Would you prefer a shelter/rescue or breeder pup?

I'd probably say I prefer reputable rescue/shelter.  I think if they have the dog's best interests at heart than often (especially if the dog has been in a foster home) you can find out a lot about the temprament of the dog before taking him/her home. I love that!  Plus I have a soft spot for mixed breeds. 

Well Z has sold me on older pups from a shelter - old enough you can get an idea of personality and skills, young enough to generally not have as much baggage, and old enough that prelim health checks can be done.

With that said, I will *never* get a dog i can't foster in my house before signing paperwork - regardless of origin - because I have very specific needs.  I work at a shelter, so this generally isn't a problem for the shelter animals I'd be interested in, but any other source could conceivably have that issue. 

 Minimums for the dogs I keep: herding breed/mix, compatible with current pets (including the picky, sometimes bratty Maggie), toy drive, food drive, well-socialized, confident, good bounceback, nice structure for agility, clear hip prelims (xrays), people focused, but not to the extreme, good off switch, etc.  See why fostering inhome is a requirement?!
 

 I don't really "prefer" either one, there are too many variables at play.  To me, sitting down and figuring out what my needs are for a dog and working out whether those needs are better met by a good breeder or by going to the RSPCA is the most responsible thing. 

My next dog will, without doubt, come from a breeder.  That's because I'll be getting a rare breed that has very specific needs when it comes to raising them, and there are some very unique issues that can develop if they are not raised properly for the first 18 months or so.  They aren't a breed that is normally kept as a pet (actually the few there are here are kept as pets, but in North America it's rare) and I'm simply not equipped to rescue one and potentially suddenly face those issues.  When I am a more experienced owner of the breed, I will likely rescue them for my entire life because I'll know then how to handle them...but the first one will be a young puppy.

When I wanted a Samoyed, I thought I had no choice but to go thru a breeder. I now know that I could've gone thru a rescue, but I didn't know that then.  My oldest is a give-away from someone who didn't want a large dog and Sassy is from the shelter. I don't honestly think I could get another dog from anywhere but a shelter or rescue, but I don't have any specific breed requirements. I will say that Sassy has been a large financial responsibility, and maybe that could be avoided with a reputable breeder, but I'm not sorry we chose her.

A responsible breeder is my preference mostly due to the reasons already described.  The breeds that I like tend to be small and in demand, and it is not easy to find them at a shelter or rescue without any health or behavioral problems.  One day, when I have lots of time, I would love to take in a rescue dog who is in need, but that time is not now.  However, if I were looking for a large dog right now,  I definitely would go to a shelter or rescue.  I also am married to a man who is not really an animal person so I have to minimize 'issues' to make my hobby as easy to live with as possible.

 My Mother in law may be looking for a dog soon, a medium size, and I am trying to convince her to go the shelter/rescue route.  She is a bit reluctant though, as her daughter is permananently scarred on her face from an attack by a rescue dog they adopted years ago.  The dog apparently had some issues in its past that no one knew about.

despite the health issues and not knowing the breeds that drive him Bugsy has convinced me that rescue is the way to go.  Sometimes I think how wonderful it would be to go via a reputable breeder for a pure bred and then I look at my Bugsy and consider that I just want a pet.  There are so many homeless wonderful animals that I feel drawn to help one of them out.  I am leaning towards non-pup though, 2yo would be nice   although I do love puppies!

Right now I have a variety, 2 dogs from a reputable breeder and one rescue and our old girl from a BYB bought by my SO 14 years ago. (Before we knew better)  I can't say I prefer one to the other.  Going either route has been a win win for me.  I think for me so much depends on the dog.  When I see a dog (whether it is a breeder dog or shelter dog) I know if he will be the dog for me.  When I got Dasher (breeder) I was looking for a JRT and since this would be my first terrier, temperament was high on my list.  So I went to a breeder I had known for 10 years and was very familiar with her Jacks. He turned out exactly as I had hoped and I know that is because of his breeding.  Getting Dasher was fate as I had no idea if his breeder would even have a litter.  Just so happened he was the last guy in the litter that was for sale, the breeder kept his sister and his brother already found a home.  I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.  When I found Zip (rescue) I was not looking for a second JRT, wasn't looking for a dog at all.  But as soon as I saw him something inside me said "he is your dog" and that was that.   When we got Zorro, I was REALLY not looking for a 3rd JRT but again, I was drawn to him for whatever reason. 

