THE GUARDIAN PROGRAM

 Because every dog deserves a loving home

At Little Golden Farm, our dogs are family every single one of them.
To make sure each dog lives a happy, full life surrounded by love, we partner with amazing families through our Guardian Home Program.

This program allows us to grow our breeding lines responsibly, while keeping every one of our dogs in a real home  never in kennels. It’s a win-win: our dogs get to live their best life, and families get to bring home an exceptional, top-quality pup without the upfront cost of purchasing a puppy.

A Guardian Home is a family who raises and loves one of our future breeding dogs as their own.
Your dog lives with you full-time, goes on adventures with you, cuddles on your couch, and becomes part of your family while we retain breeding rights for a short period of time.

This program allows us to grow our breeding lines responsibly, while keeping every one of our dogs in a real home never in kennels. It’s a win-win: our dogs get to live their best life, and families get to bring home an exceptional, top-quality pup  a short period of time.

We stay closely involved with our Guardian families and handle all breeding-related care, so you’re never left guessing or managing on your own as part of our program. 

When your dog is needed for breeding, we’ll:

• Pick them up and bring them to us for health testing, breeding, or whelping (if female)
• Handle all appointments, transportation, and coordination
• Stay in contact and share updates throughout the process
• Provide ongoing support, resources, and guidance whenever you need us

After each successful litter or stud service, we send our guardian families a thank-you gift or financial token of appreciation as our way of saying thank you for being part of our program. 

Here’s what that looks like:

• She lives full-time with you and remains part of your family.
• During pregnancy (about 63 days), she stays with you as usual.
• Around day 52, she’ll come stay with us to deliver and raise her puppies in a calm, nurturing environment.
• Once her puppies are weaned (around 6–8 weeks), she returns home to you for good.
• After her second litter, she’s spayed and officially retired, permanently yours. 

We make sure every one of our girls receives the best care, comfort, and recovery time between litters.

While she’s with us, we’ll keep you updated every step of the way, sending pictures, videos, and regular updates so you can see how she’s doing and watch her puppies grow. You’re always welcome to visit, meet the babies, and be part of their journey.

Being a Guardian Home for a female dog does come with some extra responsibilities.

• You’ll need to manage her heat cycles carefully and keep her protected from any unwanted male dogs.
• Each heat cycle lasts about 2–3 weeks and happens roughly every 6–8 months.
• You’ll also need to be comfortable with your girl being away from home for a short time — typically around 2–3 months per litter, including her stay with us for whelping and raising the puppies.

We’ll teach you how to recognize the signs of a heat cycle, guide you through every step, and stay in constant communication to make the process smooth and stress-free.

Our goal is always to make this a team effort, where you feel supported, informed, and confident every step of the way.

Our guardian males live full-time with their families and are used for a few stud services per year, depending on our breeding schedule.

When needed, we’ll pick him up and return him within a short timeframe (usually 1–3 days). Males typically retire around the same age as our females, around four years old , and then full ownership transfers to you.

 We’ll walk you through everything you need to know to keep him safe and stress-free. Male dogs can only mate with approved females, so the Guardian Home is responsible for keeping the male away from intact female dogs. Guardians of intact males will need to consider the importance of keeping them properly contained to prevent unwanted litters.

We cover all breeding-related costs, including:

• Health and genetic testing
• Stud services
• Breeding or whelping care
• Spay/neuter at retirement

You’re responsible for the normal, day-to-day care your dog needs, such as:

• High-quality food
• Routine vet visits ( checkups, parasite prevention)
• Grooming and coat care 
• Love, training, and a safe home environment

We’re always here to help, from grooming tips and training advice to emergency questions. You’ll never be doing this alone.

Dogs are pets first ,always.
We believe every one of our breeding dogs deserves to live a full, happy life as part of a family. By placing our dogs in guardian homes, they get the best of both worlds: the chance to contribute to the next generation of healthy, happy puppies, and the everyday love and comfort of a forever family.

 We love staying connected, sharing updates, celebrating birthdays, and watching these dogs thrive in their forever homes.

If you think you’d be a great fit, we’d love to meet you and tell you more about joining our Little Golden Farm family. 

We take a lot of care in choosing our Guardian Homes because these families become part of our extended Little Golden Farm family. Our goal is to make sure every one of our dogs lives a safe, happy, and loved life while we work together as a team.

To be considered for our Guardian Home Program, you must:

• Live within 2 hours of Fort Myers, Florida (to make meetups and drop-offs simple for both of us).
• Have a secure, fenced yard where your dog can safely play and exercise.
• Provide a loving, safe, and indoor home where your dog is treated like family.
• Have no plans to relocate within the next 5 years.

• Be prepared for a home visit and provide personal references before placement.
• Be available for occasional meetups, drop-offs, or pickups for health testing, vet visits, breeding, or whelping.
• We will pay for vaccines while your dog is part of our breeding program.
• When it’s time for any breeding-related care, we’ll pick up your dog or meet at a convenient location and handle all breeding-related expenses and appointments.
• Guardian families are responsible for typical pet costs such as food, toys, and regular grooming.
• Feed Open Farm, our recommended diet, to keep consistency while your dog is part of the program.
• Keep your dog safe and secure  no contact with other intact dogs to prevent accidental breeding.

• Keep your dog mat-free and professionally groomed every 6–8 weeks.
• Provide basic training (house, leash, and crate) and keep your dog well-socialized and well-mannered.
• Offer plenty of exercise, enrichment, and structure so your pup thrives both physically and emotionally.

• Maintain open communication  share updates, photos, and videos as your dog grows!
• Let us know right away about any health, behavior, or household changes.
• Be flexible and cooperative with scheduling for breeding-related needs.
• Understand that the purchase price of the dog is waived in exchange for participation in the Guardian Program.
• Be devoted to giving your Guardian dog a lifetime of love and care, long after their breeding career ends.