Breeder or Shelter

My dog was rehomed to me after her last owner went into a nursing home.  I had been checking the Humane Society for quite some time before she came home with us, but hadn't found the right one.  Now I know why.

Gypsy came from a reputable breeder. Harvey and Bandit (my cats) came from my vet (Harvey was a rescue) and Bandit came from a shelter/rescue ( they take in cats as well as rescue them from kill shelters).

Oooh this is going to be long...[]
 
Ogre- horrible city pound that automatically labels bulldogs, pits, staffies, akitas, rotties, and any other breeds with a bad rep as "vicious" without even trying to evaluate their temperament and does their best to talk EVERYONE out of adopting them. They'll let you adopt them, but they don't hide the fact that they WANT to euthanize those breeds. If you want one of tose breeds, you're required to adopt it without interracting with it at ALL. Not allowed to take it out of the kennel, and if they catch you petting them through the chain link of their run the workers will screech at you. They say those dogs are "vicious" and it's a liability issue. [8|]  Also, if the dogs happen to be an owner surrender and not a stray, they won't tell you. They can be standing right there, holding that dog's surrender card  full of important medical information, and they will tell you "nope, that one was picked up as a stray." I have no idea why they would withold potentially important information like that, but they do. I'm pretty sure Ogre WAS picked up as a stray...I think he was stuck in someone's backyard and ignored until he got sick of it and escaped. No one had ever worked with him and in the 3 weeks I've had him he's become a completely different dog. All he needed was a little bit of attention, and a little bit of guidance. It makes me so sad that someone would leave such a great dog out to rot in their yard, to the point where he doesn't even respond to human voices because he isn't used to people talking or paying any attention to him. []
 
Axl- Same place as above. I actually had to beg them to let me have him because they had concluded that he "was a vicious fighting pit bull" and was a "danger to the public" based on the fact that they had seen him bark at one dog, one time. He's the sweetest dog ever, and my heart dog. He's completely tolerant of other animals (he even lets my rats pull his mouth open and clean his teeth) and he absolutely loves everyone. He has absolutely no behavioral problems to speak of. He's also NOT a pit bull- more likean english/american cross. He was 2 or 3 years old and an owner surrender- they said he was a stray, but they had his surrender card- and in the 4 and a half years I've had him, he's NEVER left the yard and I can't imagine him getting lost. He has perfect recall and even when moved to a new house he automatically understands the boundaries and never even has to be reminded.
I honestly think his old owners were afraid of him. Based on the bits and pieces I've picked up, I think they got him as a guard dog and he didn't live up to their expectations...but he was still really imposing looking when he was younger, and I think they were afraid of him. He's had his canines filed down considerably, and most of his other teeth were ripped out...I don't think it was done by a vet either, because he has considerable jaw problems and chronic pain from it. The whole time I've had him I've never ever struck him, but he still flinches considerable when he sees a raised hand. He's also afraid of metal pipes and anything resembling a baseball bat. I just know he had a really, really rough life before he came to me. It makes me so sad because he is, by far, the greatest, sweetest, most well behaved dog I've ever had.
 
Pepito- came from a BYB. He was a gift from my parents  for christmas when I was 16. I had vaguely mentioned once or twice that I liked my friend's chihuahua and christmas day, my parents handed him to me. He's not registered, and he barely even looks like a chihuahua. I am SO not a chihuahua person, and it has been very, very trying to live with Pepito. He has several mild health problems, and he is really, honestly mentally challenged. He's over 3 years old and still isn't house trained. He barely knows his name and there are times when he fails to recognize us. He has aggression issues that nothing has been able to resolve, and horrible seperation anxiety to the point where he will seriusly injure himself if left alone, even in his crate. He doesn't know basic obedience, despite extensive effort on my part, and it took him nearly a year just to learn to walk on a leash. I have honestly never met a dog with all of his problems. I later found out that his parents are very, very heavily inbred (not that linebreeding is wrong, but in this case, it was a problem) and both of his parents all suffer from the same problems he has...only mentally, his father is even worse off than Pepito is. Pepito's father is mentally challenged to the point where he is incontinenant (medical problems have been ruled out) he doesn't know how to mount a bitch and so they have to physically help him. He's completely off balanced to the point where he viciously attacks himself and has needed stitches for the bites he's given himself. I could go on all day about the problems their dogs have. Despite it all, last I heard. they're still breeding. They're an older couple and they really love their dogs, and they honestly don't get it.
Pepito is the most difficult dog I've ever dealt with, and I never really wanted a chi in the first place, and certainly not one from a BYB, but I love him anyway. He can't be blamed for his problems and I do my best to help him, but it can be really, really trying at times.
 
