Buying a dog from a breeder vs. adopting from a shelter

SuperDuck · #1 12-22-2008, 01:41 PM

Dog owners - have you ever experienced hostility or anger from another pet lover after purchasing a dog from a breeder vs. adopting?

Our case: we are a few weeks away from the arrival of our Samoyed puppy, which we are buying from a breeder on the other side of the country (long story). It will be expensive, yes, but the dog will be up to date on all health matters, shots, etc. It's whatever-the-hell certified, bred from award winning parents, yada yada. (This is really more of my wife's deal, can you tell?)

It's been my wife's dream for years and years to have a Samoyed, as she grew up with one when she was younger. This is the event of her year. She's excited nearly to the point of incontinence.

We were talking about the new puppy with some friends, and my wife mentioned how much it was costing us. It's not cheap, but I guess that's what going through a breeder means.

One of her other friends, at the mention of the price, got downright indignant. "It's costing HOW much? Do you realize that there are hundreds of puppies at the shelter that you can get for free that need homes???"

This went on for a little while, and upset my wife just a bit. Her friend proceeded to guilt trip us both for getting this puppy whilst the others at the shelter were there for the taking. Needless to say, this kind of put a damper on the whole situation.

We both realize that there are animals that need home and need adopting. That's why we already have three cats that we adopted from the local animal shelter. For the dog, however, my wife knew what she wanted. She wanted a pure bred Samoyed puppy to raise from puppyhood.

What are your thoughts on the issue?

iamlowsound · #2 12-22-2008, 01:45 PM

Puppies from breeders need homes as well.

lowsound

SuperDuck · #3 12-22-2008, 01:49 PM

True, but I can see the argument that puppies at breeders are typically MUCH more likely to be placed than strays and/or other "less desirable" dogs at the shelters. Every puppy in the litter that our dog is coming from is already spoken for.

McHaven · #4 12-22-2008, 01:53 PM

I'd much rather adopt from a shelter and help save a stray's life. All my pets have come from a shelter, and they've all been excellent pets as well.

standupright · #5 12-22-2008, 01:55 PM

i have 3 dogs.....15 years old, 14 years old, and 9 years old. the two oldest recued from the pound when they were 3 month old puppies, the youngest was rescued from the street, malnourished, dirty, and in need of medical care.

i have mixed feelings about it. me personally.....i will always adopt from a shelter, and most likely from the pound or an agency that is NOT a no kill shelter, simply because to me it seems liek death row for animals. My wife is would be appalled at the idea of buying a dog from a breeder. I also think that everyone should have the right to decide where they get their companions from. Unfortunately not everyone is a responsible animal owner hence the enormous amount of animals that are euthanized on a daily basis in this country. I don't think that everyone should be hamstrung into taking on the responsibility of saving animals. That's just not something that is an inherent trait in every person. I think the most important part of it all is to be responsible with your animal and give it the care, discipline, and life it deserves from a respectful owner's perspective. which in large part is such a grey area.

good luck with your new family member!

Philbiker · #6 12-22-2008, 01:58 PM

I don't think I'll ever get a puppy from a breeder as long as I live. There are far too many dogs and cats who need homes for me to have somebody breed me one more just because I like a particular breed.

However, I know people who have bought puppies from breeders and I would never preach to them.

My two dogs were adopted - one (mutt) a pound rescue and one (AKC registered purebred) an adoption through friends.

Best thing about adopting / rescuing is that most of the time they're already crate trained. That's huge in my book.

TheDarkReaver · #7 12-22-2008, 02:01 PM

Shelter Dogs are free?

I needn't go hungry again.

9mmMike · #8 12-22-2008, 02:05 PM

Mutts rule!

nortonrider · #9 12-22-2008, 02:05 PM

Yep! It doesn't matter where you get one, they all taste the same when turned into stew.

TheDarkReaver · #10 12-22-2008, 02:06 PM

Korean BBQ anyone?

cassanova · #11 12-22-2008, 02:16 PM

I used to work at the local SPCA here.

Yeah, the dogs at the shelters need homes, but unfortunately shelters come with stipulations. At least mine did.

