Guardian Home

At Sweet Honey Poodles, we believe every poodle deserves to be a part of a loving family. We want our poodles to get the socialization that is needed to be a happy, well-balanced dog. The guardian program allows us to continue to better the breed, without sacrificing any of our poodle’s happiness and need for love and attention. By offering the guardian program, we are able to ensure that our poodles get to live the best possible lives, where they receive as much one on one attention as possible.

As a guardian home, you are the permanent home for one of our breeding poodles while they are in our program. Once they are retired (and spayed/neutered at our expense), full ownership transfers to the guardian family and they get to keep the dog forever.

Becoming a Guardian Home gives you the opportunity to have one of our puppies or young adults as a family pet while he or she remains in our program at no upfront cost to you!

What is the Guardian Home responsible for?

• Live within 2 hours radius of Knoxville, TN

• Provide an environment that fosters a well socialized, healthy puppy including exercise and mental stimulation. 
• Provide a safe environment for the puppy, including the protection of a fenced in yard
• Teach basic commands and walk politely on a leash. Must be willing and able to train using positive reinforcement only.
• Potty train and crate train the dog (if not already crate trained)
• Keep the dog as an indoor family pet and never allow them to live outside
• Be able to bring the dog to and from the breeder within 24-48hr notice and remain in close contact with the breeder when needed for sample collection, breeding related needs. 
• Must be able to communicate, cooperate, and coordinate with the breeder effectively
• Contact the breeder in the event of any serious illness or accident
• Must groom your poodle every 8 weeks as necessary, including regular brushing

What is the breeder responsible for?

• Provide guardian family with a healthy dog at no cost
• Pay for health testing
• Pay for all breeding related expenses (ie progesterone testing, semen collection, etc)
• Teaching the guardian family how to detect a heat cycle and how to care for a pregnant dog if they don’t already know
• Pay for the spay/neuter upon retirement
• Pay a monetary sum per litter
• Provide lifetime support for the dog
• Always be willing to take the dog back if the guardian family can no longer care for them.

Becoming a guardian home for one of our dogs is a huge commitment and a decision that should not be made lightly. Please keep in mind that we are retain full legal ownership of the dog until they are retired from our program and guardians have a legal obligation to follow the contract. Our dogs are very high quality and have been hand selected to benefit and improve our program further. Becoming a guardian home is not for everyone! Please consider this commitment carefully.