Bowie- my cat. She's been passed around our family for about ten years now. She was orginally my older brother's, but after staying with my dad for a while he left her with him. (Long story,) so my dad ended up keeping her for about 3 or 4 years. Then his apartment complex passed a no outdoor cat rule, and my dad could no longer keep her- Bowie had always been an outside cat and would go nuts when she was brought inside. He also had allergies so theres no way she could come in the house. So, I agreed to take her. She's had a rough life- my brother is a drug addict, and while staying with him she lived in some pretty rough places  and there were times when my brother would move, forget her, then suddenly remember her 3 or 4 months later and come back for her. She loved him, and was always waiting when he got back. When she was a kitten, one of my brother's neighbors saw her crossing their yard and threw a brick at her...it struck her in the head and she's now blind in one eye and partially parlyzed.  I felt so bad for the life she's had...she's such a sweet, forgiving cat. Now she's retired with my husband and I and gets to enjoy actually being fed a decent food, more than once or twice a week when someone remembered to feed her, which was her lot before. She's got a big comfy bed on our deck, and an acre of woods with a stream to play in. A big step up from the junkyards my brother kept her in for years. She's finally able to settle down and enjoy her senior years.
 
I think if I ever decide to get a dog from a breeder, it'll be a cane corso (my favorite breed) or another akita. As it is though, I'll probably just rescue. I may look for a well bred corso one day, since they're hard to come by in rescue, but as it is I see so many wonderful dogs languishing in shelters to justify not helping one when I can. I love bully breeds, mastiffs, and now akitas, and luckily there seems to be no shortage of them in the shelters in my area. As much as I'd like a showable, workable Corso, I doubt I'll ever be able to overcome the guilt I  would feel for not looking at a shelter. So...most, if not all of my future dogs will be rescues as well. []

We had been working with a rescue to get a dog, but ended up getting from a shelter.

I got my 2 dals before I knew better
 
Weston-dal-Got him for "Free" from friend who neglected to tell me important things about his history such as his grandmother had seizures and his parents were brother & sister. So BYB
 
Marley-dal-got her for "Free" from a BYB in NC. She is really lucky though because if she had come from a litter of responsible breeders chances are she would have been killed when it was realized she was deaf...
 
Nico-GSD-I got this little fellow from our local high kill shelter. I had a huge moment of weakness (although I had promised myself 2 dogs was enough) and he stole my heart while I was volunteering there.
 
Jet-pittie-I go to the shelter once a week to take dogs out to play. Jet caught my eye. I took him out with an Aussie mix, and the Aussie was jumping all over Jet and he just stood there. I decided then I couldnt let him die and thankfully my local pit rescuer told me as long as I would foster she would pull him...
 
Cuddly-(cat) I got him from a lady out in the country who had taken in her neighbor's cat because she kept letting the cat run around and reproduce and woulnt take care of the kittens. Cuddly was one of the kittens from the neighbor's cat.
 
Lucy-cat-I got her from someone who told me he had to move and couldnt have cats. He told me that she would go to the shelter if I didnt take her. So I took her and a month later he had a new cat. GRRRR
 
Roxy-cat-My crazy kitty. I fostered her for our local no kill shelter. Convinently I wasnt told she was part feral. So she ended up staying because honestly I dont think I could have placed her anywhere else & I kind of like her spunkiness.

