Would You Adopt A Dog From A Shelter If You Could Not Get A Purebred D

[oakway]

Before getting on to what dog to get from where... it's necessary to unpick the claim (in the OP) that registered breeders of purebreds are responsible for an 'over-population' of dogs which spills into large numbers of dogs needing adoption from shelters/rescues/pounds.

There's not reliable statistics kept on where dogs dumped actually come from. But there are research findings which can be put together as evidence that dogs coming from registered breeders are less likely to be dumped. If that's so, then dogs being bred & raised by registered breeders, actually helps in preventing dogs being dumped.

There's evidence that registered breeders tend to socialise their dogs/puppies better, so they're less likely to develop the kinds of problems that can get dogs dumped. And that they have more control over litter numbers.

Also there's evidence that dogs coming from breeders who work in a home style way, tend to have less of the problems that lead to dumping. 'Home-style' is the kind of model many 'hobby' registered breeders work in. They do not keep/raise dogs in commercial scale numbers & in a completely non-home style setting. Some may do so, but it's not a significant majority.

So registered breeders are more likely to socialise dogs well... & are more likely to work in a more 'home style' evironment which supports that.

Of course that doesn't apply to every single registered breeder.... but the the behaviours which lead to less dumping are more likely (but not exclusively) to be found with that group.

Which means the generalisation being shunted around that registered breeders, as a group, are mainly responsible for large numbers of dogs in pounds/shelters/rescue groups, doesn't stand up to what evidence we have.

So, as for adoption... BOTH means of adoption can help dogs.

Adopt from a registered breeder who follows the best 'model' for dogs' development.... & you're helping prevent dumping.

Adopt from a shelter/pound/rescue group ... & you're helping those dogs who fall between the cracks or who've had a totally different start to life.

With good research & being doggie-wise, you can find your heart dogs with BOTH.

+1

[Rebanne]

Pound/rescue dogs are so pretty!

Now this is personal opinion only but i don't consider any one of the above dogs as unattractive or not cute.

flame suit on but there was only one that appealed to me, a couple that left me cold, and the rest meh. I'm sure they are the right dogs for their owners but they are not right for me. So what I got out of that is, if I couldn't get the breed I want I wouldn't get a dog. Which surprised me a bit after owning them for over 30 years.

[Kavik]

I would only be interested in a certain type of dog. My breed of choice shows up in pounds a LOT.

So I guess theoretically I could go to the pound if it was no longer possible to go to a breeder. Having one dog from the pound with a temperament issue I would be very careful though. If I did go down that route again I would take someone with me who I trust, who knows what I am looking for and who knows how to temperament test dogs in a shelter environment

[mixeduppup]

Pound/rescue dogs are so pretty!

Now this is personal opinion only but i don't consider any one of the above dogs as unattractive or not cute.

flame suit on but there was only one that appealed to me, a couple that left me cold, and the rest meh. I'm sure they are the right dogs for their owners but they are not right for me. So what I got out of that is, if I couldn't get the breed I want I wouldn't get a dog. Which surprised me a bit after owning them for over 30 years.

Understandable. I guess I find a wide range of dogs good looking and having met all those dogs int he pictures I also chose the photos of the dogs with the temps that most appealed to me. You have to be happy with the dog that you own and if you don't like how it looks or the breed then that's half the fun lost in owning it. Each to their own.

[Nic.B]

Pound/rescue dogs are so pretty!

Now this is personal opinion only but i don't consider any one of the above dogs as unattractive or not cute.

flame suit on but there was only one that appealed to me, a couple that left me cold, and the rest meh. I'm sure they are the right dogs for their owners but they are not right for me. So what I got out of that is, if I couldn't get the breed I want I wouldn't get a dog. Which surprised me a bit after owning them for over 30 years.

It is what the dogs offered or gave me "on the day' during temp testing that put them in front of any purebreed or crossbreed, regardless of how pretty or fabulous looking they are. Size, age or breed.

