What is a Guardian Program?

 

A guardian arrangement is a contract between yourself and Burrinjuck Labradoodles. We may offer our puppies or dogs for sale under a full Guardianship or a modified Guardianship, depending on the needs of our program.

What does the Guardian Program entail?

Under a guardian arrangement, the care and responsibilities of pet ownership would belong to you over the lifetime of the dog.  Burrinjuck retain the exclusive breeding rights for the guardian dog for an agreed number of litters for girls or period of time for boys.

We (Hamish and Katrina) work with families to make the Guardian Program opportunity  as enjoyable and rewarding as possible.  Outside of Breeding obligations, Burrinjuck Guardian Dogs simply enjoy life by your side as your much-loved companion.

FULL GUARDIANSHIP

Under a full guardianship agreement, an agreement is in place for 3 litters (females) and for 5 years (males). The cost of full guardianship agreement is only $700.

MODIFIED GUARDIANSHIP

Burrinjuck Labradoodles retain the breeding rights for the Guardian puppy. Breeding will be limited to a maximum of 1 litter, (generally after her second heat, around 1.5–2 years of age). Boys are contracted for a period of 2.5 years.  

ADULT GUARDIANSHIP

Occasionally we may also have adult Guardianship opportunities. Girls are generally contracted for one litter and Boys for either 18 months or 2 years. 

We will provide a comprehensive Guardian Guide and Profile Page for our adult Guardian opportunities in order to promote the best transition possible with their new family.

We have a strong preference for families to be located within our local region of North East Victoria.  We do have some flexibility to accomodate families located in Melbourne or surrounding areas, provided families are willing to commit to our breeding program.  It would be necessary for potential Guardian owners to to be flexible with travel or making arrangements for the dog to return to Burrinjuck when necessary.

Female Dogs

We do not usually begin breeding from girls until around  18 months to 2 years. Typically, we would aim to have a litter per year over a 3 year period.

 Girls would need to return to Burrinjuck, while we join her with the stud of choice.  Sometimes the new mums stay with us at Burrinjuck for 6 wks, or so while raising her puppies. Other families actually request for their dog to remain in their family home to give birth. Where this is feasible, we do encourage this option. It is less stressful for the new Mumma if she is able to remain in a familiar environment to give birth. We are also open to Guardian Families having the puppies stay with them for a period of time (up to 6 weeks after birth). At 6 weeks, we separate Mum from her puppies to complete the weaning process and puppies  return to Burrinjuck to commence training and  receive their veterinary health check. 

A female dog will generally begin to cycle between 6 months and 9 months of age. Each season will likely last two weeks.  Larger dogs may only cycle every 9 months. Smaller dogs tend to cycle every 6 months.

Male Dogs

For boys, we consider maturity to be from 12 months onwards. Studs are contracted to Burrinjuck Labradoodles for a period of 5 years. Generally, we use boys a couple of times per year however there is not a set number of stud duties per year.  It really depends on our breeding needs at the time. To complete a successful mating cycle involves 3 visits by the female over a period of about a week. We may need to house the boy at our property for between one to two weeks each time a girl comes into season. It may be possible to bring the girl to your property, if you are local. This is one of the reasons that we do prefer our Guardians to live in the vicinity of North East Victoria.  Sometimes it is necessary to take the stud to the vets to collect semen if we are experiencing difficulty achieving a natural mating.

Advantages of the Guardianship Program

There are many advantages to becoming a part of our fabulous Burrinjuck Guardian Community. We select and retain the very best dogs for our Guardian Program. We assess for the best temperaments and retain puppies that have the most appealing colours and markings.  You can be reassured that our most valuable lines are the dogs that we offer through a Guardian arrangement. 

Our pet puppies are normally priced at $3850. The cost of adopting a Burrinjuck puppy through our Guardian Program is only $700 for a full Guardianship or $2500 for a modified Guardianship. It is a wonderful opportunity to adopt a premium puppy at a very affordable price.

Another highlight, often mentioned by our Guardian families, is the sense of community gained by belonging to our cherished Guardian Community. Guardians experience a lot of pleasure from connecting with other Guardian families. Guardians may choose to keep in touch with other families who have purchased a puppy from their Guardian dog.  Facebook community groups and Group Messenger are two common modes of staying in touch. 

And last but not least, who can resist the joy of puppies. It is so rewarding to be a part of bringing so much happiness into people’s lives. Our dogs make a  positive impact on the quality of lives for so many people. 

Current Guardian Opportunities

LONDON

Gender: Female
Dam: Chai
Stud: Arthur
Size: Medium
Colour: Caramel Abstract
D.O.B: 24th July, 2026
Home: From 18/09/2026

ENQUIRY

CONFETTI

Gender: Female
Dam: YoYo
Stud: Toberone
Size: Small-Medium
Colour: Chocolate Merle
D.O.B: 22nd July, 2026
Home: From 16/09/2026

ENQUIRY

TINKERBELL

Gender: Female
Dam: Merida
Stud: Klem
Size: Miniature
Colour: Caramel Abstract
D.O.B: 24th March 2026
Home: From 19/05/2026

SOLD

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

I don’t think we could be without our dog for that length of time. What are the options?

It is true that an important part of our agreement requires a commitment to our breeding program for 3 litters.

There are many ways that we can make this an enjoyable experience for all. Sometimes it is possible for the dog to have her puppies with the Guardian Family with full assistance from us. Many Guardian Families relish this experience. Especially those families with children.

Several of our Guardian Families have opted to have the puppies stay with them for the first few weeks . We support this option wherever possible.

If you do decide it is best to return the Burrinjuck Girl to our home for the whelping and while she raises her pups, your dog would stay with us for approximately 6 weeks. Guardian Families are welcome to visit their dog whenever they would like. 

It may also be an opportunity to take that long awaited holiday, during your girls time with us

I don’t really want to go through the puppy stage. Do you ever Guardian older dogs?

From time to time we do seek Guardians for older dogs. If you are seeking to skip the puppy stage, please contact us to discuss options.

We are looking to travel over the next few years. Do you offer boarding for your Guardian Dogs?

We sure do!

We offer a special discounted rate for our guardian families. Boarding rates are normally $45 per day or $300 per week however Guardians pay only $30 per day or $200 per week.

The boarding option can be a win/win as this allows us to develop a rapport with our Guardian dogs.

Guardian dogs love coming to Burrinjuck and it becomes their "home away from home".

TESTIMONY


"My husband and I have been privileged to be a part of Burrinjuck's guardian program. After losing both of our fur babies in 2021, we approached Katrina and Hamish to be guardians of a Burrinjuck Labradoodle Puppy. Lulu, (Burrinjuck Cluedo) came to us on November 10th 2021. Both we and Katrina are in constant contact about Lulu’s progress. My husband and I are so impressed with the care, information provided to us when supporting, training and breeding Lulu. Burrinjuck have been wonderful. Nothing is too much trouble. Katrina is an ethical breeder who takes extreme care when deciding the well-being of each dog. If you are like us and want a fur baby without the expense of buying a pup outright, I would highly recommend considering a guardianship pup! "

Ann Parkman

QUESTIONS?

Let's Talk Now

Whether you’re curious about the Guardian Program in general or would like to discuss the Guardian Care Arrangement in greater detail, we’re here to answer any questions.