Honest Opinions- Benefits Of Buying A Fur Kid From The Pound Vs Breede

[persephone]

Wait for your pup, give that one 12 or so months to grow and mature and see how you go.<br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(238, 242, 247);">You might decide one is enough or you might want to add a second to the family.

Yes .. 5 kids was it?

A new dog, then a new puppy = an awful lot of re adjusting for everyone over several months ....

[noisymina]

IMHO, most re-homed dogs have some sort of "issues" - not always significant ones.

Even one from a breeder may or may not be suitable in your particular home.

I'm guessing that one suggestion will be to talk to another rescue. That would be the best way to go as you can take the dog on "approval" and return if it is not suited.

If a breeder comes up with a suitable one in the meantime, then go with that.

After my last dog search, I have come to the conclusion that what will be, will be. When you come across the "right one" it will just click - no matter the source or type of dog. :) :)

I wouldn't say that. Plenty of dogs are just fine and it's their idiot owners who had the issues.

Umm......regardless of the REASON, one has to realise that MOST, not ALL will need some training, adjustment, support, and assessment of reactions and behaviours with origins that are totally unknown.

The dog may not be "at fault" but owners with the wrong dog handle them wrongly, lose patience, yell and sometimes hit them etc. So they come to you with needs to address that. NOT THEIR FAULT - but something that should be understood, even tho it is usually quite manageable.

My Kaisie came here a hyped up and fearful mess. A couple of years later, she was not the same dog with handling in this environment, space to run etc. The fact she pulled like steam train was an issue too. But fortunately we had the space to exercise her off lead. :) And take the time to gradually reduce the pull stuff.

What we saw when she first arrived was DEFINITELY not her basic nature. Nor was it her "fault" - but we still had to put work into understanding her and addressing the issues without actually knowing where they came from.

Wonderful dog who was out friend and protector for over 8 years. I'd do it all again if I could. :)

[mixeduppup]

I'd hardly call the need for training "issues". If that's the case then all dogs have "issues"

[k9angel]

Wait and get a pure bred from a reputable registered breeder that is registered with your states controlling body.

This way you will have full back up from the breeder and be able to get a history, something from a pound could be a problem with not knowing any history and lets be honest, why take on someone else's problem from a pound. Many of the dogs are in there because they were failures, it's only a few dogs that get there through no fault of their own.

That is such crap. I work very closely with a few rescues, foster dogs and provide training assistance to foster homes as the absolute vast majority of dogs have no *behavioiral* issues at all - they simply require obedience training so they can walk well on a lead and obey commands and they're brilliant dogs.

Most dogs are in pounds because the owner got the wrong type of dog for their lifestyle and/or didn't bother putting the work in. A total couch potato household with a border collie is my likely to end well if the family don't change their lifestyle. And then the dog ends up in the pound. Same dog in an active household - no problems.

I'm not saying this to guilt trip the OP. the breeder she is talking to sounds great and I fully support people purchasing from registered breeders. But your comments are so ridiculous and damaging, they have to be addressed.

I couldn't agree more Melzawelza.

(And no, I am not saying this to guilt trip the OP either. I have both, ex-poundies and a pedigree from a registered breeder.)

I am only a small time rescuer but out of the 100+ dogs I have rescued in the past 4 years, most have been happy, healthy, well adjusted animals with no behavioural or personality issues.

There have been a few who needed some basic training, like toilet training or how to walk on a lead (only because their owners couldn't be bothered putting the time and effort into even the most basic of training ), but I'd hardly call training, an issue.

Most of the dogs who do end up at the pound, end up there through no fault of their own. To call them 'someone elses problem' or a 'failure' is unfair and heartless IMO and so far from the truth.

If only they could speak for themselves...

There are many reasons why dogs end up at the pound and most of those reasons reflect on the owners, not the dogs.

