guardian program information

Guardian Program At Stargazer Labradors,

our Guardian Program gives special families the opportunity to welcome one of our carefully selected Labrador Retrievers into their home at a greatly reduced cost, while allowing us to continue our breeding program.

Our guardian puppies are some of the very best puppies we produce, carefully chosen for their temperament, health, and qualities we want to carry on in future generations.

The best part? Your Labrador gets to grow up in a loving family home, surrounded by the people who will love them for their entire life, rather than living here with us as part of our breeding program.

We offer guardian opportunities for both males and females. While the responsibilities are a little different, the goal is always the same: happy, healthy Labradors who are first and foremost beloved family pets.

Female Guardian Program

Our female guardians are an important part of our breeding program.Each female is expected to produce four litters of two or more live puppies during her breeding career.At approximately 12 months of age, she will begin her breeding health clearances at my expense. Her breeding career will generally begin between 18 and 24 months of age, provided she has passed all necessary health testing and is physically and mentally ready.

During Pregnancy and Whelping

Once your girl has been bred, she will remain at home with you for approximately the first seven weeks of her pregnancy. She will then return to my home, where she will deliver and raise her puppies. She will generally stay with me for approximately 8 weeks before returning home to you.

I know being away from your girl can be difficult! I will keep you updated throughout her stay, and you are always welcome to visit or ask how she and her puppies are doing.

Retirement

After completing her breeding commitment, your girl will retire from our program.You will be responsible for having her spayed. Once she has been spayed and all the terms of our Guardian Agreement have been fulfilled, I will transfer her AKC registration and full ownership to you.

She will continue being the same beloved family member she has always been, just without any more mommy duties!


Male Guardian Program
on hold at this time

Our male guardians have a slightly different role in our breeding program.At approximately 10 to 12 months of age, your boy will begin his breeding health clearances at my expense.His breeding career will generally begin between 12 and 18 months of age, provided he has passed all necessary testing and is ready.

He will live with you full-time and only come to my home for breeding when needed. Most breeding visits are relatively short, and he will return home to you afterward.

The length of his breeding career, retirement arrangements, and ownership transfer will be explained in his individual Male Guardian Agreement.

Expenses and Responsibilities
What Stargazer Labradors Covers

I cover all expenses directly related to our breeding program, including breeding health clearances, reproductive testing, breeding expenses, pregnancy-related veterinary care, whelping, and raising the puppies.

What Our Guardian Families Cover
As a guardian family, you are responsible for the everyday care of your Labrador, just as you would be with any other family pet.
This includes food, routine veterinary care, vaccinations, parasite prevention, grooming, training, exercise, and, of course, lots of love!

Guardian families must also follow our feeding, training, health, and communication requirements outlined in the Guardian Agreement.

A Few Important Things to Know
Our Guardian Program is a commitment, and having a good relationship and open communication between us is extremely important.

I want our guardians to feel comfortable reaching out with questions or concerns. We are working together to give these wonderful dogs the very best lives possible. While we hope every dog selected for our program will go on to have a successful breeding career, not every dog will qualify. Health, temperament, and overall well-being will always come first.

All guardian placements are subject to approval, and the complete terms and responsibilities are outlined in our written Guardian Agreement.

Interested in Becoming a Stargazer Guardian Family? If you think our Guardian Program might be a good fit for your family, I would love to hear from you!

Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions. fill in the guardian questionnaire.

I'm always happy to explain how everything works and help you decide whether becoming a guardian family is right for you.

Our guardian families are a very special part of Stargazer Labradors, and I truly appreciate the love and care they give our dogs.

With kindness,
Wendi Shaw
Stargazer Labradors LLC
www.stargazerlabradors.com