Georgia- MY first dog. I got her threw a foster program that rescues dogs from the pound. I was looking for a basset hound and the foster program matched me up with Georgia from the forms I filled out describing my lifestlye. She fit into my life perfect. She was not the breed I wanted at the time but I am so glad she was a part of my life.

Gizmo- Found puppy, would have gone to the shelter if I didn't agree to take her in to help find her a home. Well... looks like she found a home.

My next dog- Will come from a breeder, it will be my first dog from a breeder and I have done eveything I can to make sure that pup is exactly what I'm looking for. I hope it all works out well. If I was not looking for a pur breed show dog I would go to the shelter but for what I want I have to be a little picky.

I got my 2 dals before I knew better

LOL! We learned our lesson after one Dal. He's still hanging in there after 12 1/2 years, too! I had to laugh when I watched Dog Whisperer last night. That Dal pup at the fire station was just like our Dal as a pup. We got our Dal, Blackhawk, from my mother in law, who bred a few litters. Blackhawk's mom was a hyperactive female that was sold to her by owners who got her for their kids during the 101 Dalmations craze. To top it off, they worked full-time and lived in an APARTMENT! Blackhawk's dad was my in-laws farm dog. He was gorgeous, even-tempered and a wonderful example of what a good Dal can be, unfortunately, he had seizures. Blackhawk ended up with the worst of both. His mother's spastic temperment and hs father's seizures.

Lucy, my avatar pic, was from a local shelter that started up a couple years ago. I do the photoshop work for our local newspaper and saw her when I did the photos for the shelter's ad. She's such a fabulous dog. Her owners surrendered her because they were evicted from the house they were renting and had to move to an apartment.

I will get our next dog from a shelter, too. I have no need for a purebred and love shelter dogs because we can skip that awful puppy stage. I have nothing against people who breed or buy purebreds, my dad and brother both have PB dogs because they use them for hunting. But for my purposes, any dog who likes to cuddle and wants to make me laugh will do!

*lol* I didnt mean it that way, I meant that I got my 2 dals from BYBs before I knew better. I know where you are comming from though, I love the breed but I dont really know if I will have another one.
 
My male is SO SO stubborn. He "zones" you out and acts like he cant hear you despite quite a bit of obedience training. I dont know if it is because of the phenobarbital, I really think he is just stubborn and head strong. Dals are difficult to handle, and really had I dont my research and thought logically about it I wouldnt have got them. I am glad though, I love all of my dogs, and Marley (my deaf dal) is my "princess". She is the best dog anyone could ask for (all my dogs are great dogs).  
 
My male dal has seizures as well.   Which is why people shouldnt back yard breed. The lady I got him from also had gotten dals to breed during the 101 craze.
 
I am with you, I have no need for a well bred pup. The most I will do is agility or obedience and from my understanding you can do that with any old shelter dog. Actually I can already tell you that as long as they are still around I will adopt a pit. I just LOVE the breed.

Lilly- part of my parents line (bred by them)
 
Riley- reputable breeder
 
Calvy- rescued from vet before being put to sleep
 
Lewis- from Lilly's litter
 
Bisou- found us, wondered onto our porch and we kept her
 
two new cats- adopted from HS before being PTS

We got Tinkerbelle from someone who placed an ad in the paper...she was days away from going to our local shelter (kill shelter)
 
 

Shack- we got from a co-worker of my mother's who had an oops litter.  He was on his way to the pound because the man couldn't find a place for the runt of the litter to go, so she caved in and kept him.  So I still consider him a rescue because if it weren't for us he'd have ended up in a pound.  It was purely happenstance that we ended up with him.  My mother was working and the guy dropped something off by the office on the way to the pound and had him in the car.  My mom couldn't let him go to the pound and he didn't want the dog so he let her take him home.  He was free and basically a 'get this pup off my hands' kind of dog. 

Nikki- came from a byb who bred their two shelties together because they thought their dogs needed to have a litter. 