[Crisovar]

Any dog needs training, guidance and commitment no matter where it is sourced. Working out what breed IF ANY suits an individuals situation is so very important, the benefit of buying from a Breeder is that with breeds you have a much better idea of what you are getting and what you need to put in to make the partnership work. Some people are very experienced or are born naturals with dogs and can take on most any dog and make it work, but the general population are not like this and the need to select carefully and really know what they can deal with and be honest about how much they are prepared to do to make it work :)

[megan_]

A friend has a smooth collie from a very highly regarded breeder (recommended by many collie people). My friend is an excellent owner but I have never met a more weak nerves dog in my life. This is a dog that falls to pieces if there is a slight bang outside and takes days to recover.

Get the dog that you want. There is risk in everything. Some pups are just not right. Some rescues aren't either. If you go to a great breeder (not just one with lots of ribbons) or a great rescue (that temp tests the dogs and fosters them) then you are giving yourself the best chance of success. There are fantastic rescue dogs out there that had shitty owners - not their fault.

I believe that 4 of cosmolo's 5 dogs are rescues and they are brilliant examples of calm, well behave, well trained dogs.

Dogs are living creatures who have feelings, moods etc. There are NO certainties.

[HazyWal]

Oakway my greyhounds were failures alright...not fast enough Stan was dumped at the pound because the only issue he had was he was too slow. Not all dogs in pounds have issues. I agree with k9angel, your comments are far from the truth and heartless.

[megan_]

oh and if you go to a breeder, go to one that picks out the dog for you based on your lifestyle, not one that just let's you pick the dog. I'm always amazed at breeders who day all pups are sold when they're a few weeks old and they don't even know the personalities of the dogs yet.

[noisymina]

I'd hardly call the need for training "issues". If that's the case then all dogs have "issues"

I was not talking about merely training only. If a dog heads down to the back fence trying to get away from the hose or a broom, then they have "issues". If they take off aggressively at every teen male that come sin the gate, it is an "issue". Etc. It takes much more than the usual "training" to break them from steam train pulling.... all that is not what you can term "training" in the normal sense. I never had a pup with any of those "issues" - as I call them.

Maybe you would prefer the term "remedial training" if you want to argue semantics?

[melzawelza]

I'd hardly call the need for training "issues". If that's the case then all dogs have "issues"

I was not talking about merely training only. If a dog heads down to the back fence trying to get away from the hose or a broom, then they have "issues". If they take off aggressively at every teen male that come sin the gate, it is an "issue". Etc. It takes much more than the usual "training" to break them from steam train pulling.... all that is not what you can term "training" in the normal sense. I never had a pup with any of those "issues" - as I call them.

Maybe you would prefer the term "remedial training" if you want to argue semantics?

Teaching a loose leash walk is only hard or lengthy if you are shutting out any sort of punishment and plugging away at rewards only OR you have a very large dog with a small person and refuse to use a tool that will give you control. Pups need leash walking training as well.

Lots of pups and even adult dogs sourced as pups take off away from a scary object.

A dog barking aggressively a teen males is definitely a behavioural issue that needs training. IME very few rescue dogs actually have those kinds of issues. An ethical rescue group wouldn't home a dog that was still doing that, it wouldn't be up for adoption until that was sorted (or if it was too far gone the dog would be euthansed).

Edited December 26, 2012 by melzawelza

[noisymina]

I'd hardly call the need for training "issues". If that's the case then all dogs have "issues"

I was not talking about merely training only. If a dog heads down to the back fence trying to get away from the hose or a broom, then they have "issues". If they take off aggressively at every teen male that come sin the gate, it is an "issue". Etc. It takes much more than the usual "training" to break them from steam train pulling.... all that is not what you can term "training" in the normal sense. I never had a pup with any of those "issues" - as I call them.

Maybe you would prefer the term "remedial training" if you want to argue semantics?

Teaching a loose leash walk is only hard or lengthy if you are shutting out any sort of punishment and plugging away at rewards only OR you have a very large dog with a small person and refuse to use a tool that will give you control. Pups need leash walking training as well.

Lots of pups and even adult dogs sourced as pups take off away from a scary object.

A dog barking aggressively a teen males is definitely a behavioural issue that needs training. IME very few rescue dogs actually have those kinds of issues. An ethical rescue group wouldn't home a dog that was still doing that, it wouldn't be up for adoption until that was sorted (or if it was too far gone the dog would be euthansed).

