Should I buy from a breeder or adopt from a shelter?

Question

I am confused about buying from a breeder vs adopting from a shelter. I am concerned with health issues (that most breeders test for) whereas shelter pups could run into some issues. It would break my heart to have to put down a puppy/dog for hip dysplasia very young...I have seen it as young as 2 years old. I felt that by finding a breeder that is very careful and does a lot of testing it would save me the heartache.Do shelters take the time to check out the pups nowadays?

Answer 1

There are advantages to both. With the breeder you can get you a much better idea of the potential health issues your pup may have and you can dramatically stack the deck in your favor. However you have to remember that just because the dogs parents are OFA'd free of hip and elbow dysplasia it doesn't mean that your pup might not develop dysplasia. The exact mode of inhertance is not know but it is is felt that at least some of the genes involved are recessives so they can pop up from time to time.

Most shelters don't do any testing on their puppies or dogs. In many cases they don't even spend the couple of dollars to vaccinate them before they are adopted. However you get the good feeling of saving a dog that otherwise might die.

There is a third alternative which might be the best for you, that is purebred rescue. Almost every breed has dogs in the rescue system. The amount of knowledge about these dogs varies dramatically (I worked on a case a while ago that included 2 AKC Champions and a young major pointed female) but in all cases the dogs have been evaluated by someone experience in the breed who can tell you about the individual dogs strengths and weaknesses. If you have a breed in mind go the the AKC's site http://www.akc.org and look up the contact for the breed club and ask them to put you in touch with their rescue contact in your area and see what they have.

BTW not to disagree with the other poster but dysplasia affects all breeds. That dysplasia only affects large dogs is an old wives tale. There has not been a single breed with a reasonable number of dogs tested that dysplasia has not been found in. Personally I know a breeder with several Bichons that have tested with severe hip dysplasia, the difference is large dog breeders generally won't use a dog with bad hips or elbows but in my personal experience the same can not be said of most small breed breeders.

Answer 2

You know what? It is really a risk you take. I think that when adopting a dog you decide what is important to you and base it off of that. For example, I know that although breeders do testing, once in awhile there WILL be an issue with health and you will still only have the option of returning the dog for a new one or paying the bills. It happens. It happened to a friend of mine who bought off an AMAZING breeder. The dog developed a heart condition that was NOT genetic at 4 years and was forced to be on medicine until it died at 6 years. This was the only one of these litters to have this issue and the breeder was very helpful in making sure the dog had the best vet care available. However, this is just an example that good breeding does not always mean good health.

Shelters will check out pups for the obvious things, but other tests, like that for hip dysplasia, cannot really be done with any certainty until the dog is 2 years old.

Either way, you are running a risk. When you buy a mutt you run a risk on temperament. When you buy a shelter dog you can run a risk on disease and sickness. On the other hand, you can get a unique dog that will love you very much. If you buy from a breeder you will pay the big bucks, but you will reduce your risk (if you buy from a GOOD breeder) of genetic conditions, you will know they were in a good hand, they will ensure that the pups have a good temperament and you will have support 24/7 if you need it.

In the end, go where you feel is right. I have adopted one shelter dog, one dog from an unwanted mixed litter (who is coming home tonight!) and my next will be a Bernese Mountain Dog.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Shelters generally don't screen for health problems unless symptoms emerge, so yes, the risks are higher. That said, the dogs are already spayed and neutered and vaccinated, cost much less and shelters will take a dog back if a health or behavioral problem emerges that was unanticipated and you can't handle it for some reason. And adopting a shelter dog saves a life.

I don't have a problem with buying from reputable breeders that do screen (and can prove it) for the reason you state (I've done it) and also because I could not find the breed of my choice anywhere with at local rescue or shelter (golden retrievers are in high demand and rarely stay long in shelters, at least where I live) but I've also adopted wonderful dogs from shelters. I think both is an OK choice. If you want a purebred dog with health guarantees, then you deal with a reputable breeder. If you are willing to go with a purebred or mixed breed dog that is wonderful but has an uncertain background but really needs a home and will make a great pet, then a shelter dog is a great choice.

