GUARDIAN FAMILIES

Thank you for your interest in about our guardian home process.

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The Basics of our Guardian Program

We believe that parent breeding dogs deserve a great home and a great life.  Sometimes our program requires us to have more dogs than we can lovingly keep in our home, so our answer is to allow some of our breeding dogs to leave us and become part of another family’s life and home.  Later they then return to us for breeding, and for females, again when it’s time to give birth to the puppies.

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The parent dog gets to be a companion/pet and have the happiness of being part of a family and home – and great puppies get raised. This breeding/parent dog lives in their forever home, grows up, is trained, is well socialized, loved and cared for and is part of the family. What could be better? The Guardian Family has the opportunity to have a truly wonderful dog at a very low cost, in exchange for working with us for a limited number of litters.  It’s a total “win” for everyone, the parent dog, the Guardian Family, and Storybrooke Golden’s!

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This plan is used by many breeders and is often called a foster or “Guardian Home” program.  Summarized – the breeding dog lives with their adoptive family and returns to us for breeding as needed.  Females will return when in season, then again to deliver the puppies. The female stays with us for 10-14 days during her heat cycle, to be bred. Then, she returns to whelp (deliver) the puppies a week before they are due, staying with us until the puppies are weaned (about 8-9 weeks total). Males return when a female that he is needed for stud is in heat.  We work with our Guardian Homes using a simple contract and we provide support and guidance all along the way, staying in contact through the year. At the end of the Guardian Home Family contract, the dogs belong 100% to the Guardian Family.

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Please note that we are very selective and only highly qualified families will be approved to foster our breeding dogs.  We will conduct a telephone interview and will conduct a home visit. Our breeding program depends on the quality of care provided by our guardian families – we expect the best home life possible for our dogs.

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Guardian Home families must live in Virginia, and/or within 2 hours of Stafford, Va, and the family must be willing to meet us half-way driving to get the dog to and from our house during breeding and whelping periods.

 

Qualifying to be a Guardian Home:

• Guardians must have previous dog experience

• Guardians must own and live in a home with a fully fenced yard

• Guardians must keep the dog on a leash or in a fenced area

• Guardians must be willing to train the dog the very basic obedience commands (off, down, sit, back, leave it, crate) and attend classes as agreed upon with breeder.

• Guardians must allow breeder to show the dog as breeder wants.

• Guardians must be willing to continue pet therapy visits, and become an approved handler for the dog. Breeder will help them navigate this process.

• Guardians must ensure, if they are taking a puppy, that the puppy is socialized to adults, children and other animals – SUPER IMPORTANT

• Guardians must provide appropriate veterinary or emergency care when needed

• Guardians must feed the dog a diet approved by the breeder.

• Guardians must be able and willing to identify and notify us immediately when a female begins her heat cycle

• Guardians must not allow a female in heat near intact males

• Guardians must not allow a male guardian to breed with unapproved females

• Guardians must live within a reasonable driving distance from Stafford, Va.

• Guardians must communicate, cooperate and coordinate with the breeder regarding testing, mating, whelping, and other breeding related activities

 

See the following contract for details.  

Please feel free to call with any questions!  540-322-9612

 

Storybrooke Golden’s  Guardian Home Agreement

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This agreement is between the “Breeder“,  Storybrooke Golden’s, and _____________________________________, the “Guardians”.  This agreement is for the guardianship of a male/female, _______________________. Out of ____________________________, sired by ___________________________, born on __________________.  The contract is entered into on ____________________________, 20 ___. The dog will continue to be owned by Stacy Bober for _____ years from the date of the contract or until the agreement is terminated by one of the parties in a way defined in this agreement.

 

Breeder Obligations

1. Breeder will provide guardian with detailed instructions regarding care of dog, feeding, training, and veterinary care.

2. Breeders will visit the guardian home a minimum of 1 time per year.

3. Breeders will request transportation of the dog when necessary.  Breeder will give guardians at least a 2 day notice when transportation is necessary.

4. Breeder is responsible for all expenses related to testing/breeding.

5. In the case of a female, Breeder will breed her for a total of 4 or less years (number will vary based on ease of pregnancy, delivery, and ability as a mother), after which proof of spaying must be given to breeder. In the case of a male, the length of time will be determined by need and ability to breed.

6. Failure to meet these obligations can result in the guardian terminating the guardianship agreement. And the dog being returned to Staorybrooke Goldne’s.

 

Guardian Obligations

1. The guardians are responsible for all expenses related to properly maintaining, containing, training and caring for the dog using methods approved by the breeder.

2. Guardians must follow breeder’s nutritional guidelines, exercise the dog appropriately, pay for routine veterinary care and food related expenses and pay for sick visits to the veterinarian.

3. Guardians must surrender the dog to the breeder whenever stud services are needed and on occasions such as, but not limited to, breeding and veterinary visits.  For females, the female must be surrendered to breeder for breeding (2 weeks – may be brought back and forth) and for whelping (up to 10 weeks). Guardian must inform breeder as soon as the female comes into heat.

4. Guardians must inform breeder of vacations and planned absences.  Any person caring for the dog in the guardian’s absence must be approved by the breeder in advance. Storybrooke Golden’s is also an option for boarding during vacations.

5. Guardians agree to cooperate in arranging transport of the dog upon breeder’s request for testing, insemination, natural breeding or on other occasions as needed by breeder.

6. Guardians may not choose or allow any elective veterinary procedures to be performed on dog without the written permission from breeder.

7. Guardians may not use or allow the use of the dog for breeding purposes except those arranged for by the breeder.

8. The guardians are responsible to ensure that all persons residing with the guardians and dog understand and abide by the contract.

9. Guardians agree to reside within 2 hours of Stafford, Va for the duration of the contract.  If guardian moves to a location outside this radius, the contract may be voided, and dog returned to Storybrooke Golden’s.

10. Guardians will keep the dog contained, when outside, with permanent fencing.

11. Guardians agree that the dog will be an indoor dog and will never be kept outside for extended periods of time.

 

Failure to meet any of these obligations can result in the termination of the guardianship contract, and the repayment of any breeding fee to date and if it causes the dog to not be able to be used as a breeder, a penalty fee of $4000 will be due.

 

Illness, Injury or Death of the dog while in guardians care

1. The guardians are responsible for seeking prompt and appropriate veterinary care in the event of injury or illness of the dog.

2. If choices need to be made regarding type of treatment, the choices must be presented to and made by the breeder unless emergency treatment is required.

3. If  the dog dies due to negligence on the part of the guardian, the guardians owe the breeder any amounts already paid for litters or stud fees, plus the penalty fee of $4000.  Negligence is defined as:

4. Failure to contain or supervise the dog in a responsible manner.

5. Leaving the dog alone in a vehicle if the outdoor temperature is over 65 degrees.

6. Failure to prevent the dog from having access to toxic materials.

 

If the dog dies accidentally due to circumstances beyond the control of the guardians, the guardians do not owe any payment to the breeder.

 

The guardians may return the dog at any time for any reason and the guardian contract will be terminated.

 

 

Date:  

 

Breeder:  

 

Guardian: