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What is a Guardian Home?

Being a guardian family for a dog can be an excellent way to have a top quality dog for a family pet. A Guardian family agrees to raise, train and care for the dog throughout his/her breeding career.

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In exchange for providing a home for one of our breeding dogs, ownership will be transferred to the Guardian family when the dog is retired from his or her breeding career.

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Our guardian homes are responsible for any routine maintenance and medical care and the spay/neuter when the dog has been retired. Any breeding related medical costs for the guardian dog are at the expense of Knightingale Schnauzers.

Benefits of a Guardian Home:

Being a guardian home for our breeding program has many perks, as well as responsibilities. We strive for a mutually beneficial relationship between ourselves and our guardian homes.

Firstly, the rate you will pay for your dog/puppy is steeply discounted. We only require you to pay a deposit price of $500. Price may increase if the puppy is older than 8 weeks of age and has received additional vet visits or training. You will receive one of the best puppies we can produce or a 'pick of the litter' puppy from another breeder from which we purchase the puppy. We look for quality genetics, personalities and looks in all the dogs we buy to become one of our breeding dogs.

Also, we do provide lifetime support for each of these puppies as we want them to be the best they can be.  Since we do require you to live within 2 hours drive of our home in Browns Summit, NC we extend an the offer of 1/2 off our boarding price for the dog to stay at our home when the family goes out of town and needs to have the dog boarded. This helps us, the guardian dog, and our dogs, to be familiar with one another when it comes time to breed or whelp a litter. 

Guardian Families also receive 1/2 Price for grooming as well for their guardian dog.

Once a dog has retired from our program, the dog is then spayed/neutered (at guardian home owner's expense) and then is transferred fully to their guardian home with no more obligation or fees.

Requirements of a Guardian Home:

REQUIREMENTS:

  •  Guardian must live within a 2 hours drive of breeder's home in Browns Summit (27214), North Carolina. (**Exceptions may be made if guardian is willing to drive to us regularly!)

  •  Legal ownership of the dog (microchip #_____________) remains with the breeder until the dog has produced appropriate number of litters (less for females, more for males) at which time the dog will be spayed or neutered at the expense of the Guardian Home. Full ownership of the dog will then be transferred to the guardian.

  • Guardian has no right to puppies produced by male/female dog or to semen produced by the male dog.

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  • Guardian must provide the dog with a safe and loving home, including but not limited to:

    • Containing the dog in a fenced-in yard or on a leash

    • Provide adequate exercise for the dog to prevent issues such as hip displaysia

    • Train the dog on basic commands (sit, stay, wait, etc.) or attend obedience classes

    • Housebreaking

    • Feeding the dog an approved high quality approved food/Diamond (contact us if you are wanting to switch from what we feed)

    • Do not allow dog to become overweight

    • Keep dog socialized with dogs and people of different ages and sizes

    • Keep the dog clean and well-groomed

 

  • Provide the dog with basic veterinary care, including but not limited to:

    • Yearly wellness visits and vaccines

    • Any medical issues the dog may have which are NOT related to breeding

    • Emergency vet costs (NOT related to breeding)

    • Keeping dog on monthly, year-round preventative medications against heart-worms, fleas and ticks.

     

  • Notify breeder immediately when the female dog has come into her estrus cycle and be prepared to meet breeder at the breeder's home upon request when dog is needed for breeding purposes or give dog up for approximately a week during breeding period.

 

  • For female breeding dogs, keep all unapproved intact male dogs away from her when she is in season. For males, keep females who are in season away to prevent accidental breedings. 
     

  • If guardian family goes on vacation or out of town for any reason and dog is not sent to breeder's home for duration of the vacation, contact information for kennel and/or pet-sitter should be given to breeder before guardian family departs.

 

  • If dog does not pass certain health tests and is deemed by breeder to be unfit to reproduce, the dog will then be spayed or neutered at the expense of the Guardian.. Guardian will not be required to pay any extra fee for the dog in this event.
     

  • Guardian agrees to maintain this contract even if they relocate out of the area, including flying the dog back to the breeder at the expense of the guardian.
     

  • Guardian agrees to keep in close contact with breeder, regularly (monthly) sending photos of dog and gives clearance to breeder to use any photos or videos sent for marketing purposes (social media, website, etc.)
     

  • Deliver dog to vet appointments for breeding purposes at times breeder is out of town. Will be set up at least 48 hours in advance.
     

  • Should the dog die early of natural causes, this contract shall terminate. If the dog dies while in possession of the breeder, dog shall be replaced with a puppy from Knightingale Schnauzers next available litter.

 

  • If at any time the breeder finds the guardian to be non-compliant, the dog shall return to breeder immediately.
     

  • If the dog is altered OR bred purposefully without written consent of the breeder, guardian will owe breeder a sum of $30,000. Any legal costs involved with obtaining this payment will also be paid by guardian.

 

  • Allow dog to make regular visits to breeder's home and/or visit with other members of Knightingale Schnauzers Guardian breeding dogs.

Requirements of Breeder:

What would be required of us, The Breeder?

  • Provide guardian with a healthy dog/puppy.
     

  • Pay any veterinary costs associated with breeding, including but not limited to:

    • Progesterone testing

    • Cytologies

    • Ultrasounds/Radiographs

    • Necessary health testing
       

  •  Provide lifetime support for the dog. 

  • Try to always board dog at our home when guardian family is out of town.
     

  • Assist guardian with detecting and caring for a female dog in estrus cycle or pregnant.
     

  • If guardian dog is a dog bred by Knightingale Schnauzers and it is determined that it shall be spayed or neutered before being bred, breeder will comply with health contract given with each of our puppies. If guardian dog is from another kennel, the health contract from that kennel will apply.

Guardian Home Application

What Gender would you prefer? Required
Are you over the age of 18?
Where will the dog be kept? Required
What type of housing do you live in?
Do you agree to crate train and obedience train the puppy/dog or take them to training classes when you have the dog in your care
If you are to get a female, do you agree to responsibly manage her heat cycle and know that it can be messy at times. Diapers may have to be purchased and put on the female if needed.
If you are to get a male, do tou agree to manage him responsibly and understand that he may (not always) display mounting behaviors and also marking behaviors? Belly bands can be worn by males to inhibit the marking behaviors.
Do you understand to relinquish all breeding decisions to Knightingale Schnauzers as the breeder and uderstand that you have no say in the breeding proceses of the dog? We want our guardian homes to trust us in making the right decisions for the health and safety of the breeding dog.
Please be aware that many people are opposed to breeding. Are you prepared to defend your dog and/or our breeding program evn if people disagree with you?

Thank You for submitting your Guardian Home Application

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