Guardianship | SilverLining Doodles

BERNEDOODLES

GUARDIAN DOG PROGRAM

SILVER LINING

At Silver Lining Bernedoodles all of our breeding dogs live in our home as members of our family, OR they live in the homes of some very special families called Guardians.

The Guardian program was designed with the well being of our dogs in mind. No dog wants to live in a kennel! Our guardian program allows us to keep our dogs comfortable, and it ensures that our breeding dogs spend their entire life loved and cared for with their forever family.

Once we have a puppy we believe would make a great addition to our program, he or she is given to you at a very reduced cost. We retain breeding rights for females for four litters, and for males until their 7th birthday. You receive a fully health tested, well bred dog at little expense!

The Guardian Home program allows breeders like ourselves to keep a genetically diverse breeding program without overcrowding. It also allows our dogs to live in FOREVER homes with a family instead of being re-homed at the end of their breeding careers. Our dogs are never overcrowded and live in loving homes from day one.

HOW DOES THE GUARDIAN PROGRAM WORK?

A special puppy is hand-picked by us after he or she has shown exceptional physical and behavioral traits. We then find a suitable family based on our Guardianship Application. Once an applicant has been chosen, we schedule a visit for a property inspection as well as for the potential Guardian and the puppy to meet.

Once the Guardian is ready to take home the puppy, they will pay a non-refundable deposit of $500.00 CAD to ensure commitment to the puppy.

This puppy will live with you as part of your family. We expect unconditional love, socialization, training, and care.

For Females:

Once she is old enough, we will need to spend a couple days with her to complete her genetic and OFA testing. Then, when she is cleared and ready to breed, she will stay with us during her heat to meet with one of our males. We never breed our females before one year of age. Usually we breed on the third heat, or at the earliest at a year and a half old.

Approximately 30 days after mating, we will take her to the vet for an ultrasound to confirm pregnancy. If she is not pregnant, we will repeat the previous process on her next heat.

If pregnancy is confirmed, then we will provide the Guardian with mandatory life-style instructions for the dog. Things like diet and exercise may need to be altered for the remainder of her pregnancy.

A week before her due date, we will pick the momma-to-be up to get an X-Ray for a puppy count and bring her to our home so she can safely have her puppies. She will stay with us until her puppies leave for their furever homes at 8 weeks old. Then, we will return her to the Guardian family.

Females stay in our program for 4 litters maximum.

For Males:

Once he is old enough, we will need to spend a couple days with him to complete his genetic and OFA testing. Then, when he is cleared and ready to breed, he will stay with us when we have a female in heat.

A heat cycle can vary in length. On average, we will keep him with us between 7 to 14 days.

Once the female is bred, we return him to the Guardian family.

Once his puppies are ready to be adopted, we may require him to stay with us for a few days for potential adopters to meet their new puppy's dad.

Males stay in our program until their 7th birthday.

At the end of the dog's breeding career, he or she is spayed/neutered at our expense and legally signed over to the Guardian family to remain for the rest of his or her days.

SERVICES

We build very strong relationships with our Guardian families. You become apart of an extended family that evolves around loving your dog.

GUARDIANSHIP APPLICATION

AVAILABLE GUARDIAN DOGS

GUARDIANSHIP APPLICATION

Do you live within 1 hour of Cambridge, Ontario, Canada?

Do you have a fenced in yard, and a property suited for an intact dog?

Are you a friendly and caring individual who loves both dogs and puppies alike?

Can you provide a dog/puppy with a safe and loving forever home?

Can you provide a dog/puppy with positive training, reinforcement, stimulation, and experiences?

Do you work well with others and maintain good communication?

Want to become a Guardian? If you answer 'yes' to all of the following questions, you are eligible for Silver Lining Doodle's Guardian Home Program!

GUARDIAN FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES

Proper socialization and training of the dog. The dog must be accepting of other dogs, people, children, and new situations. A beginner level obedience class must be completed through an approved trainer.

Provide all routine veterinary care as needed. This includes yearly vaccinations, flea/tick meds, heartworm test, etc, as well as injuries and illnesses.

Feed the dog a balanced diet, per our recommendations. The dog must be kept on a food recommended and approved by us. Based off of the advice of our reproductive specialists, we feed Purina Pro Plan 30/20 Performance food.

Give the dog all necessary love, attention and care. Our puppies are like family to us, and we expect the same from our Guardians! Our Guardian dogs must stay in an overall great condition, with good hygiene (coat/eyes/ears/nails), and good health.

Keep in good contact with the Breeder. Communication is key for this program to flow smoothly! Communicate when you have vet appointments, training classes, if your female is coming into heat, or if you just have questions/comments/concerns-- it is very important to have open communication between the Breeder and the Guardian for the benefit of the dog, as well as to make sure that we are both on the same page when it comes to the dog's care!