At the shelter I worked at we made sure the dogs were current on all shots, but one stipulation to obtaining the animal from them was you had to have it neutered. Not sure how the shelters where you are work. Buying from a breeder you won't have to get it spayed/neutered if you don't want to.

Another thing that used to really piss me off was we wouldn't adopt out to families that didn't have a fenced yard. You could have 10 acres of land but if you didn't have a fence you weren't getting the dog.

A couple of advantages from going through a breeder IMO is that you know exactly what you're getting into. What I mean is, you know the specific breed which enables you specifically focus any research you want to do on that particular breed. You can also enquire about the parents temperment/disposition. The dogs at the shelters are usually mutts whose backgrounds you cannot look into. The biggest advantage though IMO of a breeder is that you can get the dog while it is still a puppy and train it as you see fit. The animals at the shelter often times are run aways that bolt out the front door every chance they get, are sometimes aggressive, you never know if they're good with kids or properly socialized.

The biggest disadvantage of a breeder is possible inbreeding.

BTW I'd have told my friend "STFU, we got 3 cats from a shelter we did our part."

Also don't know if you know this, but shelters will also take your name and contact info if you request a certain breed. I forget the exact name of it but lets say you want a poodle, you'd be on the "poodle rescue" list. As far as I knew there was a rescue for every breed out there. Just an FYI in case you ever want another pure bred.

Jeff Martinez · #12 12-22-2008, 02:16 PM

How could you do something like that??? I bet you like to club baby seals, too!!!

Seriously, I understand the dilemma. I like the idea of adopting an animal that might otherwise be euthanized. Earlier this year, we had the same debate with people we know. We adopted a Boston Terrier puppy from a breeder (I don't like to use the term bought, because he's a living creature that is a part of the family). Since this dog is sround our 2-year-old daughter, we wanted to be sure that the dog didn't have a violent past that would manifest on our child. with shelter puppies, you have no guarantee of what their early life was like. Plus, we knew exactly what breed we preferred, and did a ton of research to find the right one. Ultimately, AI don't see anything wrong with getting a pet from a REPUTABLE breeder.

Another dilemma we ran into (sorry to thread-jack). One of the "breeders" we found. Was business located in a downtown Denver warehouse that kept over 200 dogs in kennels to breed continuously. The dogs are never let outside. That was our first experience with a "puppy mill". It was awful. The problem was that we found a sweet little puppy there. We debated for a long time whether to adopt that one just to get her our of there, or to avoid supporting this business. Of course, we decided to not give them one cent, and also tell everyone we know not to support them. Just so you know, the name of the business in "Prairie Bark Kennels" in Denver.

/threadjack

ryco · #13 12-22-2008, 02:16 PM

I wouldn't feel guilty about buying a dog from a breeder. To some having the papers is important. Especially if you want to show 'em or get into breeding yourself.

Just make sure it's a good breeder and not a puppy mill.

We always get our dogs from the pound.

As Iggy said, "Everybody needs a home!"

Pilgrim · #14 12-22-2008, 02:18 PM

We don't really consider any options other than shelter dogs. I realize that there are ethical breeders, but all too many of them are either puppy mills, or are pursuing conformation so single-mindedly that the breeds are suffering as a result. With a few weeks' searching I could probably find a Samoyed at a dog shelter as easily as any other breed.

The last time we went looking for a dog, we had a Westie in mind - and found a couple of possibilities. When we went to the shelter, we found the Westie looked cute, but was running back and forth across his cage yipping and barking. Next to him was a cute black mutt about the same size, who wasn't barking and going nuts - he was just sitting there wagging his butt off. I pointed out the quiet one - knowing that I dislike yippy dogs. We skipped the Westie and got the little black dog. He has turned out to be a wonderful loving, quiet dog who has been a wonderful companion for 10 years. His adoption fees, neutering and shots totaled around $100.

Give me a nice mutt without inbred genetic problems any day. Just my opinion.

James Hart · #15 12-22-2008, 02:29 PM

I can ride both sides of this fence...

You know what you want and have the means to acquire it... it's your life and your home so enjoy your pup!

Sure there are countless pups and more so adult dogs looking for loving homes in shelters worldwide. It's not your fault, nor your responsibility... but it is an overwhelming issue.

If you need to justify the pure bred pup... adopt a friend for it once you've got a handle on it's training.

