Do purebred puppies REALLY steal homes from shelter dogs?

Question

I'm interested in RATIONAL answers to this question and not replies fueled by emotion.

Answer 1

Rational reply. NO.

Checking statistics will quite often prove to yourself that it is cross bred dogs that are mostly in shelters.

What we need to ask is....Do shelter dogs steal the homes from Pure Breds?

The only reason shelter dogs have the need for the sympathy is from irresponsible breeders, crossing dogs and the subsequent pups ending up in shelters.
Poorly bred pure breds often suffer the same fate.
Eg: My dog nips, it is vicious, I need to rehome. Answer: Your dog nips because you let it, train it not to and it won't. Or..you purchased a herding breed and it is natural instinct, duhhh breeders should have told you that, slap the irresponsible breeder.

Breeders need to be educated in the sales of their puppies, those of mixed as it seems they are going to breed whatever the consequence, and purebred breeders that only breed for the dollar.

Good screening of prospective owners (that is realizing what the owner expects from the puppy and education on their expectations) as to where your puppy goes to will often prevent many unwanted dogs in the world. If only the prospective owner did not think their new puppy was an instant hit in the household, if only they realized THEY have to train the pup.

So my answer to you is many fold. It is not the shelter dogs or the purebred dogs stealing homes from any dog, it is the owners that don't want to give the dogs a home anymore that is the problem.

Answer 2

In my opinion no. I have Pomeranians and Yorkies. I also have a mutt adopted from the shelter. Rescues and Shelters ARE inundated with pets. Why? Because of irresponsible unethical breeders and irresponsible owners. The "muttsforbucks" freaks crank out anything and everything to rake in the cash and people rush to buy the latest "designer" fad only to discover that what they "thought" they were getting wasn't such a great idea after all. So they take it to the shelter and dump it off. Then you've got the people who think that their pure bred dog is just so absolutely darling that they simply MUST have a litter. They do no research about breeding, they sell to just anyone without researching where the pups are going, and THOSE pups or dogs end up in the shelter. The majority of people have zero common sense. We live in a world where everything is disposable...and I mean everything. In this day and age there is NO REASON for shelters to be full, but until byb's, puppymills, pet stores, muttsforbucks breeders, etc are prohibited there's going to be a problem. People purchase or breed on a whim when they need to get educated because the ones who suffer are the animals. If people cannot be responsible they have no business having a pet. It's a committment. I get so tired of people searching for a "cheap" dog, or saying they can't provide the necessary care because they don't have the money, or neglecting the animal because they don't have "time". If you are searching for a pure bred then be prepared to spend money on quality, research the breeder AND the breed, get references, have a contract and guarantee, BE RESPONSIBLE. If you are searching for pet quality then go to a breed specific rescue or adopt a mutt from the shelter. BE RESPONSIBLE.

Answer 3

I think in many cases yes. There are some people who are obsessed just with one breed of dog, but there are even rescues just for that breed of dog that can be adopted from. Any dog you want, puppy to adult, purebred to mutt can be got from a rescue or shelter if you look hard enough and are a little patient. Of the three dogs I've adopted from shetlers, two have been mutts but one is a purebred coonhound that I recently traced through his tattoos to find that he's from champion working lines.

Most people though just want a dog. They think they want a pug because they saw one on Men in Black, but really they don't know anything about the breed and if they went and saw Lassie they'd then want a collie. But since it's so easy to open the classifieds to the Back Yard Breeder and Puppy Mill section (otherwise known as "Pets" in the paper), and call the number for Pugs, they get a pug. If these same people went to the shelter and walked around, they'd probably wind up with a shelter dog. They're cute, they look sort of pathetic, it's hard to leave without taking one home with you.

Only people interested in showing or working a dog should be getting from a breeder (and of course only a high quality breeder). Everyone else just wants a dog to do dog things like snuggle and run around with their kids. That dog is waiting at the shelter for you.

But of course some poeple think all dogs in shelters should be euthanised immediately. That's the only other solution to this problem. If you think dogs shouldn't be slaughtered just because they're homeless, then you should get a homeless dog. If you think it's fine that dogs are killed because someone made a bad choice about them, then by all means, support the dog breeding industry.

Answer 4

No I don’t, I think it just depends on the person getting the dog. I myself would never buy a pure breed dog from a breeder. I will always find my dogs at a shelter of some kind, whether it be the Humane Society, APA or Stray Rescue or some other shelter. Now you can find pure breeds in the shelters sometimes too not a big deal. Though I myself prefer mutts, it gives you a unique dog that few or no other people will have. They tend to be smarter as well as healthier, their less likely to get a genetic disorder passed to them Due to the fact they are coming from more diverse gene pools. I'd say the same is true for anything that is mixed

Answer 5

I don't believe they steal homes from shelter dogs cos alot of pure-breds end up BEING shelter dogs because people are too stupid to check out a breeds requirements before they buy and they don't understand that puppies are like babies and must be taught.They are'nt born knowing how to sit,lay,heel,fetch,etc.They take time and effort that people are'nt willing to invest in an animal.When they can't or rather won't teach the dog anything it becomes uncontrolable and is discarded like yesterdays trash.

Answer 6

If you buy a purebred puppy thru a pet shop or a breeder...then yes, they are 'stealing' a home from a dog from a shelter or from a rescue group. You can find purebreeds at shelters sometimes and of course thru rescue groups. But when you buy from a pet shop or a breeder, then they breed more dogs to fill the spot of the puppy you purchased.

Answer 7

I don't believe so. The people like me who will only buy purebreds either because we like to show, or enter in obedience, or whatever we like to do with our dogs, will not buy a cross breed. A lot of people I've known who get dogs from shelters would never spend the money on a pure bred.

Answer 8

Not necessarily. If I couldn't have Whippets (well, or maybe a Saluki) I wouldn't be going to the shelter to get a mutt. A mutt would be totally useless to me for coursing.

There ARE people out there that actually have a certain breed for a reason and use them for their intended purpose.

If this is an anti-breeder rant, get mad at all the idiots allowing their mutts to breed.

Answer 9

Personally, I would not buy a dog from a breeder. However, I have a purebreed chihuahua from my dad's dogs and a shelter rescue boxer. Of the two, the boxer was much more expensive as she was ill when we rescued her. I think it is all in what you want and can afford.

Answer 10

I don't think so. I think it's different dogs for different tastes and price ranges. If you don't have that much money and you want a dog your more likely to adopt one from the humane society than to go to a breeder and spend $800+ on a dog. At least I'd hope so, because if you don't have the money then you shouldn't spend so much. My mom is a dog breeder, and sometimes she doesn't have all that much business. I think it's pretty much even, some buy from breeders and some adopt.