I have met many dogs who would melt your heart in looks though in behaviour and temp are a living nightmare regardless of training or not. I know people who have found that out the hard way.

[Nic.B]

I believe one of the main reasons people dump dogs is because they have a dog which doesn't suit them and their lifestyle. I believe that some people and some families can live with any dog and make adjustments to their lives to accommodate the dog's needs and can live with the dog regardless of its characteristics,traits and management requirements. Many people and many families cant and Im one of them . I want a pure bred of one or two particular breeds and I want it to come into my home as a new baby.

There are less registered purebred dogs dumped than others because there are less bred.

Believe me Ive placed puppies with people who appear to be perfect owners - who couldn't have been given a tighter screening and who couldn't have been given more education or informed on the breed - and they are great owners for a while and then for a myriad of reasons they no longer want the dog.Three in 30 years that I know of have been dumped in rescue and have told lies to avoid honouring their contracts and coming back to me first.

The type of stats we need for anyone to say whether or not one group or another is the bad guy breeders and should be more accountable for dogs being dumped are not kept so any ideas we have of which breeders are possibly creating the problem are at best educated assumptions.

Fact is there is a demand for puppies. I no longer keep a constant waiting list because at any given time I had between 50 and 100 waiting.I dont believe I could ever breed enough to fill the demand for puppies of my two breeds in the foreseeable future. Rescue dont have any trouble at all in finding homes for new puppies and nor do puppy farmers and large scale commercial breeders and pet shops. while ever there is a demand someone will supply it and the less predictable pure bred dogs are bred the higher the demand will be for the next best . Less predictability = higher risk of being homeless.

Until we focus on the choices people make and go after greater education and look at how owners accept the responsibility of dog ownership there will be limited progress - however any push toward pure bred dog ownership which will give greater predictability and a better chance of happily ever after for family and dog the numbers for pure bred dogs and breeders who educate and try to match owners and offer a safety net has to increase and its dropping more and more every year. As the supply decreases for predictable pure bred dogs the demand for second or third best increases. Time we took the focus off who is doing the breeding and look at it from a different perspective.

The only way to do that is if breeders and rescue listen to each other and work together to address the whole problem and not just land on assumed solutions without knowing all of the variables and possible unexpected consequences.

I just wanted to say yes to this on so many levels :)

Am running about with a snake in the yard atm That is an exageration of course. He has gone under the concrete gap in the path to the house. I am waiting for the experts to remove the snake, though he still is giving me the creeps.

[Trisven13]

Having done all breeds rescue for 6 years and having hundreds of pups and dogs through my home in that time I have come to the conclusion that I *like* a lot of dogs but I sure as hell don't want to live with many of them. One of my all time favourite breeds to rescue were kelpies - solid temperaments, easy to train and easy to care for BUT I also recognise that I"m not suited to own one long term. However, if I couldn't ever own a Fauve I would probably rescue a kelpie or kelpie x of approximately 12 months of age.

[Nic.B]

Before getting on to what dog to get from where... it's necessary to unpick the claim (in the OP) that registered breeders of purebreds are responsible for an 'over-population' of dogs which spills into large numbers of dogs needing adoption from shelters/rescues/pounds.

There's not reliable statistics kept on where dogs dumped actually come from. But there are research findings which can be put together as evidence that dogs coming from registered breeders are less likely to be dumped. If that's so, then dogs being bred & raised by registered breeders, actually helps in preventing dogs being dumped.

There's evidence that registered breeders tend to socialise their dogs/puppies better, so they're less likely to develop the kinds of problems that can get dogs dumped. And that they have more control over litter numbers.

Also there's evidence that dogs coming from breeders who work in a home style way, tend to have less of the problems that lead to dumping. 'Home-style' is the kind of model many 'hobby' registered breeders work in. They do not keep/raise dogs in commercial scale numbers & in a completely non-home style setting. Some may do so, but it's not a significant majority.