 So I guess for me, the dogs seem to find me, not the other way around. 
 

I think it depends on where we are in life when we get another dog.  I have little doubt that Jack could adjust to any age, breed or sex--Sally, on the other hand, does best when the dog comes into the house as a pup and does best with rough-and-tumble yet laid back dogs, so things get a little more specific when it comes to her.  DH would like to get a retired greyhound at some point or a whippet of any age (he loves them).

If I got another "pit type" dog I would get an adult from a rescue (that had been fostered so we have a good idea of what it is going to be like in a home setting) or a staffy bull from a breeder.  If were were to get another lab it would likely be from a breeder--although I would not rule out rescuing a senior or special needs lab, since I have had some experience in that area (special needs at least).

I have 2 from the pound and 2 from a breeder, so I guess I don't really have a preference. One thing I'm having trouble with now is that Cara is really suffering with her hips and with a breeder, I could hedge the bets so to speak against hip dysplasia.

If the breed didn't matter, I'd go to a shelter, but if I wanted a specific breed, I'd go to a breeder.

Ewww here is a part of Callie that virtually never comes out.  I love you all, but I wouldn't ever .. not EVER ... get a pup from a breeder.  I have absolutely NO desire whatsoever to do that. 

My last pup was Pollyanna and I wouldn't have taken a 'puppy' had she not needed US so desperately (some idiot had broken her back ... she didn't walk at all -- briefly did with us but then growth re-opened her wound and she died from a stroke from a clot from her injuries).

I'm just not a puppy person, first off.  but part of what I *do* in this life is help those who need us.  Lots of breeds I "love" ... but we usually don't even take a dog which is a breed we've had before (Billy was a wild exception to that).

The most I'll say is that I'd hope my next dog will be even 'smaller' than Billy or Luna.  To be honest, I am - in my heart of hearts -- a small dog person.  David's not.  But with Kee he's seeing that a small dog doesn't need to be a royal p.i.t.a.  

Too many out there who "need".  Going to a breeder just isn't "me".  I've had pups ... but never have had one from a 'breeder'.  The logic of it just doesn't make sense to ME for what makes me happy.

I like my current set up.  The breed that I like the best, Great Danes are my residence dogs and I always have the mixed breed shelter/rescue as fosters always coming and going.  I am getting ready to bring in two littermates Great Danes puppies or adults over the next year.  They could come from any type of breeder, a pet shop, or even a rescue.  Doesn't really matter to me because they all need a home. 

My previous dog was supposedly (according to DS #1 who brought him home) on his way to the pound.  He was the last one left from an "oops" litter.  Max was in the shelter when I found him.  True, I don't really know anything about his background, or even exactly what's in his mix - but he's a very mellow, laid back dog without a lot of issues and I'd go back to the shelter again in a heart beat.

Joyce

 Interesting thread!

All mine now are rescues. :) But, if I continue enjoying stockwork as much as I do now and if I get a place to keep my own sheep, I think my next dog will be a working bred BC pup. Maybe a started dog, I don't know.

I'll also always have a malamute. I will get him/her from a shelter rescue and if I have any other dogs they'll be shelter dogs. I have a soft spot for little spaniely mixes...  

I doubt I will ever get a dog from a shelter. What happened with Chloe was too heart-breaking for me to ever want to risk again.

Besides which, I've got an interesting situation with the rest of the furry family to consider, and there's no way I'm going to take risks with them, either. I expect we will always have small prey animals living with us to keep in mind.

I might go for a breed rescue, especially if I wanted an adult dog. But I'd be very picky about the situation. Purebreds are undoubtedly prone to health problems, and I'd rather know myself the dog's lineage and breeder. 

Dogs are a hobby for me, and I'm honestly not particularly keen to take on a dog that's going to need a lot of work to undo a bunch of problems someone else has put there. My domestic animals are my holiday, to bask in the beauty of domestication and how easy animals are when they like you.