Guardian Homes

About Our Guardian Home Program

Shady Oak Doodles Guardian Program

At Shady Oak Doodles, our dogs are first and foremost beloved members of our family. To ensure each of them enjoys the best possible home life while still allowing us to thoughtfully grow our breeding program, we have created our Guardian Program.

This program allows approved families to welcome one of our exceptional, health-tested puppies or dogs into their home at no cost, while we retain full breeding rights until the dog’s retirement. Once retired, full ownership is transferred to the Guardian Family, and the dog remains with you forever.

What We Provide

As part of our commitment to our dogs, we cover:

• All breeding related veterinary expenses  (with our veterinarian)
• Any needed Vitamins and supplements
• All reproductive and breeding-related care including:
  
• Health testing
• OFA x-rays and evaluations
• CAER eye exams
• Genetic testing

Guardian Family Responsibilities

Our Guardian Families play a vital role and are responsible for:

• Providing a loving, stable home
• Feeding our approved high-quality diet
• Covering toys, bedding, and supplies
• Routine grooming (with our professional groomer)
• Any non-breeding related veterinary expenses (through our vet)
• Monthly flea/tick prevention as needed

The Guardian Program is a wonderful opportunity for families to raise one of our beautiful, carefully selected dogs while helping us continue our mission of producing healthy, well-raised puppies.

How it Works

How the Guardian Program Works

Dogs may be placed with Guardian Families at any age, from 8 weeks up to 3 years old.

For Females:

• When a female is ready to be bred, she will return to us for approximately 1-7 days.
• In her 8th week of pregnancy, she will come back to our home to whelp and remain with us for about 6–7 weeks while raising and weaning her litter.
• Guardian families must be able to recognize heat cycles and ensure she is kept away from any intact males during this time.
• Females typically retire between 4–6 years of age. At retirement, she will be spayed by our veterinarian and continue to live out the rest of her life with her Guardian Family as their forever dog.

For Males:

• When a male is needed for stud service, we will either arrange for collection at the canine cryo bank or have him stay with us for 1-7 days.
• Guardian families must keep males away from all intact females outside of our program to prevent accidental breedings.
• Males typically retire between 4–6 years of age. At retirement, he will be neutered by our veterinarian and remain with his Guardian Family for the rest of his life.

Other Requirements

To ensure the best care for our dogs and smooth communication with our program, Guardian Families must meet the following requirements:

•  Home Ownership — You must own your home with no plans to move out of the area for at least 5 years.
• For Males — Must live within 30 miles of zip code 91917 and be available for pick-up/drop-off in Dulzura, CA as needed.
  
   For Females — Must live within 75 miles of zip code 91917 and be available for pick-up/drop-off in Dulzura, CA as needed.
•  Grooming — Regular professional grooming every 6–8 weeks is required to maintain a healthy coat. Guardians must use our trusted groomer located in El Cajon, CA.
•  Veterinary Care — All guardian dogs must use our vet clinic, ECLAP in El Cajon, CA, for both routine and reproductive care. Guardians must be willing to travel there for all vet-related needs.
• Program Participation — We may occasionally request to pick up your dog for photoshoots, website/social media features, or breeding-related veterinary appointments.

Still Interested?

If you're interested in becoming a Guardian for one of our puppies / dogs, please call or text Becca at 619-471-5183.

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