It is easy to teach a pup lose leash walking. It takes longer to break an undesirable habit taught by a previous owner. How long it takes is not an issue. It just does.

I guess my lovely girl would have been euthed many times then if she had not come here. :laugh: The aggression was due only to abuse in the past, not an innate trait. Fortunately, she was not likely to actually do anything unless they posed a threat to one of us. And any Dobe would act in that situation regardless.

I'd be the first to say a dangerous dog should not be re-homed. She was not dangerous. She had "issues" and she suited this home. We got around or solved all her problems. No, she would not have suited just ANY home. :D We must be very special. :)

[melzawelza]

I'd hardly call the need for training "issues". If that's the case then all dogs have "issues"

I was not talking about merely training only. If a dog heads down to the back fence trying to get away from the hose or a broom, then they have "issues". If they take off aggressively at every teen male that come sin the gate, it is an "issue". Etc. It takes much more than the usual "training" to break them from steam train pulling.... all that is not what you can term "training" in the normal sense. I never had a pup with any of those "issues" - as I call them.

Maybe you would prefer the term "remedial training" if you want to argue semantics?

Teaching a loose leash walk is only hard or lengthy if you are shutting out any sort of punishment and plugging away at rewards only OR you have a very large dog with a small person and refuse to use a tool that will give you control. Pups need leash walking training as well.

Lots of pups and even adult dogs sourced as pups take off away from a scary object.

A dog barking aggressively a teen males is definitely a behavioural issue that needs training. IME very few rescue dogs actually have those kinds of issues. An ethical rescue group wouldn't home a dog that was still doing that, it wouldn't be up for adoption until that was sorted (or if it was too far gone the dog would be euthansed).

It is easy to teach a pup lose leash walking. It takes longer to break an undesirable habit taught by a previous owner. How long it takes is not an issue. It just does.

I guess my lovely girl would have been euthed many times then if she had not come here. :laugh: The aggression was due only to abuse in the past, not an innate trait. Fortunately, she was not likely to actually do anything unless they posed a threat to one of us. And any Dobe would act in that situation regardless.

I'd be the first to say a dangerous dog should not be re-homed. She was not dangerous. She had "issues" and she suited this home. We got around or solved all her problems. No, she would not have suited just ANY home. :D We must be very special. :)

Sounds like you were a fantastic owner for her! And that she did have issues, but in mine and most other people in the rescue world's experience, most rescue dogs do not have issues like that at all other than the need for some obedience training and to be in a home that fits their breed or temperament. The few that do are given re-training by the rescue group before adoption.

Edited December 26, 2012 by melzawelza

[Greytmate]

I think this is just it-- I don't want to roll the dice and take a chance when there are children and potentially, another dog, involved as well.

Then don't buy a pup, because there is no guarantee if how it will turn out when mature. If you want to know exactly what your dog will be like, get an adult that has been thoroughly assessed as a mature dog.

My advice for you is to get the pup you are waiting on, and forget getting another dog in the mean time. What's the rush? Every dog regardless if where it is bought from deserves its own time to be settled in to the family. So unless there are really good reasons why you need to get two dogs around the same time, don't go looking for two. Get your collie pup, and have fun with it socialising and training and having friend's dogs visit. Once you've gotten to know your dog well, and it has matured, then decide what traits you want in a second dog.

[mixeduppup]

I'd hardly call the need for training "issues". If that's the case then all dogs have "issues"

I was not talking about merely training only. If a dog heads down to the back fence trying to get away from the hose or a broom, then they have "issues". If they take off aggressively at every teen male that come sin the gate, it is an "issue". Etc. It takes much more than the usual "training" to break them from steam train pulling.... all that is not what you can term "training" in the normal sense. I never had a pup with any of those "issues" - as I call them.

Maybe you would prefer the term "remedial training" if you want to argue semantics?

The things you are referring to could simply bf lack of socialization which falls into training, not necessarily abuse or bad handling.

