Why do some people pay alot of money for a pure breed dog when they can pick up 1 for free at an animal pound?

Question

When you go to a dog pound, you'll be saving their life. What could be more imporant than saving a dog's life plus saving some money in the process too?

Answer 1

I wish I knew. Just think, if people would adopt more dogs from shelters or rescues, breeders wouldn't breed as many puppies. Not as many purebred puppies equals more shelter adoptions equals fewer homeless animals equals a better world.

I think people buy purebred dogs as a status symbol so they can say, "I have a $700 pomeranian with papers. His parents were both best in class champions". Yeah, great for you, but does the dog give a crap? He just wants to be a dog.

If people want to show off their dogs, why can't there be dog shows for mixed breeds? I don't care about my dog's markings or his bone structure - I care that he's healthy, happy and I love him for his personality. If mixed breeds could be judged on personality, cuteness and overall "awww" factor, I'd be the first to sign up. My dog doesn't give a rats *** if he wins a blue ribbon; he wants to run, chase squirrels, roll in dead squirrels, eat milk bones and cuddle. That's the way it should be. Everyone should have the opportunity to show off their "baby", no matter what their lineage. They're ALL wonderful.

I keep editing my answer because as I read some of the other answers, I get more and more upset. What do people want in a dog other than a good companion? Again, a dog is a dog no matter how much you want to pretend that they're something else. If you want something to show off, get a freaking corvette or a Coach handbag. Yes, you may have to pay a fee to adopt a dog, but think about where that money goes! To save other homeless animals that ignorant people dump, don't bother to spay or neuter and abuse! FYI - there are purebred dogs in shelters too! If you could selectively breed your children, would you do that too? Would you get rid of one of your children because they didn't meet your standards? I hope not, but the more I read, the more I wonder....

Sorry, this is a really sore topic for me.

Answer 2

I would never go to my local dog pound.
They are located at teh landfill which is perfect.
Tehy charge a $50 adoption fee.
The dogs are not seen by the vet, no vaccine or test.
they are not fixed
Tehy have had Parvo numerous times they have failed inspection and in decaember there was a picture of a dog that was so skinny and had a broken pelvis and the animal control office ( head animal control) sayed he didn't even know there was anything wrong with the dog.
When I first moved where I am now it was the prosoners that worked the pound and ran by Public Safety.
I was looking for a larger medium dog about 1-2 years old but I had a 4 year old and of course I want to know the dog is going to be ok with her.
Well I was told go look at teh dogs through the cages, do not put my fingers in the cages and if I found one they would have me fill out the adoption paper and they would load the dog in my car with my daughter but until the dog was in my car and after filling papers was the only time I could even touch the dog.
Well needless to say yes it's nice to save a life but I wasn't going to risk my daughter or my life so the dogs were all left there.
Another time I offered to adopt a female beagle that had just had pups I would raise the pups and then find them homes. I offered to pay the $50 adotion fee and take all but they wanted $50 per and the pups and mom were put down in 7 days because i couldn't and wouldn't pay for all that. iw as willing to save a total of 11 lives but agian no they only wanted the money and boy you should have seen the mess in the cage I couldn't have even gotten to the back of the cage where the mom and babes were without stepping in mess.
No never will I get from a pound. Where I live there are state laws that protect me and I feel better knowing the basckground of teh dog.
My older sister adopted a doberman one time from a pound. Beautiful dog great with woman--pound said good family dog just people had to move and couldn't take dog with them. My brother-in law got home and the dog attacked him and he ended up with 30 stitches. when my sister needless to say returned the dog they then said oh ya that's right they did say something about the dog not liking men and all that worked there were woman.

Answer 3

Pounds, shelteres and rescues can be wonderful places to get dogs. I have worked at a shelter, done breed rescue, and have 3 shelter/rescue pets.

However, there is NO sin in wanting a well-bred pet. Each breed has a blueprint
of how it should look, grow, and behave. Each breed is suited more for one
type of family than another might be. This cannot be reliably predicted in
mixes. Some families are capable of accepting unknown physical
characteristics and personalities. Some aren't. While adoption is a
wonderful choice for some people, others are better off with a more
predictable pet. For those interested in a purebred pet, here are some tips:

1) A REPUTABLE breeder takes animals of her breeding back at any time
for
any reason. Whether they offer a refund depends on circumstances.

2) A REPUTABLE breeder wants to meet the WHOLE family to see how the
pet
interacts with each memeber. They will visit the potential home with
the
puppy before allowing the new owner to purchase a puppy. Or, if the
distance is great, they will have a trusted fellow breeder or rescue
organization check out the new home.

3) A reputable breeder knows what genetic illnesses are possible in
the breed, and tests parents before breeding to help prevent those diseases.

4) The new owner should research the breed and the breeder. They
should
learn about things like genetic testing, and ASK questions of the
breeder to
determine if they are reputable.

Some examples: If you ask a breeder of Shetland sheepdogs if they test
for
VonWillebrand's disease in breeding dogs, they should be able to
explain the
process and tell you if the pups are clear or carriers. If you ask a
breeder
of Labrador retrievers how the parents did on their OFA screening,
they
should know what you're talking about.

Each breed has genetic diseases breeders can test for to prevent their
occurrance, or so as to make wise breeding decisions. Each breed has a
national club who will tell you what to look for in a healthy pup of
that
breed and what to ask breeders to help determine if they are
reputable.

Any reputable breeder will know about the problems of their breed as
well as
its strong points. Any reputable breeder will accept their own bred
pups
back at any age for any reason, and most INSIST the dog comes back to
them
if the new owner cannot keep it, just as the shelter does. They will
also insist on spaying/neutering of dogs that are not of high enough quality
to breed, and will guide you in learning more about the breed.

