Mandatory* Guardian Program Facts:

Are there any requirements for the guardian home location or set up?

1. The guardian family must live within 1 hour of Leavenworth, WA.

2. Must be in a stable life situation (not planning to move more than 1 hour from Leavenworth, WA for 6 years and must always rent or own that has yard access and permits animals.

3. The guardian family must notify 16 Paws Goldens within 14 days of moving.  If they are moving more than 1 hour away, 16 Paws Goldens may remove the dog from the Guardian home.

4. Yard must be escape proof and cleared of potential hazards that could cause a dog to get injured.

5. Guardian must not own any intact males or females of opposite sex of guardian dog OR any aggressive dogs. 

What guidelines does the guardian family have to follow when raising the puppy or dog?

1. As a puppy, the family needs to feed Iams Large Breed Puppy (yellow bag).

2. As an adult, Iams Large Breed Chicken (green bag) or approval of another brand by 16 Paws Goldens. 

3. When pregnant, Iams Large Breed Puppy must be fed when due 3 weeks out. 

4. The guardian family is to avoid all harmful chemicals that could cause damage to the dog.  Lawn chemicals are especially dangerous.  

5. If the dog becomes sick or injured, guardian families must notify the owner (16 Paws Goldens) right away so we are involved in all decisions regarding the treatment of the dog.

6. The guardian family must practice safe handling of the dog. Always use a leash and provide basic obedience training so the dog develops and maintains good manners (ask about additional compensation).

7. The guardian family is responsible either for the transportation of the dog to us, or arranging to meet us part way for pick up of the dog for all health certifications, testing, showing, and breeding.

8. You must be able to care for the financial demands of a dog; food, basic training, veterinary care and grooming.

9. You must be ready to dedicate time and energy in to the training of your dog.  All guardians must teach basic commands of: sit, down, stay, come, no, drop it, leave it, heal, loose lease walking, non reactivity.  Knowing these commands helps keep your dog safe when another dog or human becomes reactive.

10. Must be willing to complete puppy training classes and obtain AKC Canine Good Citizen.  We encourage our guardians to obtain more certifications and even investigate therapy dog training and also AKC competitions.

11. Must be able and willing to prioritize your dog and give ample attention, exercise and affection daily.  Goldens are lovers and dedicated family dogs who REQUIRE LOTS OF LOVE.  

What happens when a dog is ready for breeding?

The guardian family must notify us immediately as soon as they are aware the female dog is in heat. We will coordinate for her transfer as soon as possible. Breeding takes approximately two weeks. Showing takes approximately one week each show. Health certifications take two to four days.  Male dogs may be with us for up to a week for breeding.

What happens during pregnancy?

Pregnancy is actually very easy. Normal play and running during the first half of pregnancy is great. After that, we limit activity to walks on a leash and NO BALL CHASING TYPE OF ACTIVITIES. 

What happens during the whelping process?

The female will come home to the owner (16 Paws Goldens) two weeks before the due date. She will stay until puppies go home at 8 to 9 weeks of age.  She will be closely monitored and all expenses will be managed by 16 Paws Goldens.

What are the guardian’s obligations in medical care during pregnancy? 

All medical decisions are to be made by the owner of the dog, 16 Paws Goldens.  If the guardian family is negligent and the dog is lost or dies when in your care we will ask for you to be responsible for 16 Paws Goldens financial loss. If you are caring for the dog in a responsible way this shouldn't be a problem. We recognize that bad things can happen to anybody. Fortunately, we have never had a serious injury or loss to any dog in our guardian program. 

What does the guardian home pay for and what does the breeder pay for?

The guardian home pays for any normal care items for the dog. Food, dishes, leashes, beds, toys, training, vaccinations, etc.  Those normal expenses one would have with any pet.  The owner (16 Paws Goldens) pays for all expenses related to health certifications (including repeat testing), showing, testing for breeding purposes, all breeding and litter expenses. 

Who pays for the spay/neuter?

The owner (16 Paws Goldens) pays for the spay/neuter. 

What happens if the dog does not meet 16 Paws Goldens breeding standards?

Our breeding standards are very high. We aren’t bashful about removing dogs from our program and test extensively to do just that. If the dog in your care does not meet our breeding standards, you may want to adopt the dog. In either case the dog will be spayed/neutered after he/she is fully grown.  We work hard to select the best of the best of our dogs for our guardian homes. If you are willing to make an honest commitment to us we will be as flexible as possible to make this program work for you.

*There are times we make exceptions to the mandatory guardian facts for specific or unique situations.  If you feel that you fit our guardian program well but may need an exception to one or two of the requirements above, please contact me with your specific situation.  We will make exceptions on a case-by-case basis. 

We hope that you will consider partnering with us. We can provide references from other participants in the guardian program if you have additional questions.

If you are interested in applying to our guardian program, contact us directly at 208-861-3001 or 16pawsgoldens@gmail.com.