A volunteer who provides a loving home and excellent care for a Canine Companions active breeder dog throughout their breeding career. Breeder dogs are Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, or a cross of the two breeds. Once the breeder dog retires, the breeder caretaker has the option to adopt the retired breeder dog. 

• Male breeder caretaker – the frequency that a male breeder dog is required for breeding varies. A breeder caretaker for a male breeder dog can potentially be called to come to Canine Companions headquarters in Santa Rosa, California, for breeding a few times a month, as well as for veterinary exams, as needed. 
• Female breeder caretaker – female breeder dogs will come in for veterinary exams, as needed. Breeder caretakers for female breeders have the option to host the whelps and litters in their own home. The amount of time a whelp/litter requires can vary on an individual basis. Each pregnancy involves several trips to our headquarters in Santa Rosa, California. If the caretaker is hosting a home whelp, having a flexible schedule and/or additional support is necessary to provide litter care, especially during the first three weeks after birth. Litter support and care will be needed until the puppies return to Canine Companions to begin their journeys with their volunteer puppy raisers (between  seven to eight weeks of age). 

Breeders regularly come to headquarters, including for breeding and veterinary visits throughout the year. Travel can be stressful for some dogs, especially when traveling long distances, so we want to minimize any additional exposure to stress for our breeder dogs. We have a very large local breeder caretaker community that helps by providing support, training and supplies to new breeder caretakers, so proximity to other breeding program volunteers is important. Lastly, having access to 24/7 emergency veterinary care is required. 

Many factors go into the evaluation of a breeder dog candidate. The breeder selection team evaluates each dog’s health, genetics and temperament, as well as their soundness for breeding. Through our rigorous breeder selection process, a very small percentage of candidates are selected as breeders in our program. 

No, you don’t need to have whelping experience to become a breeder caretaker. However, prior experience caring for dogs or puppies is helpful, but not required. We have experienced volunteers and staff who will provide direct support throughout your journey as a breeder caretaker. In addition, we host breeder caretaker seminars throughout the year for educational touchpoints, and you’ll have opportunities to connect with fellow volunteers. 

When it comes to maintaining the health of a breeder dog, the majority of services and costs are covered by Canine Companions, including annual exams, vaccinations, health screenings, preventatives, etc. There are additional expenses throughout the breeder dog’s career that the volunteer breeder caretaker is responsible for, such as food for male breeder dogs and females (when they’re  not pregnant or with a litter) and some equipment (For example: leashes and grooming tools). New! Thanks to our partnership with Eukanuba, active Canine Companions volunteer breeder caretakers now have access to discounts on Eukanuba diets for cats and dogs and VCA veterinary care for up to four pets in their home. More details will be discussed during the application process.

We ask breeder caretakers to identify a veterinarian for their breeder dog, if they need to seek care for them locally. It’s also essential to have 24-hour emergency veterinary hospitals identified in your area, in case of an emergency. During the dog’s breeding career, most veterinary services are provided by Canine Companions. Additional details will be discussed during the application process. 

We never know when a natural disaster or a life event is going to strike, however, it’s always important to be prepared. Canine Companions and the local breeding program volunteer community are here to support you in case of an emergency, and we’ll assist you, if alternate placement options are needed.

Absolutely! Puppy raisers need to go through the breeder caretaker application process once their puppy matriculates (goes into official service dog training) and starts professional training. If approved, the puppy raiser can become the dog’s breeder caretaker, if the dog is selected as a breeder and a volunteer home is deemed safe and secure to house a breeder dog.

Yes, there are opportunities to volunteer in both programs! There are some guidelines regarding caring for a breeder dog and puppy in the same household. For example, once the female breeder dog is confirmed pregnant, the puppy will be relocated to another approved puppy raiser’s home until the new litter is seven to eight weeks old (a total average of three months). The puppy program manager can assist you with relocating the puppy to another home or to one of the prison puppy raising programs, if appropriate. Further guidelines will be reviewed during the application process.

Yes, we have a variety of opportunities that range from fostering dogs to supporting some of our litters with enrichment and socialization. If you’d like to learn more about other volunteering opportunities within the breeding program, please click the “request more information”’ link below.