Your Commitment
Your Responsibilities as a Caralee Guardian
Below is a high level summary from the Guardian Agreement.
🐾 Undertake basic obedience with your dog with a professional trainer and do crate training for a minimum of 6 months.
🐾 Provide necessary care for injury and illness and vaccinate annually with the vet of your choice.
🐾 Use Nexgard Spectra or Bravecto with Milbemax every 3 months for protection against ticks, fleas and worms.
🐾 Attend specific vet appointments (Health testing, mating, progesterone testing (females).
🐾 Attend a photography session for guardian program dogs in the first 12 months - ideally before puppy’s first full groom.
🐾 Notify Carol if your dog is sick or injured in any way.
🐾 For female guardian dog owners, notify Carol when your dog comes into season.
🐾 Register the dog with your local council in my name (Carol North) at your address.
🐾 Provide physical access to the dog for vet checks, breeding and condition checks.
🐾 Dog must be kept groomed and free of matts.
You can download a generic copy of the current Guardian Agreement below:
Breeding Program Dog Commitments
Female Dogs
My breeding program females are required to have three (3) litters. Guardian owners and their dog remain under contract until the dog’s final litter has been weaned.
I typically breed my females at their second season between the age of 16 - 20 months and 4 years of age.
Learn more about this process on the Female guardian dogs information page.
Male Dogs
My breeding program male dogs are under contract until they are five (5) years of age.
Male dogs generally reach sexual maturity around 10 months, and I look to start mating them from around 12 months of age.
Learn more about this process and what to expect on the Male guardian dogs information page.
Health Testing
All guardian breeding dogs (both male and female) are required to undergo health testing which includes;
🐾 Hip and elbow scoring - a screening check for displaysia
🐾 DNA testing - to check if they’re a carrier of certain genetic conditions
Dogs can be tested at anytime from 16 weeks, however, we generally ask Guardian Families to arrange for the health testing to be done between 6 - 10 months of age.
This testing is undertaken in a single visit to our specialist Vet Baron Jonsson at the Kedron Veterinary Clinic, and requires them to be left at the vets for the whole day.
The dog will undergo a light sedation, so it is important that they have no breakfast in the morning before the procedure.
The sedation is required so the dog is perfectly still while X-Rays are being taken. A small vial of blood will also be taken for DNA testing.
Some of the test can take up to 4 weeks to receive results, and these will be sent to me for review.
It is very rare that a dog that I have selected for breeding does not pass its “health testing” but if it doesn’t I will be in touch and we will discuss a time to arrange desexing.
What do you need to do:
🐾 Book a Health Testing appointment for your guardian dog between 6-10 months at the Kedron Vet.
🐾 Advise Carol at Caralee when you book the appointment - there is paperwork that we need to complete for the vet ahead of their procedure.
🐾 Remember no breakfast the morning of their appointment.