Final note - there are no guarantees in life - even with screening, a well-bred dog can still develop a health problem.

Answer 4

Both have pros and cons. I would suggest you look into a breed rescue rather then a shelter who does not specialize in the breed you want. Decide on a breed or a few breeds that suit you best and find a breed rescue in your area, as many of their dogs will have health records and come from stable lines.

With a large breed hip problems can arise even with the best of breeding, but all good breeders will happily talk to you in length about the health of the parents and testing done. Still no guarantee you will have no problems, but much less likely. You can also see if they have any retired dogs, or older dogs in need of a home too, they sometimes have adult dogs returned to them by owners who can no longer keep them.

Some shelters are better then other for health screening and testing and take the time to do temperament evaluations, but without knowing the lines your dog can from, they can only see the dog is healthy NOW, no way to predict how they will fare as they age.

Personally, though adoption is a very nice thing to consider, saves a life, and you may find a wonderful and healthy mutt just waiting for you. However, I do think it is equally good to go to a responsible breeder of dogs. They screen their buyers and fully inform they on the good and bad points of the breed and have right of first refusal if for any reason the buys can't keep the dog. Good breeders don't sell many dogs that end up in the pound, and when they do they don't know about it as they would have wanted the chance to take back the dog if it was presented to them. They have spay neuter contracts so they avoid selling dogs to people who may be unintentionally bred and making poor quality litters of pups who end up in the pound. If everyone bought from a great breeder, we would have far fewer pups in the pound at all. Most pure bred dogs I saw in the shelters I worked in came from pet stores and puppy mills and bad byb breeders, not from a breeder of champion dogs who show and test their animals.

So to sum up, both choices are very good one, adoption or breeder bought, but you may want to look at both. It will take you time to find the right breeder and when you do they will most likely not have pups for sale and you will need to be put on a waiting list. While you are waiting on a planned litter you can always keep looking at breed rescues and shelters. Most often the breeder will have other buyer waiting behind you in line for a puppy if you find another dog first

Good luck, and it is great you are thinking so hard about this decision and taking finding a breeder so seriously. With all that thought before you adopt or buy, you not be on here again in a few months with a problem with your new puppy that could have been avoided if you were better prepared or educated on the breed :)

Answer 5

Shelters do not have the time or the resources to thoroughly screen all thier dogs. They may be able to gaurantee that the dog is healthy at the time you adopt it, but after that its anyones guess. Alot of problems don't surface until later and there's simply noway to know if a dog has them without knowing thier genetic background- for instance- we have a basset hound from a back yard breeder, she was always a very healthy dog, a show breeder once even told me she had wonderful movement. She's 9 years old now and about to go blind from glaucoma (a hereditary problem in bassets). A responsible show breeder would have screened thier breeding line for this and we would not be dealing with her illness (treatment is VERY expensive). However, we do not love her any less and are committed to seeing her comfortable. I would not hesitate to adopt a basset from a shelter or rescue even knowing that we could be faced with this again. If we were to buy from a breeder again though, we would make absolutely certain that the dogs had been genetically tested and certified and the parents were of good stock. It really depends on where your heart lies. A shelter dog is a crapshoot as far as future health. Even a dog from purebred rescue MAY harbor genetic diseases that don't surface until later (like our basset). Adopting a shelter dog means accepting the uncertainty and agreeing to love the dog whatever may happen. You make the same commitment when buying from a breeder, but a responsible breeder will gaurantee your dogs healthand if they have a sound breeding program the risk that your dog harbors some sort of genetic illness is substantially lowered. If you do buy from a breeder be sure that they screen for all possible health problems, that they can explain why the did a certain mating, what safegaurds they have placed on thier dogs, and that the show thier dogs to ensure they have good stock. Ultimately the choice is yours. -Neb

Answer 6

Shelters usually don't have the finances to afford extensive health testing of the dogs in their care. However, they would probably notice lameness or outright disease (Sac. SPCA shut down adoptions after an outbreak of parvo).

It depends. Getting a dog from a breeder you trust means that you know what you're getting, at least to some extent. You know the breed, the lines, the temperament. You know that the pup and the dam have been cared for and raised properly. You get the health checks and the return guarantee, and someone to go back to if the dog is not as represented. But nothing is completely guaranteed in life.

