guardian program

Thank you for your interest in becoming a Guardian home for a Seven Hills Australian Labradoodle puppy. This program is designed for families that would love an Australian Labradoodle puppy or an older dog from Seven Hills but can’t afford the large upfront cost. Our Guardian Home program is a unique and exciting opportunity for a family who lives within 1.5 hours of the Tallahassee area in Florida to provide a safe and loving home environment for one of our awesome labradoodle puppies. 

The Seven Hills Guardian Home Program allows selected Seven Hills’ Australian Labradoodles owned by Seven Hills to be nurtured in a loving home environment provided by an approved individual known as a Seven Hills Guardian.  The program allows the Guardian to raise and care for the “pick of the litter” Australian Labradoodle selected by Seven Hills while the ownership and breeding rights of the labradoodle are retained by Seven Hills for a contracted number of years. It is Seven Hills’ intent to breed this labradoodle once testing has been completed and Seven Hills determines this labradoodle is suitable for breeding. Here at Seven Hills Australian Labradoodles we do not believe in kenneling our dogs. Therefore, for us to be able to maintain our breeding program we have implemented our Guardian Home Program. This ensures that many of our future breeding dogs will be raised as a family member in a loving home environment as our dogs are raised here at our home. 

 As a Guardian would I own the Seven Hills puppy? 

The Guardian home has physical custody of the Seven Hills puppy – it becomes your family member and lives with you on a daily basis. Seven Hills retains ownership and breeding rights through the end of our Guardian Home Agreement period, about 6 years. Seven Hills will transfer ownership of the puppy to you at the end of this Guardian Home Agreement period, releasing you from the terms of the agreement.

What costs will I be responsible for paying as a Guardian home?

The Guardian family is only responsible for providing lots of love and attention and the routine and customary veterinary care, safety and wellness of the pup placed with them. This would include regular vaccines, high quality dog food, monthly heart worm prevention, grooming, training, regular exercise and socialization, and more than anything else, a loving family to call its own.  You see, it doesn't take much.  Just what you would normally do for your very best puppy friend!

What costs will Seven Hills be responsible for paying?

Any costs relating to health testing and breeding will be the responsibility of Seven Hills.  Seven Hills will also pay to have the pup spayed or neutered at the conclusion of the Guardian Home Agreement period.

What are the benefits of being a Seven Hills Guardian family?

• A Seven Hills Guardian family gets our pick of the litter puppy to raise with your family! This means that we choose our breeding girls/boys based on the best qualities that are outlined in our breed standard, including temperament.
• The Guardian puppy will be completely health tested at Seven Hills' expense, prior to entering our breeding program at no cost to the Guardian Family.  This includes testing its eyes, hips, elbows and for many different inherited diseases.
• A Seven Hills Guardian family gets to enjoy the excitement of being a part of our breeding program and seeing the offspring of their very own Guardian dog be placed with families across the country bringing others the same joy and happiness that they have received from the Guardian dog!

What are the requirements to become a Seven Hills Guardian home?
In order to be considered as a Guardian family for Seven Hills Labradoodles, you must be able to meet these minimum requirements:

• ​You must live year-round within 120 miles driving distance of our home in Tallahassee, Florida.
• You must be available to transport the puppy/dog to us and our reproductive vet when needed for health testing and breeding, sometimes with limited notice.
• The adults in the home must have a work schedule that does not leave the puppy home alone without adult supervision more than 2 hours during a day and doesn't require you to go out of town for extended periods of time. If adults in the household work full time, then professional daycare must be provided so that the puppy receives necessary socialization and proper energy outlet opportunities. We do not permit our dogs to be crated for extended periods of time or left outside, unsupervised, at any time.
• You must be a homeowner, not a renter, and your home must have a visibly fenced yard, meaning no underground electronic fencing. Occasionally we will consider a home that does not have a fenced yard but only if the Guardian family agrees to keep the dog on a leash at all times when out of a physically fenced area.
• No intact male or female dogs can live in or regularly visit your home during the Guardian Home Agreement period.
• You must be willing to make the dog available for breeding when she goes into heat, or when he is needed for breeding.
• You must be willing to maintain open lines of communication with Seven Hills on any matters relating to the dog.

How does the Seven Hills Guardian Home Program really work?

• Most of the pups we make available for our Guardian Program will be females. Occasionally we will have a male available.
• The Guardian home puppy will usually move to the Guardian home at 8 – 10 weeks of age.
• During the first 12-18 months, Seven Hills will have the puppy’s health testing completed. Once we receive all the results from the health testing, Seven Hills will determine whether or not the puppy will enter our breeding program. If for any reason we decide not to breed the Seven Hills puppy placed with the Guardian family (this is a decision made solely by Seven Hills) we will then pay to spay or neuter the puppy and transfer ownership to the Guardian family - the puppy will then remain a forever family pet with its Guardian family.
• Seven Hills’ female puppies placed in a Guardian home –
  • Females will usually be bred starting between 15 and 18 months of age.
  • Females will usually be bred back-to-back, every heat cycle after they turn 15 - 18 months old. Recent research has shown this is healthier for the female.
  • When the female Seven Hills dog goes into heat, the Guardian family is required to contact us immediately. An intact female usually has a visible heat cycle that will last between 14 and 21 days.
  • During the heat cycle Seven Hills will need access to our female dog for breeding related vet appointments.
  • Once our female Seven Hills dog has been bred, she will remain with her Guardian Family until one week before her due date. At that time, the female Guardian dog will come back to stay with Seven Hills throughout her remaining pregnancy and will be returned to the Guardian family once her pups are fully weaned, at approximately 4-5 weeks of age.
  • Guardian families are welcomed and encouraged to visit during scheduled appointments while their Seven Hills' female dog is here at Seven Hills after the puppies are 3 weeks old. The only exception to this is for the first pregnancy - to ensure the dog is not stressed the Guardian family will not be able to visit until it is time for her to return home.
• Seven Hills’ male puppies placed in a Guardian home –
  • Males will be bred starting at about 1 year old.
  • During the breeding, the dog will be required to be at Seven Hills for the entire day and then return for another day or two within a 7-day period. It may take less time but you should always plan for a full day.
  • Males may be bred as frequently as Seven Hills has a need to breed the dog.

This pup will be living in its very own furever home with its Guardian Family its whole life, while only being a part of the Seven Hills breeding program for a few times each year during the Guardian Home Agreement period. This allows the pup to get all the love, attention and socialization with you, the Guardian Family, thus ensuring a healthier, high quality life for your pup.  We believe this provides a balanced and healthy approach for a pick of the litter pup who becomes a member of your family at no cost to you and allows Seven Hills to produce better Australian Labradoodles in the future.

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The Seven Hills Guardian program is designed to benefit everyone involved: the puppy, the Guardian home, and Seven Hills Australian Labradoodles. We are so thankful for our Guardian homes and are always in need of others so that we can continue the successful way our breeding program works without ever needing to kennel raise a dog. Labradoodles are social animals who adore their families, who want to be with them, and want to be involved in the daily happenings of the family. They deserve a loving family and home after leaving the care of our family here at Seven Hills. We have poured our hearts into our babies. Will you be the next loving home for one of our precious puppies?

Seven Hills is searching for new Guardian homes for our current and upcoming litters. We will be keeping back male and female puppies in all three sizes (miniature, medium and standard) and placing them into Guardian homes.

If you are interested in becoming a Guardian home for Seven Hills Australian Labradoodles and feel you meet the above requirements, please email Seven Hills through our contact page on this website or directly to Jeff@7HillsLabradoodles.com or Wendy@7HillsLabradoodles.com to set up a time to talk over the phone.