I have had 3 mutts and 5 pure breeds in my life... 2 of the pure breeds were rescued hunting dogs ditched after they failed to 'hunt' (both German Shorthaired Pointers). The wife and I will buy dogs again in the future, but we bought our youngest guy so we are going to look to adopt next time out.

tplyons · #16 12-22-2008, 02:34 PM

You have the ability to know the lineage of the dog, with an insight to possible future temperament, health problems, etc. and know exactly what you're getting yourself into. It's the closest thing you can get to a warranty with a pet.

I, for one, will only rescue. However, when the day comes that I have kids, if they fall in love with a dog, I can't say no. But, I've always preferred mutts, the last living nineteen years, and the previous one was the most amazing dog I ever met. This current mutt is just like me, a little chubby and lazy, but sweet as anything.

Atoz · #17 12-22-2008, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuperDuck

Dog owners - have you ever experienced hostility or anger from another pet lover after purchasing a dog from a breeder vs. adopting?

Our case: we are a few weeks away from the arrival of our Samoyed puppy, which we are buying from a breeder on the other side of the country (long story). It will be expensive, yes, but the dog will be up to date on all health matters, shots, etc. It's whatever-the-hell certified, bred from award winning parents, yada yada. (This is really more of my wife's deal, can you tell?)

It's been my wife's dream for years and years to have a Samoyed, as she grew up with one when she was younger. This is the event of her year. She's excited nearly to the point of incontinence.

We were talking about the new puppy with some friends, and my wife mentioned how much it was costing us. It's not cheap, but I guess that's what going through a breeder means.

One of her other friends, at the mention of the price, got downright indignant. "It's costing HOW much? Do you realize that there are hundreds of puppies at the shelter that you can get for free that need homes???"

This went on for a little while, and upset my wife just a bit. Her friend proceeded to guilt trip us both for getting this puppy whilst the others at the shelter were there for the taking. Needless to say, this kind of put a damper on the whole situation.

We both realize that there are animals that need home and need adopting. That's why we already have three cats that we adopted from the local animal shelter. For the dog, however, my wife knew what she wanted. She wanted a pure bred Samoyed puppy to raise from puppyhood.

What are your thoughts on the issue?

It's your dog, your business. Your wife's friend needs to STFU. Don't go out and buy a nice car, or she'll start in on you about not buying a hybrid.

pointbass · #18 12-22-2008, 02:37 PM

The breeder vs shelter argument will be eternal, a never-ending b*tch-fest between opposing viewpoints. What really matters, IMO, is how the pet owners treat the dogs/cats/whatever once they are in their possession.

We have always adopted dogs specifically from rescue leagues, most times from puppy mills that were shut down for various inhumane reasons. Our daughter is a manager for the ASPCA in NYC, so you know where her mindset is. But my wife really wants to buy a puppy from a qualified breeder, and the amount of sh*t we get about that from everyone (including our own daughter) is amazing!

We are animal lovers, always have been and always will be. Our pets are family members and I'd lay down in front of a bus for them. It doesn't matter where the animal came from, I'm gonna love it all the same. We have adopted some real hardship cases and brought them back to health and gave them a loving home and a great life.

I see no conflicts with adopting a breeder dog, assuming it comes from a qualified breeder .... you just need to do your homework to be sure that you aren't putting cash in the hands of some filthy puppy mill somewhere. Go adopt your puppy and love it to pieces ....

tplyons · #19 12-22-2008, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pointbass

The breeder vs shelter argument will be eternal, a never-ending b*tch-fest between opposing viewpoints. What really matters, IMO, is how the pet owners treat the dogs/cats/whatever once they are in their possession.

This sums up the thread entirely. Wherever a dog came from, I really don't care. As long as you love it while he's with you, it's fine by me.

Way to go Ed with your infinite wisdom.

Jeff Martinez · #20 12-22-2008, 02:45 PM

James reminded me of another angle on this. Specific breeds for specific tasks. I know that my next dog will be from a breeder, because my next dog will be a hunting dog. I know that there is a chance that I could find a dog with a good nose and a soft mouth at a shelter, but if I get one from litter with a proven hunting lineage then I increase the chances of finding a true hunting companion.