[noisymina]

I'd hardly call the need for training "issues". If that's the case then all dogs have "issues"

I was not talking about merely training only. If a dog heads down to the back fence trying to get away from the hose or a broom, then they have "issues". If they take off aggressively at every teen male that come sin the gate, it is an "issue". Etc. It takes much more than the usual "training" to break them from steam train pulling.... all that is not what you can term "training" in the normal sense. I never had a pup with any of those "issues" - as I call them.

Maybe you would prefer the term "remedial training" if you want to argue semantics?

The things you are referring to could simply bf lack of socialization which falls into training, not necessarily abuse or bad handling.

You are kidding me, right?

Whateva.

[mita]

It's possible to combine 'rescue' and getting a purebred from a good registered breeder.

Good registered breeders will take back one of their dogs when something tragic or unforseen happens to the owner/s.

Even tho' that may not be strictly a 'rescue', it's preventing the dog from being surrendered to a rescue, or dumped in a pound, or in worse case scenario PTS.

Two of my p/b Tibetan Spaniel pets were adopted by me after their home had 'disappeared' due to tragic ill health of an owner. They were/are beautiful & extremely well-socialised little dogs. The registered breeder who took them in, was spot on her descriptions of the dogs & matching them to our home. She knew the dogs so well...

So I got the best of all worlds by going this route with a registered breeder...being able to provide a good home for needy dogs, but having access to the expertise & knowledge of a good breeder.

Edited December 26, 2012 by mita

[tdierikx]

You know... I'm still amazed at how many completely normal and well mannered dogs I've seen in pounds over the years I've been involved in rescue... I've come to believe that the rumour that pound dogs have issues is pretty much a fallacy...

T.

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

You know... I'm still amazed at how many completely normal and well mannered dogs I've seen in pounds over the years I've been involved in rescue... I've come to believe that the rumour that pound dogs have issues is pretty much a fallacy...

T.

Here here T. It's very unfair to judge dogs in a pound environment from how they behave in a cage for one thing. I've dealt with hundreds of pound dogs in 15 years or so - in pounds, in shelter environments and in my and foster carers' homes. Very, very few had any real issues ...

I've also known purebred dogs owned from puppies to have issues. You can't say that dogs are in the pound because they have issues - it's the owners that have the issues - they are frequently deadbeats who shouldn't own a dog. Sometimes a person dies and the family puts the dog in the pound - there are a multitude of scenarios causing a dog to end up there.

[OSoSwift]

I have had very little to do with pound dogs on a rehab or day to day basis.

I had a dog brought here that the next door neighbour found. She was extremely timid, almost catatonic and very skinny and sore.

I held her over until the Monday after speaking to the rangers. She came out of her shell oevr a few days, started offering me sits and eventually shaking paws.

She pulled like a bloody freight train, and would have eaten the sheep and cat given a change. She was fine with my dogs thorugh the fence and even eating ont he other side of a fence in my dog runs. Showed no human aggression but was very very wary. When she bolted to the end of the lead after the sheep, I growled no quite firmly and she hit the deck that hard she created dust. She layed there, slowly looked around and when I told her she was a very good girl she got cautiously up and we kept going.

In the nearly 5 days I had her she was a lovely girl that pulled if allowed but had fantastic manners otherwise. She went into the pound and as I know one of the rangers, he commented on how hard she was to deal with. I wasn't sure he had the same dog. Shocking dog aggression, fence fighting, growling at people etc. The pound is a stressful environment for a dog. How she would be i a new home I don't know but based on taht one dog I would never get a dog straight from the pound as the first few days she was extremely quiet, then good but full on adn needed training. In the pound rather manic and agressive.

I would only get one after going through a very good rescue/foster situation. If I was to get a rescue but the chances are extremely slim!

[BigDaz]

If you like the Collie Rough or the Smooth, then purchase a pup from a registered breeder who knows their lines, knows their dogs and can match a pup to your family.

If you want to roll the dice, then get a rescue

I am glad everyone doesn’t consider a rescue dog a "roll of the dice", otherwise there would be a lot more dead dogs. I am also a little confused how you would not consider a pup a roll of the dice; I have known some purebred pups that have turned out less than desirable. At least a reputable rescue may be able to match the right dog to the family.