Most reputable breeders show their animals in conformation shows to
confirm that the dogs they intend to use to parent a litter are of excellent
quality. The judge's expert opinion of the dog earns it wins that confirm
that the animal adheres to its standard well enough to be worthy of
breeding.

With all this testing, showing, etc., the reputable breeder generally
loses money on puppies, but does it because they want to improve & preserve
their breed.

Answer 4

"why do people only want pure breed dogs and pay for them or when they are in a shelter for free they chose them right away in the country i live in they chose pure breed dogs to show off in there village and breed for money even though there is a animal problem." > Shelter dogs aren't free. > Some people want shelter dogs, some people want the predictability, working ability, etc., of a well-bred purebred. "And why do people still hunt for food when you can just buy it and it cost a lot less then a gun and bullets i mean geez we aren't cave men anymore!" > Hunted meat is healthier, it's eaten a more natural diet, hasn't been pumped full of horomones and antibiotics, and is leaner. > Hunting is also imperative to keeping wildlife populations in-check when the natural predators no longer live in an area. When a certain species gets overpopulated, it's not good on the ecosystem, and the overpopulated animals often die slow painful deaths of starvation or disease. > And the animal has lived a good, free life in the wild. Hunting is probably more humane than buying meat at a store. > And yes, hunting is cheaper than buying meat from the store. Bullets are pretty cheap, and a gun is a one-time purchase. "Why wear tortured or skinned alive animal sometimes even house pets such as dogs and cats but they say its like some cat from the jungle." > The fur industry is pretty well regulated here in the USA. They don't skin animals alive. > And fur is WARM! The two warmest coats I've ever owned were a down-filled coat and a fur coat. .

Answer 5

The answer to this question is based upon what you are looking for in a dog. There are good considerations concerning breed welfare, conformation, and genetics that come into play when you have a purebred dog. A dog from the pound could make a wonderful pet, and there are more avenues open now for performance activities also. It depends up your requirements.

With a purebred you gain a certain level of assurance as to how your dog will turn out. There is usually lots of information about the breed, everything from what tasks they were bred for to what you might expect from the health side. With a mutt you don't have any assurances as to how they will turn out. And remember, that line about mutts being healthier than purebreds? That was based upon a study of the number of visits per year to vets for mutts vs. purebreds. But consider the fact that if you have spent $1000 on a dog you are far more likely to go to the vet for more trivial reasons that if you have rescued a dog from the pound and paid $50. There is no difference healthwise.

There is the factor of rescuing the dog from the pound. This is a noble act definitely. There are also rescue programmes with many of the purebreds also. In the end, there is no greater joy than being able to share your life with the dog of your choice.

Cheers!

Answer 6

A couple of reasons. Probably the most common is that they want some kind of status. Like the reason why someone would buy a BMW when a Geo Metro will get you around town just fine and save you money in the process. The BMW is just so much cooler.

The other is that people do not want to inherit someone else's problems. Dogs at shelters might be there because an owner can't take care of the dog any more (illness, injury, old age, death). But, many dogs in shelters are there because they are problem children. Maybe they were too aggressive, they barked too much, they were too rambunctious, whatever. Sure these dogs can be rehabilitated. But, most people are too lazy to take that on and want to start with a fresh, new puppy.

Answer 7

There are some people (and they have a point) that prefer to get a purebred, because the dog has been carefully bred for many years to have predictable characteristics and temperament. Plus, you know how big the dog will be, what kind of care they will need, etc.

I like my mixed breeds, because they're unique, special individuals, and all mine, at least have been very smart. But each one is an adventure.

The ones I really don't get are the people that would pay huge sums of money for a designer dog like a labradoodle, when, if you go to the shelter, there's probably a lab / poodle mix just waiting to go home with you. All those "designer" mixed breeds, I just don't get it. You're paying registered purebred prices for what amounts to a mutt.

Answer 8

Some people want a predictable dog that they know they can use for hunting, herding, etc. Some people want a dog who has parents that are free of health problems and who were great examples of whatever breed it is.

Let's face it- the purebred in the pound are 85% puppymill or backyard breeder dogs- good breeders dogs don't end up in the pound. They are not examples of their breed and not dependable. Because they were poorly bred they may end up with alot of genetic problems.

I would rather have a pound mutt then a pound purebred- because it's more likely to be healthy.

PS- I do have a pound mutt and I love him to pieces.

Answer 9

Personally, I've never seen or heard of an animal shelter or "pound" that would give away it's animals for free..... But, I agree with you on the whole saving a life issue. I would always go to a shelter before a breeder.


The upside with (good) breeders is that they are there to call on if you have any questions about the dog, etc. And, purebreds from a good breeder also have a health guarantee, and you can be sure that the parents were health tested. You can also be sure that the puppies have recieve proper care, vaccinations, etc etc etc, when you buy from a breeder.....


I would always go for the shelter, myself. "Don't breed or buy, while shelter dogs die"

- No offense, Breeders!! Just sayin'.....

Answer 10

During the last 30 years I have rescued and adopted so many animals I have totally lost track. Between dogs and cats it has to be around 50.

When we lost our last dog mu husband asked that we got the Chihuahua he had wanted since he was a child when his was stolen. We ended up getting 4.

I still do lots of rescue work, mainly cats, but I do love my little Chi babies and I'm so glad we got them.

I think if I have adopted around 50 animals I'm allowed to buy 4 from a breeder guilt free. At least it was a good breeder and not a back yard breeder too! Many people have a very long way to catch up with me that's for sure when it comes to saving lives.