Would you prefer a shelter/rescue or breeder pup?

There are certain breeds that DH and I want and we'll probably go to breeders for them.  I *love* the puppy stage so I deffinately want to get a pup not an adult.  Also, we want large breeds, and I'd rather give us the best shot at not dealing w/ hip dysplasia (or other health things) again. 

Also by the time we get another dog (years from now) we'll probably have kids so temperment is going to be a huge deal and getting the right breeder can really help with that.  Then again, if life is super hectic and crazy that might be the time to go with an adult from a rescue, who knows.

Really, I'm torn b/c I love the idea of rescueing and I know there's lots of great dogs in shelters/rescues, but then again, the security you can get from a responsible breeder is also nice.

Thor and Sheba came from a responsible breeder....Shadow is their oppps offspring.  Only one "child" so easy to keep him.  Thunder, Theo and Tyler are all from foster litters that grew up in my home. 

I have had dogs from the pound, dogs from rescue, and dogs from breeders.  Doesn't matter a lot to me, since I love them all.  I can get my puppy fix from fostering,   And, it seems that I can get the best from a dog or pup from any background, so, any option works for me, but I really lean heavily towards keeping a pup/dog I have fostered and fallen in love with.

i have two "rescues". they arent from the pound but from my sister's friend. but they were in need of a home still. moca is a pure breed, likely from a "non-responsible" breeder. she has near perfect temperment but lots of health issues. jason seems to be a mutt from an oops litter (or more a we-dont-care-littler ) and has near perfect health but lots of temperment issues. but even with all these issues i'm with callie on this one. i'd always rescue. partly because i dont "plan" much for a any of my pets. when a pet is in need, and i have the resources, i will take it. heck, even my guinea pig wasnt planned. if i dont, then, of course my current pets will come first. but i dont see myself getting a dog, JUST because i feel like it. i'd rather get a dog in need. i understand how important it is to have responsible breeders, in order to maintain and better breeds, and i understand why someone would want a dog from a responsible breeder, but it's not for me. also i prefer not to get a puppy. they take more intensive time and i can't afford that. when someone has a baby, they can take maternaty leave, but when you get a pup, noone else really cares and they do take a lot of time. maybe not as much as a baby, but still.... anyhow. i'm set with my two dogs for quite a while, so...

i always get my dogs by luck..... only ever paid for one dog in my life - redbone coonhound when i was a kid and too stupid to know what i would be dealing with - but since then i have never gone to a breeder or shelter. the one time i went to a rescue i got put off by their attitudes. i like to work my dogs and not everyone agrees to it.

i figure ONE DAY when i am rich and famous i will go to a top of the line American Bulldog breeder - probably one from the UK or Europe - and buy a pup. but until then i just rely on my luck of finding good dogs accidentally. i usually get them before their owner sends them to the pound. Kaydee out grew her house and was on the bulletin board at work "English Bulldog Free to Good Home", Amber was from an oops litter and the last puppy in the pen and doomed to be bred back to her dad because the owners were dipsticks, Ben was living in a kennel all by himself watching all the other dogs out to work while he got left behind. his owners thought he was too stupid to learn anything. they all work fine for me! 

since i have kids i am leary of shelter dogs but i have good instincts.. one day when the boys are older we might go to a shelter and rescue a dog but not now. not worth the risk. 

I have had AKC Registered Dogs, shelter dogs, rescue dogs, found on the street and felt sorry for dogs, giveaway cause they cant take with dogs, like me more than their owners in the neighborhood dogs.   I have loved them all.  I have had dogs in my life since I was a child.  Not very many times have I not had a dog or 2 or 3...  The shelter,rescue and found dogs were sometimes healthier than our registered dogs.   It doesnt matter much to me but I think I do prefer those dogs that need me.   I would rather pay to support a shelter or rescue than to pay way to much money for a piece of paper that says my dog is registered.  We dont show, only have pets to love.

