Breeder vs Rescue?

Question

What do you think of rescueing dogs? What I love about rescuing is the concept of before and after. When we got out mixed breed dog Chocolate from the shelter,he only weighed 15 pounds,he was thin,there was a bald patch on his tail,he had fly bites on his ears. The vet even said that the hair on his tail would NEVER grow back. To my delight I proved the vet wrong. He has proggessed so much since the day I got him.He now weighs 30 pounds,he has a glossy curly healthy coat,and his fly bites vanished. He was always seemingly depressed and antisocial when we got him.He was prorbobly owned and abused(since he was automaticly house trained when I got him) Now he can't stop wagging his scruffy little tail. And he smiles too. He smiles with his eyes. And he teases you too. If youd owned him for 3 years youde know he was teasing you. Sometimes I call him and he stands there and stares at me...and he smiles and wags his tail. He is a crack up.

I think if you plan to get a dog you should at least go to an animal shelter and at least look around a bit to see if you see a dog you like. If your dream dog is not to be found there than I would turn to a CERTIFIED dog breeder and buy one.

I think the best breeders are the ones who require you to nueter the dog you bought from them.

Answer 1

I believe in rescuing a pet. There are just so many dogs who get euthanized Every Day in animal shelters. And you can find just about any dog you are looking for, whether it is a specific pure breed, or a specific "designer" breed. Like puggles, labradoodles, even "Boxadors" And you are right about the transformation. I adopted my pit bull, and she was under weight at 40 pounds, dirty, had dandruff all over her black coat, so she looked gray. Now she is 55 pounds, healthy, happy, and her coat is jet black and very shiny. It makes you feel good do know you did something good for an abandoned pet. I always promote adoption to people who are looking for a dog just as a pet, which is what most people want. I'm glad to hear that you also chose to rescue a pet, rather than going to a breeder!!

Answer 2

The answer is different for each situation- if someone is looking for a particular breed I try to reccomend making sure that that is the right breed and trying a rescue first, but I do say to look for a reputable breeder if they want to buy.Many people think purebred means good pet, but most of the people here are jsut looking for a good pet, and are flexible about what kind of dog they need. If someone has very particular needs, then purebreds are a good option. I think that it is good to push rescues, because most people looking for breeders here really have no clue what they are getting into. If someone has been educated in the breed they are getting and go for crummy breeders. If someone knows what kind of dog they want and are willing to go to a good breeder, I have no problem with it. Generally those people are not the ones on here begging to know where they can find a puppy. I saw a question on here a little while ago where someone was asking how anyone could like a Siberian Husky when theirs was so destuctive and poory behaved, and it wasn't thair fault because "the dog wouldn't listen". These are dominant working dogs, and this person obviously had no clue what they were getting into. This is why so many people push rescues- people think pure bred means better dog, but pick a breed not suitable to the level of dedication they want. The people that are willing to do the research generally aren't here- they are on breed websites and talking to breeders from the start. I do see many people educating on the benfits of good breeders, but people are unwilling to pay or go to the lengths that are needed to get a well-bred puppy. At a rescue, they are saving a dog instead of supporting a bad breeder and they are still getting the inexpensvie loving dog they were looking for. Many people need to knwo to be careful adopting though. Getting an older mutt does not automatically mean it will be a good pet from the start. many dogs are given up because of behavior problems. This may jsut be because of poor training, but that still can mean headaches for the new owners. Most adoption agencies will educate and make good parings, but some are so desprate to get them into homes they figure that an unprepared owner is better than no owner at all.

Answer 3

I think either way of finding a pet is perfectly fine. I have personally done both.

The most important thing to remember is to research, research, research!! If you want a certain breed of dog, make sure it will fit into your lifestyle. If you get a dog that is very active, make sure you will be able to provide appropriate exercise. Find out how big the dog will get (if it is not full grown already)...do you have the room for it?

Will someone be there all day with the dog? How will you keep it safe when no one else is home?

Always take your time when making the decision to bring a pet into the home. If you go to the rescue or breeder, don't just pick a pet "because he is sooo cute".

Congratulations on the rescue and your dogs success. Keep up the good work!

Answer 4

DEFINITELY rescue. Bred dogs are perfectly good dogs too, but they always find great homes. Rescue dogs rarely do. Think about it. dogs from breeders are kept at a HOME. As in a place that is possibly luxurious and they have a yard with plenty of room to run around. Shelter dogs are in a 10' by 5' cage for their whole lives. Imagine how great a rescue dog would treat you if you saved them from a place like that. They would be so grateful to you and be loyal, loving, and affectionate pets that will live longer because they know that they are with someone who loves them and saved them from a bad place where they will never go back to again.

Answer 5

Six of our eight dogs are rescues, and I would try that first every time. Failing that, I would go to a reputable breeder only as a last resort. After all, it's not as though there is a shortage of dogs wanting homes. The other factor, for us, is that any new dogs we introduce into the household have to be able to get along with our existing dogs, and you stand more chance of knowing that with older dogs at animal shelters, as they already have a history.

Answer 6

I love the concept of rescueing dogs and cats!!! Everything should be given a chance and just because someone else didn't want them it's no reason for them to spend their life in a cage!!! But on the other hand, you might not know what you're getting into when you rescue, the dog may have been abused at one point and if you didn't know that, it could be very damaging. But I have rescued my Australian Shepherd mix and she has fit in just great!!! I have also rescued 5 cats.

Answer 7

A "Certified" breeder? You don't have to go through a "certification" course to breed. However, I agree with the principle of what you wrote. You should go to a reputable breeder who has health checks (and, by health checks, I don't mean one quick vet appointment, vet says she looks good, so you breed her-I mean hip x-rays, canine eye registry foundation certification, ETC). Your breeder should be breeding for a reason-they show dogs, they do agility with their dogs. "My dog is so cute" or "I thought she'd make cute puppies" or "I wanted my children to witness birh" is NOT a reason to breed. If you want your children to witness birth, YOU give birth.

I agree about rescuing. However, some people do have an interest in showing. You CAN actually show a rescued dog in Juniors, provided it is purebred, but if you want to show in Breed, you'll want to buy from a breeder. I think most people who intend to show, however, have done enough research and know they need to buy from a reputable breeder.

Answer 8

You could make a parallel with people who adopt children. (No offence intended.) Should you adopt from the public foster care system? Should you do a private adoption of an infant?

* One is considerably more expensive than the other.
* One is providing a permanent home that might not otherwise be found. The other is competing for a scarce commodity.

Is one more right than the other? Should people be forced into one option or the other? Isn't it ultimately a personal decision - assuming the people involved are capable of providing a good home?

Answer 9

I love the before and after of rescuing as well - but sadly I couldn't find a picture of my dog on petfinder as a "before." She's gained five to ten pounds - but doesn't look as terribly skinny - and passed level one obedience since I got her 3 months ago. I put a link to her dogster page - there isn't a lot of dramatic before and after, but her behavior is really coming around!!

Answer 10

Adopting one of God's Fids (furry or featheres kids) is always to be admired.
My adopted dog is so appreciative of a good "forever" home.
She loves us unconditionally and tries so hard to say "thank you for taking me at 4 months old after I was taken from my first owner who kicked me all over the yard."
They know what you have done for them. I am convinced of that.