Guardian Homes
Guardian Home Dogs are dogs that we use for breeding but live permanently in with their forever families who will love and care for them as a normal family pet. The dogs will be future moms/dads for us, but they will be your forever fur-baby! This arrangement allows the dogs to have an amazing life and for the families involved to get wonderful loving companions and some extra income. The dogs are given to the families free of charge, and after they are retired, the families will have 100% ownership.
This webpage was last updated today and is current! All guardian opportunities listed below are still available!
Please see our “Moms & Dads” Page for guardians who are already placed with families! Our program is built on Guardian Homes and we could not do what we do without our wonderful families! We have current Guardian Families willing to speak with any potential interested families as well!
Male Guardian Dogs
The compensation for our male dogs is $200 per litter. A male dog will be expected to be available to stud at any time McKenzie's requires. This can be a very rare expectation or it can be several times per year. The male will be kept intact and will either be brought to us or arrangements will be made for pick-up whenever the female designated for him comes into heat. We will keep the male for approximately 1 week each breeding. Depending upon the experience on both sides and the need of the dog, we will relinquish rights after the male is around 8 years of age or when he has been replaced by a younger stud, which could be much earlier.
Female Guardians
The family of our female dogs will receive $100 per puppy per litter. Females come into heat approximately every 6 to 8 months. When the dog comes into heat, she will need to be brought to our home to be bred, staying for about a week to 10 days. If the family is watching closely and knows when she first started to bleed they can keep her a full 7 more days before bringing her here. Any earlier and she is gone longer than necessary and is herself confused as to why she is there until she is in full heat. After she is bred, she can return home until close to time to deliver (approximately 8 weeks). She is then brought back to deliver and nurse her pups for a total of 8 weeks. When the litter is born, the family is very welcome to come and play with puppies and visit the Mom after the first four weeks and after they have received their first shots if it can be worked out from our end. This makes the separation easier for both the family and the dog, and is also good socialization for the puppies. After 8 weeks (sometimes closer to 6.5/7 weeks if weaning is wrapped up early!), she returns home freshly bathed and happy to be back with her family until the next time.
The current AKC-recommended and veterinarian-approved timing for breeding is to breed with every heat cycle. It is no longer considered advisable to give the females a year between litters. That said, the dog will be first bred at her second heat at around 1 1/2 years of age. She will then breed every 6 months or whenever she comes into heat. The good news is that the family does not have to deal with the mess of the cycle (because she will be returned to us during that time for breeding). However, it does mean she will be away a lot 8-weeks for each litter birth/puppy raising phase). After 5 litters, she will be retired and the family will gain full ownership at around 4-5 years of age. This could be a nice money making opportunity for some young person and a great way to learn responsibility and put some money away for college! This could also be a vacation fund for the family while at the same time having a really wonderful family companion!
Available Female Guardian Dog
Name: Lulu
Age: 10-weeks old (Ready to join you anytime!)
Expected Weight: 60 lbs
Breed: Standard F1 Bernedoodle
Price: Free. Lulu will be gifted to her family (no cost) in exchange for a loving forever home and partnership with McKenzie’s Doodles during her breeding phase!
Biography: Meet Lulu, an adorable tri-color Standard Bernedoodle puppy searching for her forever Guardian Home! She was held back as our “pick of the litter” from our recent litter from parents Leilo & Loki. We are now searching for her family!
Lulu’s ideal family will have prior dog or puppy experience, own their home (a fenced yard is a plus), and live within two hours of Winchester, VA. Most importantly, they should be ready to invest time, love, and care into her training and grooming. She’s a gentle, affectionate sweetheart who thrives on love.
Lulu will be gifted (at no cost) in exchange for a lifelong, loving home. She comes with her vet records, a bandana, toys, a full-size bag of FROMM food, and other goodies. If you’re ready to welcome a playful and affectionate “pick of the litter” pup, Lulu might be the perfect fit!
If you're interested in meeting her and finding out more about the Guardian Program, just apply here!
We do encourage those interested not to see this as a "free" dog, as it is working with McKenzie's Doodles/O'Shannah's Doodles/RSF Doodles over the dogs breeding phase within a contract vs purchasing the full rights and not having to fulfill a contract.
Available Female Guardian Dog
Name: Hermione
Age: 1.5 years old
Weight: 55 lbs
Breed: Standard Poodle
Price: Free. Hermione will be gifted to her family (no cost) in exchange for a loving forever home and partnership with McKenzie’s Doodles during her breeding phase!
Biography: Hermione is a sweet and lovable 1.5-year-old poodle who’s ready to bring joy to her new home! She is the daughter of two of our own dogs, Lexi and Loki. Hermione adores people, is fantastic with children, and gets along wonderfully with other animals. She is a great fit for families with allergies as she is non-shedding and hypoallergenic. Weighing 55 pounds, she’s the perfect mix of playful and well-mannered. Hermione is leash trained and housebroken and would be a wonderful addition to any home! Especially those looking for a more experienced pup and skipping the puppy phase! She is a very sweet girl who will bring love, loyalty, and cuddles to her forever family.
Hermione will be gifted to her family (no cost) in exchange for a loving forever home! This is a permanent forever placement. She would love to meet you!
If you're interested in meeting her and finding out more about the Guardian Program, just apply here!
We do encourage those interested not to see this as a "free" dog, as it is working with McKenzie's Doodles/O'Shannah's Doodles/RSF Doodles over the dogs breeding phase within a contract vs purchasing the full rights and not having to fulfill a contract.
