing breed, and there is a lot of work yet to be done to maintain a wide gene pool and develop new Australian Labradoodle lines. To achieve our breed development goals, we need to have several dogs in our program – more than we have the space for in our home. Therefore, we choose not to kennel or house all of our breeding dogs here, and instead place them in loving guardian homes instead. Our Guardian Program is therefore the solution, enabling our breeding dogs to live with selected local families; the aim being to breed great ALDs with great families. To be considered breed-worthy, a dog needs to fall within a high standard of excellence both in form and function.
What is a guardian family?
A Guardian or Guardian Family is a person or household that agrees to keep and look after a breeder’s dog. This is a formal contract that carries legal obligations, some of which can impact and restrict your lifestyle. As a guardian home, you will be the permanent home for one of our breeding dogs while they are still in our breeding program. Ownership of the dog will only be transferred to the Guardian once the terms of the contract has been terminated, i.e. a certain number of litters have been produced, and the dog has been spayed or neutered. In some special cases, if the dog ends up not joining the breeding program or ends up stopping the program in between, will the ownership be transferred to the Guardian.
What does it mean in practice to be a guardian family? How it works?
If you are selected as a guardian family, the dog will live with you for most of the time. The dog will come to visit us for some short periods to ensure that they are happy, healthy, and well-balanced. This is a unique occasion to maintain a very close relationship with them to make certain that they are relaxed when they are here for breeding and raising their puppies.
Guardianship comes with some duties or commitments both from the breeder and from the guardian family. This program is excellent for families who can provide suitable accommodation for the pet, who have the love and time to care for their furry companion, and wish to welcome an exceptional Australian Labradoodle into their families without the full financial burden. Our guardian program may not be suitable for everyone. However, for those who will be chosen to be part of it, there will be numerous benefits. Families will embark on the fabulous journey of breeding and witness their beloved dog producing adorable puppies. Moreover, as opposed to paying a full price for a pup, you will get a ‘pick of litter’ top quality puppy, carefully chosen by us, at a significantly discounted price, together with other advantages. More information will be provided subsequently.
How to qualify as a guardian family? What are the requirements?
In order to be considered as a potential Guardian Family,
- You are required to reside in close proximity to us (Uusimaa), max. 2 hours drive, and expected to be living around for approximately the next 6 years.
- You should be willing and able to train (basic commands, potty train, crate train, etc.) the dog using reward-based training only. Obedience classes are strongly recommended.
- You agree to keep the dog as an indoor family pet and never allow them to live outside.
- You must have a schedule that will not cause the dog to be left home alone for long periods of time on a regular basis.
- You must be willing to openly and promptly communicate with us about any matter related to the dog and allow me to visit your home.
- You must be willing to work with us to best harmonize all aspects related the mating and/or breeding of the dog.
- You agree to contact us immediately in the event of any serious illness or accident, and to promptly respond to our calls or emails.
- You should be willing to feed the dogs and follow the dog’s basic health and veterinarian care (such as vaccine schedules, use of certain medications, emergency, etc.) based on our recommendations.
- You should be willing and able to socialize the dog with other dogs as well as people.
- You agree to keep the puppy away from unknown dogs and to keep it off of the ground where other dogs visit often (pet stores, dog yards, etc.) until it has gone through the 12 weeks vaccination.
- You agree to have the dog groomed regularly.
- You agree to prevent the dog from ‘accidental’ mating with an intact dog to avoid unwanted litters.
- You agree to engage indoor and outdoor activities with the dog (fun ideas to spend quality time together).
- etc.
What are the benefits of being part of our guardian program?
Being a Guardian or Guardian Family comes with numerous advantages.
- Win-win ownership – You will get the dog at a reduced price. This can be a financial advantage for families or individuals desiring a pet, allowing them to provide a loving home without the steep upfront cost that can come with purchasing a dog.
- High-quality breeds – You receive a top-quality puppy that a dog that comes from a good lineage displays all the signs of good health and temperament.
- The dog will be health tested at the breeder’s expense for all what is related to the breeding program.
- Families are allowed to visit their female dog and her puppies.
- Monetary compensation for each litter.
- The breeder pays for spay or neuter.
- Gaining full ownership – After the dog is retired from the breeding program, full ownership is transferred to you. This ensures that the bond formed over the years won’t get broken, allowing you and the dog to continue your journey together.
- Strong support network – Since the dog’s primary ownership lies with the breeder, you will benefit from a built-in support system from the breeder, for advice or assistance about training, health concerns, or general care.
- Emotional rewards – Opportunity to make a positive impact in the dog’s life.
