GUARDIAN HOME PROGRAM
Proud to be Kennel Free
In order to give our breeding dogs the very best life possible, it is important to limit how many dogs we personally keep and house. But also we understand in order to breed the highest quality dogs, which is our main goal, we need to keep, evaluate, and add quality bloodlines to our breeding program. So, how was all of this going to be possible? For us and many like us the answer is the Guardian Program. Please see the bottom of this page for more information. Read all information below before submitting an application.

We do not have any puppies or dogs currently available for Guardianship. This can change quickly though, if we find the perfect addition to our program. Feel free to subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed on the new additions and opportunities. We also retire our dogs from our program. Contact us if you are looking for an older, already trained dog to see what we may have available!
What is involved in being a "Guardian Home"
Being a Guardian Home is an excellent, low cost way to have a top quality puppy or already house broken adult dog as a family pet. Because we are family run we do not have nor do we want a kennel based program. Since we cannot house all of our breeding dogs here at home we are offering the Guardian Home program for our breeding dogs. We want our breeding dogs to be raised in caring, loving homes as family pets. Unlike many breeders who re-home their kenneled dogs after they have been bred to the fullest, our breeding dogs grow up and continue to live with the same family throughout their life.
When you are chosen to be part of the Mills River Doodles Guardian home program, generally we will place you with a pick of a litter puppy at approximately 8 weeks old. A homing fee ($200) will be collected and the new puppy/dog becomes your family pet. You also will get a voucher for access to Puppy Culture training video, a bag of food and a puppy/dog pack. You will pay for all normal cost of the vet care and medical expenses of raising a family pet (shots, worming, etc). Mills River Doodles will pay for all genetic testing for your puppy and any breeding related vet visits. Guardian families MUST be located within 2 hours of Mills River, NC. Training is also VERY important for our breeding dogs. Your dog will need to be potty trained, crate trained, walk on a leash without excessive pulling, and come when called. They must be socialized with other dogs and children. If you feel that you are able to fulfill these requirements, please fill out an application below!
A Female will come to our home in Mills River, NC, during her heat cycle for about a week for breeding, and then back home to you. She will remain with you throughout her pregnancy (2 months) and come back to us 4-6 days before her due date for her to deliver the puppies in our care and stay with us until the puppies are weaned. Once she has had 4 to 6 litters, you will have her spayed and she will retire with you at no additional fee. We will breed females "back to back" and let them retire early with their guardian family. In some cases we will skip a heat/breeding if your dog needs more time medically to recover. We always want to have the dog's best interest in mind!
Please keep in mind, you will be responsible for getting the dog to and from Mills River Doodles whenever requested by breeder. Typically you will have a few days to plan and make arrangements to bring the dog to us but last minutes do happen in the breeder world. We will try to work with you if you are unable to bring the dog to us in case of a last minute breeding/studding etc.
If you are a guardian home for a male stud, there will be many times when breeding is required and you will need to bring him to us (in some cases we can bring the female to stud) during that process. Stud must be available at all times, even last minute scenarios. Males are used for 6 yrs. At that time you will have him neutered per our agreement and he will retire with you at no additional fee.
To apply, please click the link below to submit your application!