I decided i am going to get a dog I am deciding if i should adopt a lab or buy a lab from a breeder Help?

Question

I heard that purebred have genetic problems, but shelter dogs usually have behavior problems.

Thanks

Answer 1

Absolutely adopt a lab since you have nailed one, you don' t have to worry no one will buy the dogs from the breeder, because there will always be someone to buy them, but what you should worry now is that if you don' t adopt the dog, it may be put down!

Answer 2

Have you thought about adopting a retired lab from a reputable breeder. Many times they will retire the females around 5-6 years and they have only had 1 litter per year and are not what you would call bred to death, but would make loving family companions. I personally have a female who is retired lab that is 6 and has only had 3 litters but is wonderful with children, never been abused, well socialized, housebroken and loves to play fetch. Many breeders will be willing to give the dog away provided that it's going to a good home. If the Lab is from a reputable breeder you know that it has been taken care of both medically, emotionally and socially. Plus in a way you are rescuing it to. Just a thought so unless you are set on a puppy you could have the best of both options.

Answer 3

Adopt one because there are so many sweet, loving, healthy dogs and puppies in shelters because the people that had them didn't realize the commitment they got into when they first got the dog. Shelters are required to answer any and all questions you have about a dog you're interested in. That's the only place I will get a dog because I'm just a pushover when it comes to wet noses and wagging tails! There is no such thing as a bad dog, just bad owners. With one from the shelter, you don't need to worry about it possibly coming from a puppy mill or a female that is forced to have multiple litters in one year. Most shelters have a return policy on the dogs they adopt out. If the dog isn't what you expected, you can usually return it in a certain amount of time and not pay a surrendering fee.

Answer 4

Cut out the middle man (the breeder) and just head right to a shelter.
With the amount of pure bred dogs in shelters, chances are good that you are going to wind up with a lab that was bred by a breeder.

We have three dogs. Our girl was a stray and we adopted our two boys from our local shelter.
I wouldn't have it any other way. (All three of ours are mixed breeds by the way).
Yes, there have been bumps in the road and we have had to deal with some behavior problems with our newest edition (he has separtation anxiety, that, after almost five months has improved a great deal).
But that isn't to say that you couldn't have the behavior problems with a dog you bought from a breeder.
I, personally, have a problem with a lot of breeders.
Those that breed their dogs as much as they possibly can and get as many pups and money as they can and then when they can't breed the dogs anymore or the dogs aren't having a certain standard of puppy, they just drop them off at a shelter.
A small private shelter a county over from us has
3 Eskies (two females and one male) and 3 corgi's (two females and one male) that are "retired" breeders. On average, these dogs are 7 years old. So, for seven years, this breeder got what he wanted out of them and then got rid of them when they were of no further use to him/her.
To me, that says that these dogs were just a way to make money not a pet or a living, feeling being that was loved and cared about.

Answer 5

Yes, large dogs are usually turned into a shelter for behavioral problems, but the shelter owner will tell you WHY the dog was turned in to the shelter in the first place.
I know some people who adopted a female black lab from a shelter that is absolutely the calmest and sweetest dog you could have. So there are good pets to be found there.
You are going to have behavioral problems with ANY dog until you teach it manners or take it to a basic dog obedience course. So go and ADOPT-you may be surprised . And check out more than one shelter, as well as newspaper ads too. Sometimes people are moving and can't take a pet with them.

Answer 6

Everyone will say to adopt. There are too many homeless dogs out there. So if you can do that great. Buying from a breeder will be more expensive and you will deal with house training but you may deal with house training with an adopted dog too. You can find many young labs at a shelter though, even puppies.

Answer 7

I have had purebreeds and I have had muts and I will tell you that the best dog I have ever had was an adopted dog. My dog came to us potty trained, knowing comands, well behaved, and addorable. It took him a couple of weeks to warm up to us but when I come home and he does his little happy dance and his whole face lights up I know I made the right decision to adopt. My dog was sent to the pound because a familiy adopted him but did not want to give him the exercise he needed. They did not walk him or play with him and he became depressed and took out his frustration by not eating. My dog is a purebreed min pin, fixed, with all his shots. His ears are already clipped and his tail docked. I would have had to pay over 1000$ to get him an his alterations done. I got him from the pound for $100 I saved a bundle. You can find pure breeds all the time at the pound especially labs and pits. People buy these dogs not knowing that you have to exercise them, use heartworm and flea control, take them to the vet, feed them good dog food ( not Ole' Roy from Walmart), and Take care of there overall well being. PLease consider adopting because for me it is the only way to go!!!

Answer 8

There's no need to buy from a breeder. Go to http://www.petfinder.com and search for the specific breed you want. There are also a lot of Purebred Rescue groups around the US -- just do a Google search.

Labs are one of the most sought after breeds of late, but they are also one of the top breeds who have ended up in the animal shelter.

Be sure you understand what kind of commitment you're signing up for with a working class dog; especially Labs. They take a long time to mature and need a lot of space to run around and play. They also are quite needy in the attention department.

Answer 9

It really depends on how much time your willing to sacfice on the training with adopting a dog you have to work with some of the behavior problems and with a breeder your most likly going to get a puppy and with those you have to potty train them and deal with there chewing stage you also need to be willing to go outside almost every day and play ball toake it for walk and all with a older dog you will still have to do these things but it will be a little more calmed down then a puppy labs love to play ball and swim so be perpared they are awsome dogs when you get them trained though there still awsome when there not trained

Answer 10

Both are generalizations. It's like saying that all Fords get poor mileage, but all Chevys rust out early. Neither is true, but both may happen sometimes.

If you have a specific need for a pedigreed dog, go that way. But unless you're going to open a kennel and breed the dog, or you're vain enough that you can only have a purebred pet, go to the shelter. Spend some time there, and get to know the animals. You will find one you like, and you may literally be saving its life.