Getting a dog from a shelter means much more uncertainty; some shelter dogs are now being imported from Mexico and Puerto Rico and may be pretty unhealthy due to the conditions in which they were raised. They may have had traumatic or neglectful pasts, meaning that they are damaged in some way you may never fully overcome. That does not mean that you can't get some excellent dogs from shelters.

I can see it both ways - and I've gone both ways.

Answer 7

Most reputable shelters have all dogs vet checked when they come in, treat them if they are ill, and make sure they are healthy before putting them up for adoption. On the other hand they do not usually test for diseases like hip dysplasia unlses the dog is showing any symptoms.

If you want to get a pup from a breeder make sure it is a good one. The vast majority of breeders don't actually do any tests. Find one that does, and insist on seeing the cerificates.
They should test for every single hereditary disease known to affect their breed, and adults should be clear or low scoring depending on the test. Do your own research first (eg for average hip scores) so you know what to look for.
To reduce the chances of a pup developing problems find a breeder who can show you health certificates for a variety of relatives. Parents and grandparents are most important, but also consider aunts and uncles, pups from previous litters etc.

Health aside, shelters are the better option in terms of animal welfare.
When you adopt an animal you reduce overpopulation and save a life. When you buy you increase overpopulation and sentence a dog elsewhere to death.

Answer 8

Not all breeders do testing. Any dog can run into health issues whether it is from a breeder or an animal shelter. Most shelters have a vet onsite that checks the dogs. Research your local shelter and ask. You can ask about the dogs history, what it has been tested for, what shots it has been given etc. There are so many dogs in shelters right now hoping that someone will come in and give them a warm loving home. Please....adopt. I was afraid of that too. Not knowing about the temperament, where the dog came from what health conditions it could have. I adopted this fall and couldn't be more happy. I would never dream of getting a dog anywhere else other than my local shelter.

Answer 9

If you're looking for a specifc breed to do a specific job, find a reputable breeder. If you're looking for a pet, go to the shelter. I can't tell you what other shelters do, but I can tell you what we do.

When we get a dog (or cat, but you're talking dogs) in, they're Capstarred immediately. Then they get a dose of Pyrantal and get kept in the isolation area for a week before getting moved into the main part of the pound. Then we schedule a spay/neuter appointment. If someone adopts a dog that hasn't yet been fixed, they sign a form stating that they will have the dog fixed by a certain time, and they also leave a deposit (which they get back when they bring in the form signed by the vet that performed the surgery). We have the vet we use check them if they show signs that they need it. We had a couple GSDs hip checked; one passed and is being trained for police K-9 work, the other failed and was adopted out last week, but usually we don't get the hips checked on every dog that comes in. For a pet, it shouldn't matter unless it's severely dehibilitating.

Answer 10

well, some dogs are prone to those conditions than others so it depends what breed or mixed breed you are leaning toward (like golden retrievers and hip dysplasia are common) If you dont want to or are unable to for whatever reason to care for a dog with one of those conditions young, then yes i guess you should get from a breeder that has AKC certified papers and vet health certificate, and that you see the conditions of the mother and father or puppies are in to make sure its no puppymill..
But still doesnt 100% guarentee no problems in life, accidents can happen at any time, so can genetic disorders even if the parents were ok.

One dog I had came from a farm, well bred and parents health certified. He got kidney disease at age 15. Another dog I had came from probably from a puppy mill and I have him now he has chronic intestinal inflammation and anemia. Another puppy I have came from a shelter, she is in perfect health.

it seems you always hear shelter dogs "appreciate" you and your home more than pups from a breeder..not that they cant be just as affectionate..but there is something special for you and them about going to a shelter and giving a pup or dog a second chance.

Things like hip dysplasia, of course no one wants their dog to get that or cancer or epilepsy or kidney disease..but some of those conditions are easily managed and dont need to be put down, and it gives you alot of pride to care for your dog..you treasure each day with them, healthy or not healthy, there will always come the heartbreak, their lives being so short as it is