Guardian Families are an important part of our program here at Maplewood Doodles and we select our families very carefully! We strive to provide each of our breeding dogs in our program a great life in a loving home.
Goldendoodles are very social animals who adore their families. They want to be with their families and involved in their daily lives and live in a loving home.
Benefits of Being a Guardian Home
A Guardian Family obtains the very best Goldendoodle that we have to offer from any given litter. This means that we choose the pick of the litter based on the best qualities. Our Guardian Families get to enjoy the excitement of being a part of our breeding program, and seeing the offspring of their Guardian dog be placed with loving families.
Costs of Being a Guardian Home
Guardians will be required to make a deposit on the puppy, that will be returned to the Guardian upon completion of the Contract. Guardians will also pay for normal pet ownership costs such as: routine vet care, dog food, dog training, pet supplies and grooming. Costs associated with breeding are covered by Maplewood Doodles.
Responsibilities of Guardian Homes
We expect you to fulfill the following list of responsibilities:
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You must live within 50 miles of our home in Norwich, CT.
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Guardians must be able to provide and maintain a loving and stable home.
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You must have a physically fenced yard to provide a safe and secure environment for the puppy/dog.
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All puppies placed in Guardian Families must be indoor dogs and are not to be left outside unattended.
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The dog must be provided plenty of opportunities for exercise, play and socialization.
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Guardians must have reliable transportation and be willing to work with us to coordinate bringing the dog to us at various times for breeding related appointments.
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Feed a dog food that we approve and keep your dog at a healthy weight.
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Guardians must train or have someone else train their dog to follow basic commands.
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Cover basic pet costs related to owning a dog including annual vaccines, grooming, training, emergency medical treatment while in your care, if needed, etc.
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Have your dog groomed every three to four months at a minimum.
Guardian Dogs a Girls vs. Boys
Most all of our dogs/pups for our Guardian Program will be females, but occasionally we will have a male available. Our boys will have much shorter stays at our home, if at all, usually no more than 3-4 days. Boys breeding careers can continue indefinitely but our Stud Contract is set up for 5 years. As you can imagine, his job is much simpler and requires less demands but it will last for a longer period of time.
We realize guardian families have a tremendous sacrifice to make, given the female breeding dog must be returned to us to be bred, deliver and wean her babies before being returned back to your family (approximately 5-6 weeks). Once the Guardian dog goes into heat, the Guardian family is required to contact us immediately. It is imperative that we know the exact day that her heat starts. A heat cycle will last between 14 and 28 (21 is average) days. During this time, we will need access to her for breeding related appointments. Once she has been bred, she will remain with her Guardian Family until one week before her due date. At that time, the Guardian dog will come back to stay with us throughout her pregnancy, and will be returned once her pups are fully weaned. We do encourage your visitation here with us once a week while your girl is staying with us.