Trey- from a breeder.  He ws the first show line dog we've owned, but he was a show reject.  We got him at nearly a year after he'd been trained in agility.  He took ages to fit in the family and he's still by far the weirdest dog I've ever owned.  I luff him though. 

Beau- From a breeder.  We found out about her after going to a dog show and running into a lady with two of her dogs.  We had been researching, but we really liked these specific dogs so we ended up looking at her dogs along withother breeders.  Anyways we ended up missing her litter at the time and being put on a waiting list for Beau.  I'm very glad, he's a gorgeous dog.  He was purchased as a show prospect.

Harry- same breeder as Beau.  We were looking for a female and looking at many breeders, but the breeder mentioned had another litter (this was like... 2 years later)- male and a female and was keeping the female.  We'd been very impressed with Beau and her other dogs- they're sound and she does so much socializing with them.  So we ended up with Harry. 

Both breeders and rescues have their merits.  I will rescue in the future, but most of my dogs will be from breeders.  I like having the history of the dog known.  Well, that and I show, so...   Any dog I don't get for showing from now on will be a rescue.  But yes, I will do both, or at least be a part of a rescue group or help or donate to one.  It's a good cause, but I don't think it's for everyone. 

Kota - local shelter - he came in as a stray at 5 months old and he stole my heart.  He is my first dog and I love him to death!

Tasha - local shelter - she came there as an abandoned litter and she stole my heart with her colors.

Shadow - BYB - my BF "took" her from his mom who got her from a BYB.  She had lived outside until he "took" her at around 3 years of age.

Pepper - local shelter - she came in as a stray.  An overfed, spayed, allergy ridden stray.  She's a great dog, loves people, tolerates other dogs, she's just an awesome dog despite her allergies.

future dog - responsible breeder or shelter - NSDTR if I go the breeder route or a stray from a shelter or rescue

I have dogs I have bought from breeders, dogs I have bred myself, and dogs I have pulled from shelters and trained to be amazing racing/pulling dogs. I have the best of all the worlds here, couldn't be happier.

I do sled dog rescue as well, so along with the 26 dogs I have, I often have a couple of rescues too. It's one of the most rewarding things, to give an animal in need a good home.

Current dogs: Tookey, a terrier/dachsund mix, was a stray I took in and have had him over 10 years, Gracie, a shepherd/cattle dog mix, was a stray we adopted from our local shelter last Dec. after she'd been there for two months and I'd been trying to get her rescued and no one would take her, which I cannot understand because she's the BEST DOG! Rainbow Bridge dogs: Anna, a JRT mix, was adopted from a rescue after she had been abandoned at her vet's office, probably for heart problems; Corky, a Norwich Terrier, I got from a breeder, when I myself was a young pup. I met the breeder at a dog show and then went to her home to adopt him, so she was probably a BYB, although I had no idea at the time what that was; Splinters, a Cairn Terrier, from a pet store, although I was about 10 at the time so I had no idea of the problems involved in that, nor did my parents; Flip, a chihuahua, I have no idea as he was gotten when I was a baby, but probably from a BYB. All our future dogs will be strays/shelter/rescue dogs and I'm proud to say we're raising our girls to think that way as well.

Tojo came from a responsible breeder. Hester (cat) came from the animal shelter.

DH and I have our hearts set on showing and breeding, and while I would love to have purebred AND shelter dogs, I think that if I ever wanted to adopt one, he'd just say, "why don't you just get another purebred if you want another dog?" I might be able to talk him into a breed specific rescue dog, but it'd be tough to find the right one, because he would only ever get a shiba inu or a siberian husky (or a shikoku, but good luck finding one in a shetler, haha).

At any rate, even if I can't own rescue dogs, I always have an eye peeled for animals in need of a temporary home. My neighbour abandoned two kitties that I found homes for, and I let everyone know that if they're thinking of taking their dog to the pound, take them to me first and I will find them a good home! It's the best I can do out of my two bedroom apartment, haha.