 I too have had dogs from all different places - pound, pet breeder, well known/show/performance breeders and private shelter. I have liked all of my dogs and like the ones I have now. My preference once I had enough experience to have one and even before I became involved with breeding was for a well bred dog from a breeder of my choice. My breed of choice that I am most involved in is Belgian Sheepdogs, which are not easy to find in rescue. If/When I get another GSD it will be carefully picked from a breeder/lines of my choice - even though they are fairly easily available through rescues/shelters. This is because I want a GSD who looks and acts like a GSD and that is not easily available with rescue GSDs. My reason for wanting specific breeds is that I like their temperament, character and looks. I want a dog with good, proper structure for the breed. I want a drivey, easy to train, well balanced temperament. And I want to know the dog's background for health/temperament reasons and want to know that until I bring the puppy home, it was raised in a way which will bring out it's full potential.

 I have had the very best success with raising puppies that come to me by 12 weeks old. If I were going to get another older puppy or adult dog, I would want to be able to bring it home on trial first and would need to know that the dog was properly socialized and had been worked with using motivational training as a youngster.  IME dogs who were not trained as puppies are generally not as easy to train or oriented towards training. That isn't to say that dogs of any age can't be trained and do well because of course they can be but to me it isn't quite the same.

 All that said, my husband adopted a corgi from a shelter. He wanted a dog of a certain breed and wanted specific things. We were lucky enough to find a nice, younger shelter dog that suited him fairly quickly but did have to go out of the state to do so. His dog is very drivey and has a great apitude for performance training. He doesn't have the best nerves but I suspect that is common in his breed overall and he has some obvious signs that he wasn't properly socialized. Overall though, he is a really nice little dog, easy to live with and doesn't have any real serious issues.

I think I will always go the rescue or shelter dog route.  I prefer to give a dog a home who doesn't have one.  To me it makes me feel very good by adopting a dog.  Both my Rottie(at rainbow bridge) and my Shih Tzu were rescues.

shadowsgin

I would rather pay to support a shelter or rescue than to pay way to much money for a piece of paper that says my dog is registered.  We dont show, only have pets to love.

I understand your thinking and for a family who wants only a companion to enjoy and share adventures with I think you are right on target. For thoes of us who do show or want a dog to work we really need to think it thourgh b eyond it was the face that haunted mefrom behind bars...

As a responsible and ethical breeder we pay a love tax on every puppy we have it goes to rescue and H&G. We  breed rarely so we have waiting lists and we develop a relationship with the new family.  Bob and I spend a large fortune supporting our local kill shelter since there isn't a vast resource for non kill in our area. I am not allowed in the shelter because it just deeply hurts to see dogs thrown away like this. We don't even have a real animal patrol just one or two guys and a truck. I have tried to get get the local lawmakers to pass licensing laws to better support the shelter but that went the way of the NRA attitudes. You can't tell some folks anything. We would gladly pay for licenses and extra for our intact show dogs. Our hounds are all family. they are 100% house dogs and frequently sleep with all of us. When you have 8 dogs that are a min of 60 lbs and some that are over 90 that is a feat! They all have a chance to work at something. One loves to herd, another is a therapy dog, several show and many lure course. each activity is expensive and until we can find a way to do them with mixed breed dogs we will stick ot our breed. As I try to quietly type this we are at a reast stop, two RRs are snoozing between the hubs and I and the sound of big 18 wheelers echos gently about the rig. I am not a snob, I have found purebred dogs with issues and mutts with issues. I work RR rescue and whelp  any breed for the shetler  placing  the pups through my vet(s) , I think the most important thing to do is to value each dog fro themself and for the bond they form with thier family.

Bonita of Bwana

I don't think anyone should ever be made to feel like they should apologize for getting a dog from a responsible breeder.  Some people want certain breeds - some people don't care. The important thing is that people are steered away from getting dogs from pet stores and puppy mills, IMO.

Joyce

fuzzy_dogs_mom

I don't think anyone should ever be made to feel like they should apologize for getting a dog from a responsible breeder.  Some people want certain breeds - some people don't care. The important thing is that people are steered away from getting dogs from pet stores and puppy mills, IMO.

Joyce

 ditto to what joyce said.

 right now all of our dogs are rescued from one source or another. it would be nice to get a PB at some point, but there are so many good dogs locally that get the shaft. i couldnt ever not have at least one rescued dog.

 
truthfully, i wish the question of whether you prefer a rescue or a pup from a breeder did not have to be a question. i wish all dog owners were responsible enough that there werent dogs living and dying in shelters.