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GUARDIAN HOME PROGRAM
At WestPenn Doodles we believe that every dog deserves to live their life loved in a home. We believe that each dog should live as part of the family right from the moment they are born to the day they pass on. We believe that our breeding dogs deserve to be loved and part of a family. Unfortunately, it isn’t possible to maintain a genetically diverse program while keeping all of our dogs in our home. We also can’t provide the one-on-one attention that all dogs deserve. This is why our Guardian Home Program is so important.
Learn More About The Program
Guardian Home 101
As a Guardian Home, your family provides the permanent, loving home for one of our breeding dogs while they participate in our program. After retirement and once they are spayed or neutered at our expense, full ownership transfers to the Guardian family, and the dog remains with you forever. The Guardian Program allows families to welcome one of our puppies or young adults into their home as a cherished pet, with no upfront purchase cost, while partnering with us in ethical breeding.
To ensure the health, safety, and well-being of every dog, Guardian families with WestPenn Doodles must meet the following requirements:
• Guardian Families must reside within 1 hour from our home in Pittsburgh, PA
• Be willing and able to train the dog.
• Teach basic obedience commands, including sit, stay, down, “no,” quiet, leave it, off leash recall and polite leash walking
• Potty train and crate train the dog (if not already trained)
• Keep the dog as an indoor family pet at all times; dogs may not live outdoors
• Avoid placing the dog on ground frequented by unknown dogs (dog parks, pet stores, etc.) and keep them away from unfamiliar dogs until fully vaccinated (approximately 16 weeks of age)
• Be willing and able to properly socialize the dog with people and other dogs in a safe, controlled manner
• Provide adequate daily exercise and mental stimulation
• Be able to transport the dog to and from the breeder when needed, with 24–36 hours’ notice
• Maintain open communication and cooperation with the breeder at all times
• Notify the breeder immediately in the event of serious illness, injury, or emergency
• Guardian family will not have a unaltered dog of opposite gender in the home.
Guardian families receive one of our puppies or young adult dogs as their family pet without a purchase price. We cover all breeding-related expenses, including health testing, reproductive veterinary care, and spay or neuter at retirement.
Guardian families are responsible only for the normal, everyday costs of owning a dog, such as:
• Food and treats
• Routine veterinary care (vaccines, annual exams, parasite prevention)
• Grooming
• Training and enrichment
1. Provide guardian family with a healthy dog at no cost
2. Pay for health testing
3. Pay for all breeding related expenses (ie progesterone testing, semen collection, etc)
4. Teaching the guardian family how to detect a heat cycle and how to care for a pregnant dog if they don’t already know
5. Pay for the spay/neuter upon retirement
6. Pay a monetary sum per litter
7. Provide lifetime support for the dog
8. Always be willing to take the dog back if the guardian family can no longer care for them
Becoming a guardian home for one of our dogs is a huge commitment and a decision that should not be made lightly.
Please keep in mind that we are retain full legal ownership of the dog until they are retired from our program and guardians have a legal obligation to follow the contract.
Our dogs are very high quality and have been hand selected to benefit and improve our program further.
Becoming a guardian home is not for everyone!
Please consider this commitment carefully.
1. You are getting a top quality dog at no up front cost
2. The dog will be health tested at the breeder’s expense
3. Families are allowed to visit their female and her puppies before she returns home
4. The breeder pays for spay or neuter
5. Guardians with females get to help pick the theme and names for puppies in her litters
6. Once retired and spayed/neutered, full rights and ownership are transferred to you
7. Knowing your canine companion is blessing families all over the country
8. We consider all of our puppy/dog owners family, but when you become a guardian you are truly part of our team
Which Gender is a better fit for your family?
Female Guardianship
Male Guardianship
Our females can have up to 4 litters per our contract. However, we do access each individual female and decide based on them. If they have difficulty delivering, have complications, aren’t a good mom (i.e. no interest in puppies, poor maternal skills), or if our vet recommends that they should not have any more litters; then we will retire them from our program.
As a guardian, you would be required to notify us immediately when a female comes into heat, no matter the age. While we will not breed before 12 months old but it does help give me an idea of when her next heat cycles will be. We typically breed on 2nd or 3rd cycle depending on age, timing and maturity.
Most female dogs go into heat approximately every 6–8 months, though this can vary.
A typical heat cycle lasts about 2–3 weeks and includes:
• Mild swelling of the vulva
• Light to moderate bloody discharge (I recommend a reusable diaper for daytime wear)
• Behavioral changes such as increased affection, clinginess, or restlessness
These symptoms are temporary and resolve once the cycle ends.
It is EXTREMELY important to keep her away from any unaltered males during her cycle and to keep a close eye on her when she is outside.
During breeding heat cycles the female will come stay with us for her "honeymoon" generally females will return to us on days 5-7 of her cycle and will return to her family after the "honeymoon" this may be 3-5 days depending on the dog and her fertile window.
How will I know if the dog is pregnant?
I will come to the Guardian Family home and confirm pregnancy via ultrasound around day 30-35 post breeding.
How long are dogs pregnant?
The typical gestation period for a dog is 63 days (give or take up to 4 days).
What happens during pregnancy?
In general, pregnancy is usually an easy and well-tolerated process for most dogs. During the early stages, you may notice mild changes such as increased tiredness, a temporary decrease in appetite, or occasional morning sickness. Normal activity and exercise can typically continue during the first half of pregnancy. As the pregnancy progresses, her appetite will increase and food intake should be adjusted accordingly. Strenuous activity should be avoided during the second half, though light exercise like regular walks is still encouraged. While pregnant, dogs should not receive vaccines, heartworm prevention, flea and tick medications, or any medications unless approved by WestPenn Doodles. Seresto® flea and tick collars are allowed during pregnancy.
We require our moms to come back 7-10 days prior to her expected whelping date. This gives her time to adjust being back in our home with us and also allows us to start monitoring her temperature so we have a better idea of when she may go into labor. During this time we provide the Guardian Family with updates.
Once the puppies are born, she will need to stay with us about 6-8 weeks depending on how the weaning process is going and mom is doing with socialization and interaction. Puppies will stay the full 8 weeks, we do have several dogs that are great in helping the puppies socialize so that moms can return to their families prior to 8 weeks if they are ready.
Dogs typically adjust very well to coming back and forth to the breeder. At first, they may be briefly confused and wonder where their family has gone, but most dogs settle in within one to two hours. We prefer to spend some time throughout their growth doing visits with us so they are used to our home and settle in more quickly. We make every effort to ensure they are comfortable in their “home away from home” by giving them extra attention, maintaining routines, and keeping them in our own home as part of the family.
Guardian families also play an important role in how smoothly the transition goes. Dogs are very sensitive to human emotions, so remaining calm and confident during drop-off helps your dog feel secure. When families stay relaxed, dogs tend to adjust more quickly and experience less stress overall.
UPCOMING GUARDIAN OPPORTUNITIES
May 2026 - Fall 2026
Male - Bernedoodle
Female - Bernedoodle
Female - Australian Mountain Doodle
INTERESTED IN BECOMING A GUARDIAN HOME?
If you'd like to discuss the program further before applying
You can reach me by emailing
or sending a text to Jaclyn at
(412)453-6527
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