out of all the dog owners here, who would prefer to get a dog from a..?

Question

(a) pet store
(b) shelter
(c) breeder

and... have a:

(a) purebred
(b) mixed breed

there is no right or wrong answer, i am just interested in peoples opinions. I can understand why someone would want to get a purebred dog from a reputable breeder (not a backyard breeder) if they have researched the breed and found the exact type of breed that will suit their lives.

i, myself would prefer to get a pup from a shelter, mixed or not, just because thats who i am. i have nothing against people who would prefer not to get one from a shelter, but i'd also like to know why? (again, just out of curiosity).

happy answering! cant wait to read some opinions!! =)

ps- i have 2 dogs who r mixed breeds and from the shelter, just so u all know. i love them with all of my heart! =)

i love the mixed breeds - even the total mutts that u cant even pick whats in them because i think they have so much character. that and i know they r in much need of a loving home.

the way i see it, u can be pretty sure that a cute pup in the store window will always find a home- same with the pus from a breeder, but u cant always b sure that a pound puppy will always find a home before their time is up...

i mean "pups" not pus. oops!

TWOBEARCATZ: where do u get off? i WORK in a shelter!! I WORK in rescuing dogs!!!! i, myself SEE all the mistreated dogs etc! i HELP them!!!! i was INTERESTED in other peoples opinions!!!!!! knock, knock retard! get ur damn facts straight before u go criticizing others who DO make a difference! and YES i like to hear other peoples OPINIONS b because it helps to make the public view clearer in my eye! if u r so cruelt to humans, how do u claim to be so good to animals. care to edit ur answer with a nicer one?

LAYBACK: thats a really interesting opinion. i had never thought of it like that. i spose the reason i post these questions is to get everyones opinion and nothing u said offended me at all. i truly believe that everyone IS entitled to their own opinion, and thats urs! i just wanted to let u know, though, just so u know, that many shelters dont make a profit at all. im not sure about where u live, but i live in australia and the shelter i work in barely makes enough. all the money that we receive from 'selling' an animal is just repaying the cost we spent on medical bills, vaccinations, worming, operations, spay/neutering, basic obedience training etc.we take alot of time to get 2 know each & every animal. a profile is written about all of them and there are many, many that we wont rehome because of serious illness or behavioral probs or hand scaredness. they arent put to sleep, (unless they r dangerous),they just take up a happy life in the shelter with us as permanent residents!

Answer 1

I have several gorgeous pure bred dogs. I also have a small mixed breed. Her mother was a stray that adopted my friend, and produced puppies shortly after my friend rescued her. ..I wouldn't take a million dollars for my little mutt. She is never out of my sight, or should I say, she never lets me out of her sight...So very loving and precious.! and smart as they come..

When I can have more room, I will certainly adopt from a shelter, or take in a stray...I have adopted many wonderful rescued dogs over the years... One stray that adopted me saved my life!

Answer 2

I like raising a puppy myself and knowing what happened to them as they grew up (not having to fix someone else's mistakes). Also I have fallen in love a particular breed (chihuahuas), so my answer is a purebred from a breeder that I can go visit and see the facilities and the puppy's family. I am also a breeder myself so I put a lot of time into raising my puppies to be pets (learning to go outside to potty, how to be a part of the family, noises they might hear etc). I want my puppies to be able to fit into a home and adjust to what is going on so that they stay in that home forever. To me that beats the uncertainty of a dog with an unknown background. Now that could be either a mixed breed or a purebred. But like I said I fell in love with a breed and thus far they have yet to let me down and with a purebred, you should also be able to know what to expect on temperment and future looks/size.

And I would never buy either from a pet store. You don't know what conditions those puppies came from before the pet store. They may have spent their entire little lives in a cage with minimal human contact. They may have serious genetic problems lurking. The risk of buying from a pet store are too high. Besides their prices are outrageous. You can find a better quality puppy from a breeder for much less money (and they should have a better upbringing).

Answer 3

Oh I love dog questions! My first preference is from a reputable breeder, simply because you have a good idea of what you are getting. You can meet the parents, see the pups, take your time. Pet stores are outlets for puppy mills as often as not and you can easily end up with a problematic or sick pet. It is also harder to get back to the breeder if you have problems if you use a shop.

Shelters are wonderful also. So many people get rid of dogs for reasons that aer not the fault of the dog at all. I remember hearing about a woman who changed dogs whenever she redid her apartment so the pets matched the colour scheme!

So I would go to the shelter to see what animals were being held. Meanwhile as I was doing this, for you just keep returning, I would be speaking with local breeders about the pet of my choice. I might even fall in love with a mutt in the shelter first! Eventually I would have to make a decision and I would base it on many factors, depending on what my choices were.

As for breed, I have my favourites as we all do. But having a favourite does not mean it is the dog for me because perhaps it has needs I cannot meet. Many of today's designer dogs were once known as mutts or mixed breeds. Now they get trendy names like cockabeagle, or poocock, or labradoodle, etc etc. You know pretty well what you are getting when it is only two breeds, but you never really know for sure. The fewer breeds involved, the fewer surprises you will find as the dog matures.

After all, every breed has specific requirements that need to be met. It is good to know what you are getting into in case you cannot meet those needs.

You are right, there are no right or wrong answers. The wrong thing is not taking care and making a choice that leaves both animal and owner miserable.

Problem is, sometimes you just fall for that perfect set of brown eyes and don't care where the critter comes from. Love at first sight exists between people and animals too!

Answer 4

I would rather get a mixed breed dog from a shelter.

