BearBonesLabs

At Bear Bones Labradors all our breeding dogs live in our home as members of our family OR they live in the homes of some very special families called Guardians. We specialize in puppy care and whelping. When mother dogs come to stay with us, they will get home-raised mother and puppy pampering. This ensures high quality care, sanitation and socialization.

The Guardian Program was designed with the well being of breeding dogs in mind. We as breeders can expand our breeding program to a size that allows for us to plan our litters carefully, incorporate champion lines and dedicate many hours of experience and training to our program. We do not; however have to house numerous dogs in kennels or outside dog runs, like larger, commercial breeders do. We believe that this is a wonderful and very ethical practice of breeding. Most large breeders have kenneled dogs that suffer being neglected, endure dirty conditions, develop bad habits and anti-social.

The Guardian Home program allows breeders like us to keep an active breeding program without raising dogs in kennels. This program also allows breeding dogs to live in FOREVER homes with a family instead of being re-homed at the end of their breeding careers. Large breeders often do not have any other option rather than to re-home their dogs at older ages which is hard on the emotions of the breeder and the dog.

A Bear Bones Labradors, Guardians get what we consider to be the very best of the best at no cost to the Guardian Family. We only add the highest quality puppies to our bloodline as breeders. We look for the puppy that has all the best qualities and health testing the breed has to offer and that we can proudly call a Bear Bones Labrador Breeding Dog. The Guardian gets to take part in the advancement of a bloodline which can be exciting and also very emotionally rewarding. We also invest a tremendous amount of time and effort to obtain the best knowledge of whelping and breeding, with specific puppy and momma care for the breed.

Guardian dogs are raised just like you would raise and socialize any other puppy to adulthood with just a few extra precautions, for example keeping them away from unneutered males while they're in season. Once the female Guardian Dog is mature, Bear Bones Labradors will evaluate her for breeding to a stud of our choosing. Bred females stay with their Guardian Family during the 63 day pregnancy then about a week before their due date they come to stay with us to get situated and adjust to our family and routine before whelping their litter. We will be at their side to help them to whelp (give birth) and they will continue to stay with us as part of our family to raise their puppies. We make sure they're given lots of affection, good nutrition, grooming and veterinary care while they're in our care. 

Each guardian dog contract agrees to a limited number of litters.  Once the contract is completed they are retired from breeding and spayed at our expense and get to live out the rest of their long and healthy life with their loving families.

What Are The Requirements to Become A Guardian Home?

To be considered as a Guardian Home for one of our breeding dogs, we require you:

• Live within an approximate 100 miles of Frenchtown, Mt 

• Have a safe and secure environment. 

• Have prior dog experience.

• Feed a High Quality food that we approve.

• Be willing to provide transportation for Guardian Dog to the vet when requested. 

• Really want a Bear Bones Labrador.

• Easy to work with and flexible.

So How Does it Work?

Most all of our dogs available for our Guardian Program will be females.  When the Guardian dog is in season, the Guardian Family is required to contact us at first sign of heat (bright red blood.) A female usually has a heat cycle that will last between 14 and 21 days every 6 months starting between 6 and 12 months of age (typically). During this time the female in heat will have to be kept closely watched and way from unaltered males, we will need daytime access to her for breeding related appointments. Once she has been bred, she will remain with her Guardian Family until one week before her due date (2 months later.) At that time, the Guardian dog will come through the end of her pregnancy, and will be returned once her pups are fully weaned approximately 7 weeks later. Guardian Families are welcomed and encouraged to visit Guardian Dog and puppies, after puppies are 2 weeks old. 

Our guardians are responsible for the dog’s regular health maintenance: vaccines, food, etc. We pay for all breeding related expenses. Once the dog has arrived at breeding age and met requirements, she/he is added to our breeding program. We reserve the right to make all breeding and whelping related decisions.