Available Male Guardian Dog
Name: Blue Bandana Boy
Age: 8-weeks old (Ready to join you on March 29, 2025)
Expected weight: 80-90 lbs
Breed: Bernese Mountain Dog
Price: Free. He will be gifted to his family (no cost) in exchange for a loving forever home and partnership with McKenzie’s Doodles to use him as needed as a stud (a few times a year).
Biography: Meet Our Handsome Bernese Mountain Dog Puppy! Born on January 31, 2025, this sweet boy is searching for his perfect forever home! He’ll be ready to join his new family on March 29, but we’re happy to accommodate the right timeline.
With his striking tri-color markings, he’s a truly stunning pup. As the son of our beloved Bernese Mountain Dogs, Trendy (mom) and Teach (dad), he’s inherited their relaxed, loving nature. The smallest boy in the litter, he’s a gentle soul who would thrive in a home with other dogs and kids. He has a striking tri-color coat that will shed twice a year.
We’re looking for a family within two hours of Winchester, VA, with prior dog experience, willing to partner with McKenzie’s Doodles during his breeding phase. This is a lifetime, permanent placement, and he will be gifted (at no cost) in exchange for a loving home.
If you think you’re the perfect fit for this special boy, we’d love to hear from you!
If you're interested in meeting these pups and finding out more about the Guardian Program, just apply here!
We do encourage those interested not to see this as a "free" dog, as it is working with McKenzie's Doodles/O'Shannah's Doodles/RSF Doodles over the dogs breeding phase within a contract vs purchasing the full rights and not having to fulfill a contract.
Available Male Guardian Dog
Name: Orange Bandana Boy
Age: 8-weeks old (Ready to join you on March 29, 2025)
Expected weight: 100 lbs
Breed: Bernese Mountain Dog
Price: Free. He will be gifted to his family (no cost) in exchange for a loving forever home and partnership with McKenzie’s Doodles to use him as needed as a stud (a few times a year).
Biography: Meet Our Handsome Bernese Mountain Dog Puppy! Born on January 31, 2025, this sweet Bernese Mountain Dog boy is looking for his perfect guardian home! He will be ready to join his forever family on March 29, 2025, but we are happy to work with the right family's timeline for placement.
With his striking tri-color markings, he is a truly handsome pup! He is the son of two of our beloved Bernese Mountain Dogs, Trendy (mom) and Teach (dad), and has inherited their relaxed and loving personality. He is an easygoing sweetheart who would love a home with other dogs and kids to grow up with. He is a jolly, sweet, and affectionate boy with a heart of love to give. His ideal family would own their home (a fenced yard is a plus!), have prior dog experience, and be willing to invest time and love into his training and development. He has a striking tri-color coat that will shed twice a year.
This is a lifetime, permanent placement, and he will be gifted (at no cost) to his family in exchange for a loving home. If you think you might be the perfect fit for this special boy, we would love to hear from you!
If you're interested in meeting these pups and finding out more about the Guardian Program, just apply here!
We do encourage those interested not to see this as a "free" dog, as it is working with McKenzie's Doodles/O'Shannah's Doodles/RSF Doodles over the dogs breeding phase within a contract vs purchasing the full rights and not having to fulfill a contract.
Terms.
Guardian Dogs are placed in a home that we approve of, and that is located within a reasonable distance of us. Dogs are co-owned with your family and us until we are through breeding them. We own the breeding rights. The family agrees to a contract that states how they will cooperate with us in procuring the dog as we need them to breed. Otherwise the dog is the family's dog. Full ownership will revert to the family after we no longer need the dog for breeding.
The guardian home family will be expected to feed a high quality food and vitamins and keep the dog up to date on the shots and worming that is normally required of any family pet. We will be happy to help with the shots as we do our own and offer that for the family at no charge. Worming is very easy and can be added to their food. We will send home a kit after a dog is bred that will contain the prenatal vitamins, and a liquid wormer to be given about 2 weeks before they come here to whelp. This goes a long way in making fat, healthy pups! The guardian family will also be expected to train the dog so that their experience as well as ours is a good one. We are not strict on this but we do not expect to receive a dog that is a major behavioral problem or one that is so very spoiled that it does not know the meaning of the word 'no'. Any expenses that pertain to the pregnancy or any reproductive issues will be paid by us, the rest will be covered by the guardian home family.
The above responsibilities are such that the participating family must be willing to drive to Winchester, VA when necessary. You will be required to bring the dog to us when we need them. We are hoping this program will work for both parties.
If for any reason this arrangement does not work out for either side, it can be reversed. If you are unsure, you know that you are not 'stuck' with an arrangement you are not happy with, making this a very risk free situation. THE DOG WILL ALWAYS REVERT BACK TO MCKENZIE'S DOODLES IF THE FAMILY DECIDES THIS IS NOT FOR THEM OR THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES CHANGE AND THEY ARE UNABLE TO FULFILL THE CONTRACT.
Mckenzies Doodles has enjoyed many great relationships over the years with our families and we greatly appreciate all of the participation and cooperation with great attitudes. This program makes you a part of the vision that we have. We believe that these very social dogs should not spend their lives in kennels waiting to be bred. Even though we give our dogs a lot of attention, it is just not the same as having their own family from the start! It also makes the last send off after the final litter much less painful for all involved and we never send a beloved dog off to strangers after years of faithful service. We would love to have you consider being a part of our Mckenzie family and having a great dog to love and be loved by for years to come!