Willow + Sullivan's Red Girl

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We are committed to raising dogs who are first and foremost cherished companions. Whether a dog is part of our breeding program or not, we believe every one of them deserves to grow up and live out their life in a loving home environment.

As our program continues to grow, we’ve chosen a model that allows our breeding dogs to enjoy life as true family members rather than living in kennels. For this reason, all future breeding dogs are placed through our Guardian Home Program. While our current dogs live with us in our home, we have made the intentional decision not to expand into kennel housing. It simply isn’t the life we want for our dogs.

Through the Guardian Home Program, approved local families have the opportunity to welcome an exceptional puppy from our litter, or a carefully selected adolescent or adult breeding dog, at a significantly reduced cost. The dog becomes a permanent and beloved member of the Guardian family, while Happy Tails Mini Goldens maintains breeding rights during the dog’s breeding years.

Once the dog has completed their role in our breeding program, we will cover the cost of spaying or neutering, and the dog will remain with their Guardian family as a lifelong pet—no changes, no rehoming.

When the dog’s breeding career has concluded, the full deposit is returned to the Guardian family as a sincere thank-you for being an essential part of our program.

At Happy Tails, our breeding dogs are first and foremost beloved family members. Because of that, we’re very intentional about the homes we choose for our Guardian dogs and puppies. Guardian families play an important role in our program, and these guidelines help ensure the best experience for everyone involved—especially the dogs.

- Guardian Homes must be located within a two-hour drive of Utah. Families are responsible for transportation to and from Happy Tails when needed. If full delivery isn’t possible in certain situations, we’re happy to coordinate a reasonable meetup so we can take the dog for the day. Guardian families should not expect moves or job changes that would place the dog outside this driving range while the agreement is active.

- Guardian families must own their home and have a secure, physical fence to provide a safe place for the dog to play and relax. All Guardian dogs live indoors as true family companions and are included in everyday life.

- Guardian families agree to feed a high-quality food approved by Happy Tails and to provide consistent exercise, socialization, and enrichment. Basic obedience training is required, whether through professional classes or demonstrated training experience.

- For female Guardian dogs, there may be no intact male dogs living in the home to prevent accidental breeding.

Guardian families must be willing to follow Happy Tails’ guidance for routine veterinary care, including vaccines, preventatives, and general health practices. Open, honest communication is key—we ask that Guardian families stay in regular contact with us and are comfortable with occasional visits to and from our home so the dog remains familiar with both environments.

- The primary caregiver’s schedule should allow the dog to receive plenty of companionship and not be left alone for long periods of time.

- Guardian dogs should receive lots of love, attention, and care—this part is non-negotiable. These dogs are not backyard or kennel dogs. We’re looking for happy, confident, well-adjusted mothers and fathers who will pass along both great temperaments and positive life experiences to their puppies.

- Regular grooming is also an important part of this commitment, whether done at home or with a professional groomer. Dogs should be kept clean, comfortable, and free from matting as much as possible.

- For the first year or so, we ask for monthly photos/videos to stay updated on the puppy, track their overall growth, and keep them updated on our website. We would also like to have a few meet-ups during this first year so that we can build a relationship with your dog to ensure they're as trusting and comfortable with us as they can be! For females, some routine visits to our home to prepare her for her time with us would also be amazing! 

Any breeding-related medical expenses for your Guardian dog are fully covered by Happy Tails. Guardian families are responsible for the dog’s everyday care and routine medical needs, just like they would for any beloved pet in their home.

Female puppies placed in our Guardian Program will have up to four litters. We completely understand the commitment involved—our Guardian families make a huge sacrifice, as the female dog will return to us for breeding, whelping, and weaning (about 6–8 weeks) before heading back home. Most of the dogs in our program are female, though occasionally a male may be available.

When your Guardian dog goes into heat, it’s essential to notify us immediately. A typical heat cycle lasts 14–21 days, and during this period, we’ll need access for breeding-related appointments. After she’s bred, she stays with you until about one week before her due date, at which point she will return to us for the remainder of her pregnancy. Once her puppies are weaned (around 6 weeks later), she’ll come back home to you.

If you’d like, we’ll notify you when she goes into labor, so you can be there for the big moment of welcoming her pups into the world!

From time to time, he’ll be used for breeding. If he’s nearby, this usually means 1–2 hours in a day, likely every other day for about a week for each female he’s paired with. If he’s located further away, he may need to be away from home for 1–2 weeks.

Planning to be out of town? No problem—just let us know ahead of time so we can make alternative arrangements. If you ever need to move, please contact us immediately. We’ll work with you to find a solution that works for everyone—or coordinate bringing him back to our care if needed.

Male Guardian dogs only require that we have access for natural breeding or sperm collection—no extra obligations beyond that.