Our Guardian Program
All of our parent dogs are pets first and breeders second. This is why we work with Guardian Families to give our Mamas and Papas the same quality of life as any other well loved dog.
Here at Ponsonby, we want all of our parent dogs to be as happy as they can be! We also want our Guardians to have a positive and enriching experience while being a part of our program. Watch this video to see an overview of a year at Ponsonby, and visit our Puppies page to see current Guardian opportunities.
What is a Guardian Home?
Guardian Homes are loving forever homes for our breeding dogs. In a large program like ours, we cannot have all of our dogs at our own home. We rely on our Guardian Families to house our dogs and provide them with all the individual love, care, and attention that a dog needs. Our Mamas and Papas' quality of life is a major priority in our program.
The Guardian Family is the recipient of a beautiful and healthy puppy to raise as their own at no charge. In exchange, they are to return the dog to Ponsonby Pups for breeding, birthing, whelping, and routine vet care. When it's time for the dog to retire, legal ownership and all paperwork is transferred to the Guardian Family who the dog has known their whole life. This ensures that our breeding dogs never have to go through the trauma of being rehomed at an older age.
How does the program work?
Ponsonby Pups remains the legal owner of the dog for about the first 5 years of its life for females, and about 8 years for males. The Guardian Family provides loving care to the dog for its entire life, even after retirement.
Our female dogs can begin breeding at 18 months of age, on their 2nd or 3rd heat, and they retire at around 5 years old. They will likely have 3-4 litters, 1 per year at most. For the male dogs, they can begin breeding at 14 months of age and retire at about 8 years old. They will likely sire 2-10 litters per year, depending on the breed.
The breeder pays for all routine & reproductive veterinary expenses including vaccinations, DNA testing, routine exams, and spay or neuter at the time of retirement. The Guardian Family pays for all other expenses including flea & tick treatment, contracted illnesses, accidents or injuries, grooming, training, feeding, etc.
When the dog retires from the program, legal ownership of the dog is signed over to the Guardian Family. They will have the option of adopting a free puppy from their Guardian Dog’s final litter.
How do I become a Guardian?
Every year, we add a select few Guardian females and occasionally a male to our breeding program. If you would like to become a Guardian, please read through our rules & requirements. Guardian Families agree to:
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Live within a 1 hour driving distance from Ponsonby.
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Have a fully fenced backyard and a car.
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Provide daily walks for a minimum of 45 minutes.
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Be responsible for 100% of all driving to and from Ponsonby.
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Bring the dog for routine vet appointments at Ponsonby.
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Respond within 48 hours to requests to have the dog brought to Ponsonby. (Most requests will have at least a week’s notice)
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Follow Ponsonby's guidelines for feeding and training.
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Be responsible for feeding, training, and grooming costs.
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Be without your dog for 8 weeks per year for whelping or breeding (for females only).
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Be willing and able to visit your dog and her puppies while she is with us for the purpose of reassurance and exercise (for females only).
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Provide quality photos of the dog frequently or upon request.
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Communicate that your dog is in heat the same day it starts.
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Communicate any health concerns promptly.
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Make the dog available for yearly check ups.
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Have a non-smoking household (this includes cigarettes, marijuana, and vapes).