Anyone against adoptiong puppies from Shelters?

Question

I needed a dog to be very social, good with a family and small children, and easy to train as i wanted to take this dog almost everywhere i go...
I also wanted a puppy and a breed that was most favorable to my needs. - i know all dogs in a breed are not the same, but i didnt want to take the risk and get a dog that i would have to give up.

Shelters couldn't positively tell me what breed their dog really was. So i opted-out and got a dog from a breeder, i really wanted to rescue a dog, but i couldn't afford the risks. What do you think??? Should people with such needs not go to a shelter?

Answer 1

i think that rescuing a dog from a shelter is great!! but, if you don't have the time, skill, patience or whatever else you might need to take care of a high maintenance dog, then i dont think you should get one!! (translation: you made the right choice)
What could happen if you get a dog from the shelter and you have to give it up is.... your dog could form a bond with you and when he is taken away he could become il-tempered or depressed. sometimes when a dog is depressed it doesnt eat or ignors its instincts to do whatever it has to do to stay alive. unintentionally, you could end up killing that dog you tried to rescue!! If the dog becomes il-tempered, there is a big chance that (s)he will not be adopted and possible be put down (if the shelter puts the animals down).
In the end though, if you can care for a dog, it is a great idea to take an animal from a shelter!! It would make such a difference in that animals life, and may even save its life!! just make sure that you can keep the animal.
You made a great decision even if it is kind of sad that you couldnt help an animal.... but you can always help in different ways!!
Good luck with the new puppy/dog!
Meg

Answer 2

I think getting any mix breed is a little risky because you are never 100% sure of what the puppy is a combination of and in certain situations, such as with children or if you have a specific job in mind you really can't afford to take the chance that the dog won't work out and that the dog will be sent back to a shelter.

Answer 3

Well, I guess if you wanted a pure bred dog and the shelter couldn't tell for sure, then I guess it's good that you moved on, but a dog from a shelter can be social, good with family and kids, easy to train, etc. I volunteer at a humane shelter and they do a lot to socialize all the animals, taking them out on walks, etc. So, at least where I volunteer, the majority of the dogs and cats there are very sociable and good with others. I think maybe you gave up too soon.

Answer 4

I use to work at the SPCA (I have 4 kids now and can't work) We often got dogs in that where socialized with families, kids, dogs and cats. Most of the pets come to shelter as pound transferees(the pound will euthanized if the owner doesn't claim in 4 days!!!) so we didn't know the history of them, but we did do evaluations and tried to see how they reacted to cats, kids and various types of people. I adopted 2 dogs while working there. 1 is a cocker spaniel, his owners brought him in because her Dad was abusing him. So I knew he was good with kids and cats already. The 2nd is a pug he was a pound transferee, so he was a stray. he looks pure bred and after a few months of training he is a wonderful addition to our family. Any dog what ever breed or mix can be trained and become a wonderful member of any family. It really depends on the time and effort the family puts into the new addition. Plus I feel better adopting from a shelter, because I know your saving the animals life and the animal knows to. 60-80% of animals that end up in a shelter do not get a new home.

Answer 5

Makes perfect sense.. Especially given the fact that alot of the dogs at shelters have come from hmm.. not necessarily abusive home, but maybe homes that didn't socialize properly, etc... If you have special needs, sometimes it is best to start with a new puppy, with breed traits that you specifically are wanting. Makes sense to me!

And not everyone has the patience to work with a dog that might have problems. Or the skills to correct behaviours. Some people find it easier to bond with a puppy and train them properly from the start.

I do think it's funny, the people with the designer breeds tend to bash people who want purebreds.. Suggesting that the designer breeds are healthier.. I don't think that's the case.. I think you won't see typical breed specific health issues necessarily, but they are definately not with out their health issues..

Purebreds, if you buy from a reputible breeder, at least you are getting a dog whose parents have been tested and very likely most of the dogs in the first couple of generations anyhow. I don't see where the designer breeders are testing for health issues.. What to test for?? Who knows what might come up, a Designer breed is just a mixed breed with a fancy name and a big price tag...

Answer 6

Shelters are not breeders. The people who give up their animals aren't always truthful about situations that "made" them give up their animal and of the information about the animal. Most of the time they don't even know what kind of dog it is, whether or not the shots have been administered, etc. You shouldn't presume that shelters will know everything or will have everything, especially if you're looking for only a certain dog.

There's nothing wrong with mutts. I have a mutt, and he's hilarious! He's beautiful, and gets compliments all the time. So no, you shouldn't have gone to a shelter looking for only one kind of dog. If you want to rescue an animal, keep your options open. You may find someone you love even more.

Answer 7

well - I am a strong advocate of rescuing shelter dogs:

- there are so many of them in need of good homes

- they tend to be quite grateful - and appreciate that you rescued them, as such they can be extremely loyal as a result

- mutts (as is often the case w. shelter dogs ) are often more intelligent and less prone to genetic maladies that plague a lot ot the purebreds

- unfortunately there are a lot of scumbag breeders out there (puppy-mills) .. and even when you buy from a reputable breeder you are indirectly supporting these puppy-mill breeders by creating a consumer 'need' for often trendy, flavour of the month 'desinger dogs'

- shelter dogs tend to be mature - which can be a good thing if you are not keen on housetraining, teething and assorted puppy issues

- often shelter dogs come very well trained thanks to dedicated volunteers and professionals that staff the shelters


All that being said though, the second hand dog from the shelter - as is often the case comes from a background of abuse or neglect and can often be a real challange that may be more than a new dog owner is prepared to tackle.. many have abandonment issues, fear biting, OCD-style behaviour or worse.

My advice to a neophyte dog owner thinking of adopting a shelter dog would be at the very least spend some time volunteering at the shelters (most offer walking opportunities) and get an idea what you might be in for.. be prepared to invest the time and the effort..

Answer 8

I agree with you. If you are looking for a dog of a specific size or temperment it is much better to get one that you can get information about mother and father or breed. I think you did the right thing. I live in Alabama. I searched the shelters when I was looking for a dog. I found that many of these shelters wanted WAY too much for their adoption fees. I know they need money in order to operate but if they want as much for their dogs and a breeder would want then I would much rather get one that I had more background on. Also if they want so much for them that people have a hard time affording them then they have to continue to keep them which in turn means they have to continue to pay to feed them. Go figure.

Answer 9

hard question
yes the breeder can tell you what you are getting and then you will end up with what you asked for.
with the shelter they should be able to tell you what they think is in there or at least the mother etc.. either way i have both and have found that they are both the same. all depends on how they are raised and trained not on the origins. all breeds have typical qulaities but muts also have their traits.
everyone should research on both options and then decide but dont expect your pure bred to be exactly like the brochure. as for you i think you made the right choice because this way if the dog had problems you wouldn't blame it on where it came from. their are no bad dogs just bad owners.

Answer 10

You can still have dogs with problems from reputable breeders. I understand your desires, though. We have certain needs in our family, and so I was looking for a rescued dog in a certain breed, wanting to give a good home to an unwanted dog (Petfinder.com was very helpful with this.) I had found a rescue group that specialized in the breed we were looking for, when someone contacted us about taking in a dog that needed a new home, so we took him instead.