The Ottawa Citizen

Jake Rupert

Dog breeding 'a two-way street'

Tradar Kennels screens clients to ensure a good match with the dogs. In return, they will show their whole operation to clients.

Tuesday, September 5th, 2000

If a typical puppy mill is the Victorian workhouse of dog breeding, then Tradar Kennels west of Ottawa is the industry's equivalent of a luxury seaside resort.

Gale and Keith Auger have been breeding champion German shepherds for 20 years, the past 12 near Carp. Unlike shady operators who might arrange for a pet delivery at a shopping mall or park, the Augers invite potential dog buyers to their spacious kennels and are willing to show every aspect of their operation.

When buyers arrive at Tradar, they've already been asked by the Augers to research the breed and determine if they want a shepherd. Buyers are also put through a screening process to see if they understand, and are prepared to take on, the responsibility of owning a dog.

"I always tell people it's a two-way street," Ms. Auger says. "People have to be comfortable with us and we have to be comfortable with them."

After the research and screening, the first thing the Augers do is show potential buyers adult dogs so people can see what the adorable balls of fur will look like when full grown.

They show people a dog in the 10-year-old range, dogs about five years old as well as two-year-olds so people can see what their pet might look like at different stages of life.

They show people their well-kept kennels, the mother dog, and a picture of the sire. (It's not unusual for the sire to be absent as the males are the travellers in the dog breeding world.)

Next, it's on to the puppies. Last week, the Augers had two litters of little ones. Four were nine weeks old, and five were four weeks old.

The older puppies are kept in an open air run at the back of their house. There are stairs for them to climb. The space is divided between grass and patio stones, and the dogs have a special area for sleeping.

These puppies, like the seven adult dogs the Augers have, are taken out several times a day to run in the yard freely under the watchful eye of the owners. The four-week-old pups are kept inside a self-contained addition on the couple's home that is completely devoted to the dogs.

It's a two-bedroom, kitchen and living room addition, and the pups spend most of their days playing in the living room before going to bed at night in one of the bedrooms.

The kitchen is where all the dogs' food is prepared. It's squeaky clean like the rest of the operation.

The Augers encourage potential buyers to explore and inspect their operation closely.

"We have nothing to hide," Ms. Auger says. "There's no reason not to show people everything."

The Augers sell their dogs with all appropriate shots, veterinarian reports, guarantees, instructions on training and pedigree portfolios. They encourage buyers to keep in contact and have many new puppy owners back to socialize the pups in the yard.

Part of the contract they sign with buyers guarantees the new owner won't breed the dogs without first consulting the Augers, and they are members of the Canadian Kennel Club and breed clubs.

Just about everything you could think of to guarantee the puppy you're buying is a healthy, happy dog, the Augers do. They watch the pups play to determine their personalities so they don't sell an overly lively pup to an older couple. They weigh them every day to make sure they are developing properly.

They only breed two or perhaps three litters a year in total. Their females are bred only once a year, usually less often, and on average, the females will have four litters in their lives. If one of their females has a particularly hard time giving birth, she is spayed.

Older male dogs are also neutered and then live out their lives at the kennel. All of the dogs are both outside and inside dogs, and are welcome into the retired couple's home.

Buying one of their dogs is more expensive than the ones you'll see advertised in the papers, but they say that's because the highest possible standards cost more.

"We do this because we love the breed and love having them around," Ms. Auger says. "We're certainly not doing this for the money. When people do that, problems start."

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