Breeding
Our Community
Guide Dogs of America | Tender Loving Canines maintains a large breeding colony to ensure optimum health as well as desirable traits and temperament for successful guide and service dogs. We also network with partnering guide or service dog schools, approved breeders, and co-op breeder programs.
Specific Breeds
The most successful breed for Guide Dogs of America | Tender Loving Canines has been the Labrador Retriever, but to meet the individual needs of our graduates, we have also bred a variation of Labrador/Golden Retriever crosses, and Golden Retrievers. The dogs and their puppies are cared for by our qualified nursery staff, our great Veterinary team, and our dedicated volunteers.
Breeder Hosts
Breeding dogs in our program live as well-loved family pets, in volunteer foster homes, living a comfortable family when they are not whelping puppies. Breeder dogs have up to 4 litters if they are females and males can be variable depending on needs of our Breeding Program and then retired to family life. Foster families have the first opportunity to adopt their breeder dog once their litters are complete.
A Special Role
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer foster for one of our breeding dogs, please fill out the application below and a member of our Breeding Department will be in touch with you.
Once a dog is selected for Breeding, our puppy raisers generally get the first right to continue to Breeder Host the dog after puppyhood. In general, we only re-place a handful of Breeder Dogs every year.
Individuals who apply for a breeder dog are typically placed on a waiting list and when a dog becomes available, we review our applications to find the best possible match for each dog.
