Guardian Home

What Is a Guardian Home?

Would you love to own an exceptional Labrador Retriever without the purchase price? If you live in Oregon, our Guardian Home Program may be the perfect fit. A guardian home allows one of our carefully selected breeding dogs to live as a cherished family pet while remaining an important part of the McKenzie Reign Labradors breeding program. The guardian family receives the dog at no purchase cost, while McKenzie Reign retains breeding rights for a predetermined period.

This program is designed for families who want a wonderful companion—not for individuals looking to start their own breeding program. Guardian families play a valuable role in helping us preserve and improve our breeding lines while giving each dog the loving, one-on-one family life it deserves. At McKenzie Reign Labradors, we believe every dog should be raised in a home where they are loved, included in daily family life, and treated as a lifelong companion. Our Guardian Home Program allows us to continue producing exceptional Labrador Retrievers without operating a large kennel facility.

Guardian Home Responsibilities

Guardian families are responsible for all routine expenses associated with caring for their dog, including:

McKenzie Reign Labradors covers all expenses directly related to breeding, including:

Genetic testing
Reproductive examinations
Progesterone testing
Semen evaluations
Artificial insemination (when necessary)
Pregnancy and breeding-related veterinary care

Guardian families are expected to keep their dog healthy, well-socialized, and in excellent physical condition. For female dogs, guardians must notify us immediately when a heat cycle begins, regardless of whether we plan to breed during that cycle. Good communication is essential, and we ask guardians to keep us informed about vacations, travel plans, illnesses, injuries, or any significant changes affecting their dog.

How to Become a Guardian Home

If you’re interested in becoming a guardian family, we’d love to hear from you. Please send us an email introducing yourself and your family. Tell us about your lifestyle, experience with dogs, and why you’re interested in our Guardian Home Program. Qualified applicants will be invited to continue through our interview process, which may include phone or video conversations. Guardian families should have:

Additional Guardian Requirements

To ensure the success of both the dog and our breeding program, guardian families must:

Have previous experience owning or caring for dogs.
Commit to training, socialization, and regular exercise.
Keep the dog as an indoor family companion.
Never leave the dog outdoors unattended for extended periods.
Keep any other household dogs spayed or neutered.
Have no plans to breed dogs independently.
Remain within the agreed-upon geographic area throughout the guardian contract.
Allow breeder visits when necessary.
Notify us immediately of any serious illness, injury, or emergency involving the dog.

Because breeding schedules require coordination, this program works best for families who expect to remain in the area for several years.

Female Guardian Dogs

Female guardian opportunities are generally available more frequently than males. Most females remain in the program until they have produced up to four successful litters. (A successful litter is defined as two or more puppies.) When a breeding is planned, your female will stay with us beginning approximately one week before her expected due date and remain until her puppies are fully weaned. This typically lasts around 8–9 weeks. Depending on timing and logistics, breeding may occur while she is still living with you or after she arrives at our home. Once her breeding career is complete, McKenzie Reign Labradors will have her spayed at our expense, and she will become solely your family pet with all ownership rights transferred to you.

Male Guardian Dogs

Male guardian opportunities are more limited and generally reserved for families who live close to us. Unlike females, males usually return home the same day after breeding appointments and rarely stay overnight. Because females may come into season unexpectedly, we ask our male guardian families to maintain excellent communication and remain flexible when breeding appointments arise.

General Question

How Often Are Guardian Dogs Available?

Guardian opportunities vary from year to year based on our breeding plans and the dogs we choose to retain or bring into our program. If you’re interested, we encourage you to contact us to learn about current or upcoming opportunities.

Can I Purchase My Guardian Dog?

No. Guardian dogs are carefully selected because they possess the genetics, temperament, structure, and health qualities we wish to preserve within our breeding program. For this reason, they are not available for purchase before the breeding agreement has been completed. Families applying for our Guardian Home Program should be comfortable making the commitment outlined in the guardian contract.

Interested in Learning More?

If you’d like more information or would like to apply for our Guardian Home Program, we’d love to talk with you.

We look forward to helping you determine whether becoming a McKenzie Reign Labradors Guardian Home is the right fit for your family.

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