What is a Guardian Home?
We currently have several already trained and vetted adult dogs available for the guardian program. Please email us for more details!
We strongly believe in not keeping dogs in an outdoor kennel setting. All of our breeding dogs live as family pets first and foremost. A handful live with us at Red Paw Farm, but there is, of course, a limit to the number of dogs we can successfully have in our home while still meeting their needs for affection and training!
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That's where guardian homes come in! We partner with other families to keep our dogs happy and healthy.
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A guardian home receives a Red Paw Farm breeding prospect for free. This is most typically a puppy from our own lines, but sometimes we have already-trained adults available, too. We work closely with you as the dog transitions into your home to address any training concerns. When the dog is of age, breed-related health testing will be completed. If the dog is a good fit for breeding, he/she will be part of our breeding program but still live with you the majority of the time. When he/she retires, we will spay or neuter them for you and they will be officially be your pup with no strings attached.
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You must be local to the Greater Charlotte area.
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How long will my dog be away from me?
For males, the job is short (a few days here at the most) but potentially more frequent. Our males can also breed for a longer duration than our females, so the actual year commitment (they will retire at age 6) is longer.
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For females, we expect them to be here for a few days for breeding and then for approximately 7 weeks for the whelping and raising of a litter. You are welcome to visit us and your girl during this time!
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Girls come into heat (on average) every 6 months. We aim to have our first litter with a girl around age 2 and typically breed 2 cycles in a row, skip a cycle (which equates to a year off), and then breed 1 or 2 more cycles before retiring. This can of course vary depending on the girl's individual needs, but this gives you a general idea of what to expect.
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What if the dog is not able to be part of the breeding program?
We are very selective on the front end with who we attempt to add into our program and keep back from our own health tested lines or from other similar programs that prioritize health and temperament. So in most cases, the dog's temperament and health testing will be in line with our goals. But if this does not happen OR the dog simply turns out not to be good for breeding in a physical sense (low sperm count, difficult deliveries, etc.), then we will spay/neuter them early and they will simply be your pet.
What are my responsibilities as a guardian home?
We only want guardian homes who are excited about Red Paw Farm's mission. We want our guardian families to believe in ethical breeding and believe in the power of a good dog to help his/her humans. We want to work with families who want to be a part of bringing absolutely amazing dogs into the world!
We are entrusting you with something really special. We don't just breed any good-looking dog... we have carefully selected and tailored our lines over the years and really believe our dogs are exceptional and very valuable to us. Because of this, we do expect our guardians to fulfill their end of the contract- both with the dog's care as well as making sure the dog is available as needed throughout their breeding life.
We expect our guardian homes to be top notch pet owners. We want them to treat their dog as any typical beloved pet which means feeding them quality food, keeping up with grooming and basic vet care needs, and providing the dog with affection, training, and exercise. You will be responsible for your dog's basic living expenses (food, core vaccines, etc.) but Red Paw Farm will cover any reproductive related expenses.
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What can I expect from Red Paw Farm as a guardian home?
We view this as a partnership. Because of our no-kennels philosophy, we rely heavily on our guardian homes to maintain a successful ethical breeding program. We want to always have open lines of communication and be here to help with any basic questions about dog care or offer our training expertise as needed.
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We also offer free boarding at Red Paw Farm for when you go out of town without your four-legged friend. This helps us stay in touch with the dog and continue to assess their temperament throughout their time in our program.
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Finally, while you are responsible for basic (non-reproductive related) vet care, we will provide health insurance coverage for your guardian dog while they are in our breeding program. So any accidents or illnesses will be covered.
More questions?
Please contact us to ask! We also have a contract that goes over all the finer details: FEMALE CONTRACT and MALE CONTRACT.