Guardian Home Program

At Blue Ridge Delightful Doodles, our Guardian Home Program is a unique heartfelt partnership built on trust, communication, and a shared love for Australian Labradoodles. Guardian Families welcome one of our future breeding dogs into their home as a beloved companion, while helping us thoughtfully grow our program with care and intention.

Our guardian families play a vital role by providing our dogs full, enriched lives as a cherished family member, while allowing us to continue raising healthy, well-tempered Australian Labradoodles for future generations and families.

What is a Guardian Home?

 A guardian home is a loving family who raises one of our breeding dogs as their own family pet. Your dog lives with you full-time, enjoys life as a cherished companion, and only returns to us for short, scheduled visits related to breeding. Once his or her breeding career is complete, he or she remains with you forever as your family dog. 

Who Is a Good Fit for a Guardian Home?

Guardian families are families who are commited to raising a dog as a loved companion while remaining connected with us throughout their dog’s breeding journey. A great guardian home is one that can provide a consistent, loving environment and feels comfortable staying in touch with us as part of our program. 

Because this program is a partnership, we also understand that a guardian arrangement is not the right fit for every family. We thoughtfully place our guardian dogs in homes that align well with the needs of our program, the dog, and the family, so that everyone involved has the best possible experience. 

To ensure the best experience for our dogs and families, guardian homes must be located within 1 hour driving distance from our home. This helps keep transitions calm and allows us to provide timely support when needed.

Guardian families are :

• Located within a reasonable driving distance of our home
• Able to provide a safe, loving home environment
• Comfortable following health, nutrition, and care guidelines
• Willing to communicate openly and reliably
• Delighted to be part of our extended Blue Ridge Family. 

What Does Blue Ridge Provide?

As your breeder, we remain actively involved and fully support our guardian famlies throughout the program. We take care of all breeding-related responsibilities and expenses, and we are always available as a resource for questions, guidance, and support.

We provide:

• All breeding-related veterinary care and expenses
• Health Testing and reproductive care
• Coordination of breeding and whelping schedules
• Ongoing guidance and communication
• Supprt with grooming, nutrition, and general care
• A lifelong relationship with your breeder

To ensure the best fit for both our dogs and families, guardian dogs are thoughtfully selected by the breeder based on temperament, structure, program needs, and family lifestyle. Families are welcome to share a preference for a male or female when possible, but placement decisions are ultimately made by the breeder in the best interest of the dog and our program.

When  your guardian dog is expecting a litter, she will return to us approximately one week before her due date so we can prepare for whelping in a calm, familiar environment. We handle the entire whelping process and all the care of the puppies from birth until they go home allowing your dog to focus on being a mother while receiving attentive, around-the-clock care from us.
While your dog is with us for whelping and early puppy care, we’ll share updates and photos so you can stay connected. We handle all aspects of the process, allowing families to simply enjoy watching this special time unfold from a distance.
We understand that time apart can feel long, especially when your dog is an important part of your family. For the well-being of the Mom and her puppies, our focus during whelping and early puppy care is to maintain a calm, consistent environment with minimal disruption. For this reason, in-person visits are limited and scheduled at the breeder’s discretion.
When appropriate and when it is in the best interest of the Mom and her litter, we may offer brief, pre-arranged visits. However, visits are not guaranteed and are always guided by the needs of the Mom and puppies first. This approach allows us to provide the safest, most peaceful start for the litter while ensuring your dog receives attentive, dedicated care throughout her stay.

What Guardian Families Provide

Guardian families provide the daily love, care, and stability that allow our dogs to thrive in a family setting. As a guardian family, you raise your dog as a cherished companion and play an important role in their development, training, and socialization.

Guardian families are responsible for:

• Providing a safe, loving home environment
• Daily care, training, and socialization
• Routine veterinary care and vaccinations
• Quality nutrition and regular grooming
• Transportation for scheduled breeding-related visits
• Open, ongoing communication with us as the Breeder

After Retirement

 When your guardian dog completes their breeding career, they will be spayed or neutered  at our expense and will remain with you as a beloved family companion. 
The timing of spay or neuter is typically completed shortly after the dog’s final breeding, and is ultimately determined by our program veterinarian and breeding plan, and is scheduled to support the long-term health and well-being of your dog. Once your dog is officially retired and altered, full ownership is transferred to you, and all breeding-related responsibilities conclude. 

Retirement is a joyful milestone, not a goodbye. It’s the moment when the focus shifts entirely back to everyday life, quiet mornings, cozy evenings, and all the little moments that make a dog part of your family. We remain just as connected and available for support for the lifetime of your dog. 

Breeding timelines vary based on the individual dog’s health, structure, temperament, and veterinary guidance. 
In general, female guardian dogs are part of our program for a limited number of carefully planned litters, while male guardian dogs may participate for a longer period of time and on a less predictable schedule. Our priority is always the health, happiness, and well-being of each dog, and no dog is bred beyond what is appropriate for them individually. 

How Do Families Apply?

If you’re interested in learning more about our Guardian Home Program, we invite you to reach out through our contact form or submit a Guardian Home Application. We take time to thoughtfully review each inquiry and will be in touch to discuss next steps if it feels like a good fit for both your family and our program.
There is no obligation to move forward – our goal is simply to connect, answer questions, and explore whether this partnership is the right fit for everyone involved.