- Clear responsibilities – The formal contract between the breeder and the guardian lays out all responsibilities. This provides clarity for the guardian, ensuring they know exactly what’s expected from them and avoiding potential misunderstandings down the line.
What are the cost involved to be a guardian family?
Following are the costs that are associated with guardianship:
- 500€ deposit to secure your place in the queue.
- A fraction of the true cost of the pup (2000€ additional) to be paid if allocated one.
- Food, flea/tick medications, grooming, and trainings.
- Annual insurance and vaccines, regular and emergency veterinary cares.
What are the breeder responsibilities?
- Provide the Guardian with a top-quality, pick of the litter Australian Labradoodle puppy, at a fraction of the regular pup price.
- Pay for health tests related to the breeding program.
- Cover all associated costs when the pet is in our premises (food, emergency veterinary cares subject to the Guardian insurance, etc.).
- Teach the Guardian how to detect a heat cycle and how to care for a pregnant dog.
- Pay a monetary sum per litter.
- Pay for the spay/neuter upon dog Guardian program retirement.
- Provide lifetime support for the dog.
- Always be willing to take the dog back or rehoming it if the Guardian can no longer care for it.
Temporary leaving your pet to the breeder as part of the program
As part of the program, your furry companion (especially female) will have to be with us for some time. This indeed can be a heartbreaking situation, as being rehomed (even temporary) can exacerbate separation anxiety for a dog. That’s why throughout the duration of the program, we will be meeting the dog every now and then, at your home, at dog yards or during short stays in our home for the dog to get acquainted with us. Note that you will play a key role in minimizing this separation anxiety and stress, from the time the dog is a puppy. Even though it’s hard for both of you to be apart, your dog must learn to be a lone wolf somehow. It can only learn that by being alone. Depending on the severity of your dog’s separation anxiety, you might have to take puppy steps when you first start this separation training. Moreover, keep in mind 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. We will be helping you with appropriate and efficient advice. It is of significant importance to keep Mama Dog as happy and stress free as possible because stress and anxiety experienced by the mother transfers to the puppies.
What if you wish to leave the guardian program?
Becoming a guardian family for one of our dogs is a huge commitment and a decision that should not be made lightly. As early mentioned, it comes with numerous obligations that both parties, i.e. guardian and breeder, agree to strictly fulfill as part of a legally binding contract. Therefore, as a guardian, you will have a legal obligation to abide by the contract terms. Per the contract, there are three ways one may leave the guardian program, the parties involved having no further legal rights against one another, from the day of termination and into the future:
- By performance, i.e. both parties have performed all their obligations under the contract; in which case the agreed number of litters have been reached, the dog neutered/spayed and the ownership automatically transferred to the Guardian.
- By agreement, i.e. both parties are able to consent to termination of a contract (e.g. guardian relocating abroad, request for dog rehoming due to financial struggles, etc.). In such case, the mutual obligations to perform contractual obligations come automatically to an end and the dog is returned to the breeder.
- By breach of contract, i.e. the innocent party has a right of termination when the other party failed to perform their obligations under the contract; or performed them in a way in which is inconsistent with the original contractual terms (e.g. dog abuse or neglect, untrained dog, poor communication or collaboration, accidental mating, voluntary leaving the program with no solid grounds, etc.). Such cases will have the consequences we deem appropriate, in accordance with the contract. Depending on the severity and the duration of the negligence, the guardian misconduct can result in a monetary fine to compensate for the harm incurred and/or an immediate termination of the contract with the dog returned to the breeder.
Please, keep in mind we retain the full legal ownership of the dog until it is retired from our guardian program.
If you instead want to become a breeder, please contact us.
- By performance, i.e. both parties have performed all their obligations under the contract; in which case the agreed number of litters have been reached, the dog neutered/spayed and the ownership automatically transferred to the Guardian.
- By agreement, i.e. both parties are able to consent to termination of a contract (e.g. guardian relocating abroad, request for dog rehoming due to financial struggles, etc.). In such case, the mutual obligations to perform contractual obligations come automatically to an end and the dog is returned to the breeder.
- By breach of contract, i.e. the innocent party has a right of termination when the other party failed to perform their obligations under the contract; or performed them in a way in which is inconsistent with the original contractual terms (e.g. dog abuse or neglect, untrained dog, poor communication or collaboration, accidental mating, voluntary leaving the program with no solid grounds, etc.). Such cases will have the consequences we deem appropriate, in accordance with the contract. Depending on the severity and the duration of the negligence, the guardian misconduct can result in a monetary fine to compensate for the harm incurred and/or an immediate termination of the contract with the dog returned to the breeder.