Mutts are really my preference -- just as a tendency, a good mutt is usually more healthy, natural, and balanced than a purebred. Purebreds tend to be bred towards extremes -- for example, extremely small size or an extremely short nose. These extremes end up being downfalls to the unfortunate dog that has been bred with them. For example, an extremely small dog is very fragile, and a dog with an extremely short nose has respiratory problems. But a mutt tends to be more balanced in all ways, including personality.

But I wouldn't want a mutt puppy from a shelter unless I could meet the mother as well. A lone puppy in a shelter is usually very unpredictable -- you don't know if they'll grow to be 30 pounds or 60 pounds, you don't know if they'll be easy-going, protective, or energetic. So unless you can meet a parent of the puppy so you'll get a rough idea what they might end up like, mature adult dogs are the better way to go.

Answer 5

I hate shelter due to all the things i know about them. How can you put a time on life. they act as tho they are god or something. of course i have no problem with the dog itself. i adopted 2 dog from the shelter before and one was pure and the other was mix. my dogs, are some of the best dog i ever had. but, If i had a choice i would not get a dog from a shelter. these people are making profit off of these animal and killing them off as they plz. And i hate being pressure and part of a never ending cycle. i would rather get a dog from a rescue then a shelter any day. the only reason i would even adopt a shelter dog, like most people, i want to save it life.


so my vote is rescue, breeder , than the shelter. the reason for picking the breeder over the shelter is that, if no one adopt from a breeder than it will eventually end up at a shelter. and we all know what happen next. but this is my own personal preference.

Reality, i would rather people choose a shelter first before all other options. just because a dog time in a shelter is cut short. Remember, that animals are incapable of their own destiny, we who are owner of this world, should do something about it.


http://pawprintz.org/id145.html

ps no offense to you brige :)


RE:
I live in CA (U.S). Here they only give a dog 1month regardless of their situation. they can be the nicest creature ever, and still be put down just because this world had abandon them. At least they are lucky right?...i mean some places like, Florida and many other states, they euthanize the dogs right away if they look anything remotely like a pit. they even put down puppies, never even gives them a chance to be love by someone. I swear, nothing make me more mad then seeing a poor animals that can't fight for it own survival. I'm glad that where you are from, Brige, you guy have compassion for living things. keep up the good work!, and hopefully one day, American learn a thing or two from you guys and quit looking at life as tho it were dollar sign.


http://media.putfile.com/The-TRUTH-About-Pit-Bulls

http://www.pitbullproblem.tk/

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoID=609969210

I Don't know if you seen these videos yet, but it make me sad each time i watch it. i have a pit, he is the sweeties thing you will ever see, won't even hurt a fly. I can't believe how much these other pit goes thru just for having a brand name.

Answer 6

I personall think all pet stores are evil unless you just want the products they sell, or fish. They are SOOOO over priced and usually wind up selling puppies that were bred by back yard breeders... so the pets dont have papers or they have access but you need to "order" them which requires a fee...
My first vote would be a shelter, save a life, gain a friend and pay for the next pet that finds himself down on his luck all at the same time.

I have a mixed breed shelter save. He's the best dog I have ever had. He came with all his manners and he listens to the important commands.

I also think if you want a purebred something-erother, then an AKC or CKC registered Breeder is the way to go. They go through the proper channels to gain rights to only breed the best dogs and Better the breed.

I have one of these as well. My first ever but its working out well.

Answer 7

Shelter or breeder. NEVER a pet store. I would actually more likely go to a breed rescue than a shelter. That way I could get the specific breed I want and also be giving a needy dog a home. However, having little children, I have to be careful what I bring home, and I can't risk having a dog that is unpredictable or has been abused around my young children. Right now I have a GR from a reputable breeder, a Ragdoll Cat from a reputable breeder, and a Siamese Cat from the local SPCA.

Answer 8

I prefer a pure bred dog from reputable breeder as that way you know what you are getting.

Shelter animals often times have problems. You don't know how many times the animal has be recycled through various families or what problems, if any, the dog may have.

I live in a community where we kill over 65% of the animals turned in to the shelters because of over population. The dogs and cats that are adopted are not in the shelters long so no one actually knows too much in regards to their personalities or problems. This is not good enough for me as dog ownership takes a lot of responsibility and I for one want to know all about the animal I am bring into my house. I need to be certain that the animal will not harm anyone and will meet my expectations.

More emphasis needs to be placed on getting people to spay and neuter their pets.

Answer 9

I prefer to get a dog from a breeder (1st choice) or a shelter (2nd choice), but never a pet store. My first dog was from a pet store, and had more issues than I could fix. My second dog was from a shelter, and also had a lot of issues (cat aggression) that weren't apparent in the shelter environment. My third dog was purchased from a very good breeder, and has been the easiest dog ever to train!

I prefer purebreds, but mixed breeds are OK, too. I like that purebred's personalities and sizes are very predictable. With mixed breeds, you never really know how big they are going to get!

Answer 10

Depending on what I am looking for, I would either go to a reputable breeder for a purebred or go to a shelter for either one. My last dog came from a local herding breed rescue. He is a purebred Malinois, but he had been so abused that the shelter was going to put him to sleep. The rescue took him and then adopted him out to me, and I am so so glad that I got him because he is such a great dog. I also show French Bulldogs, so they would have to come from a reputable breeder.

I would NEVER purchase a puppy from a pet store or from a breeder that was not reputable.

Answer 11

I have gotten dogs and cats from shelters in the past. Twice I had to take the animal back due to behavior problems. Three times I had animals with a bad illness, with the animal living less then a year. All these times it was very hard on the whole family.

We currently have a cat that we got over 10 years ago, picked from a box of kittens, from a group of kids, in front of a food store. He is now very spoiled.

It has been over seven years since I have had a dog. I chosen to go to a reputable breeder that I had researched. I also researched the breed for one that will fit in with our family lifestyle, and my disability. I plan on having a long lived companion.