So registered breeders are more likely to socialise dogs well... & are more likely to work in a more 'home style' evironment which supports that.

Of course that doesn't apply to every single registered breeder.... but the the behaviours which lead to less dumping are more likely (but not exclusively) to be found with that group.

Which means the generalisation being shunted around that registered breeders, as a group, are mainly responsible for large numbers of dogs in pounds/shelters/rescue groups, doesn't stand up to what evidence we have.

So, as for adoption... BOTH means of adoption can help dogs.

Adopt from a registered breeder who follows the best 'model' for dogs' development.... & you're helping prevent dumping.

Adopt from a shelter/pound/rescue group ... & you're helping those dogs who fall between the cracks or who've had a totally different start to life.

With good research & being doggie-wise, you can find your heart dogs with BOTH.

+1

+ 2 :) And this sums it up for me (in very simple terms, perhaps, lol)

Quote; Mita

"With good research & being doggie-wise, you can find your heart dogs with BOTH."

[Nic.B]

Having done all breeds rescue for 6 years and having hundreds of pups and dogs through my home in that time I have come to the conclusion that I *like* a lot of dogs but I sure as hell don't want to live with many of them. One of my all time favourite breeds to rescue were kelpies - solid temperaments, easy to train and easy to care for BUT I also recognise that I"m not suited to own one long term. However, if I couldn't ever own a Fauve I would probably rescue a kelpie or kelpie x of approximately 12 months of age.

I agree, matching dogs really well with an owner or family (reputable RB's and reputable Rescue) (the rest of them do not give a crap or rate) for potential owners works incredibly well if done well. It eliminates risk factors which lead to dumping and if the new owners are well informed, supported during the adoption process, for the life of the dog, the risk factors slide away.

There will always be a few dogs who arrive at a shelter from either, though compared to the rest of the load reputable registered breeders and reputable rescue impounds and surrenders do not hit any sort of scale.

[Dreams]

GAP greyhounds only. Love this breed so much! Fantastic way to get the best dogs in the world.

[~Anne~]

I don't think there is much need to comment on the alleged overpopulation problem as this has been covered by Steve and Mita and various others and from various perspectives. There isn't, and never has been, a dog overpopulation problem.

If the problem was that simple it would be pretty easy to fix.

For me personally, I am not interested in puppies. I love them - they're cute, cuddly and oh so funny but I haven't the patience to deal with the very early months of a dogs life. I prefer adult dogs. If I were looking for another dog, regardless of breed, I would be looking at rescue and breeders to see who had an adult dog that met my requirements.

Edited December 30, 2013 by ~Anne~

[Katdogs]

Dog1 is a BYB cross breed. Best dog ever.

Dog2 is foster failure kelpie who had some issues when she arrived (main one being I needed lessons in understanding kelpie).

Dog3 is a reg PB from best breeder ever.

We've had a number of other breed rescues between D2 and D3 and a couple of malt-shih types along the way.

Not sure where next dog (may it be a long time away, because we'd have to lose one first) will come from. LabraDOG rescue maybe? GRR? Or Tapua again? Or a smaller dog from somewhere else entirely (I'd love to have an Aussie Terrier again one day).

Really happy with any good dog that has character and loves us back :)

ETA I'm not a puppy person so ok with skipping that part if I get the right adult/teenager

Edited December 30, 2013 by Katdogs

[Steve]

I just got back from the airport with my new baby stud muffin - 8 weeks old and perfect. Bred for temperament and working ability and his closeness to the standard and the breeder has done a hell of a job. Id never do it any other way. Glendawn Maremma and Basenji - you rock!!!

[SkySoaringMagpie]

I am assuming that adopting a pure bred rescue is not part of the question.

TBH, as the breeds I love are like 25 kilo cats, if I could not have a Saluki or an Afghan, I would just have a cat.

[mixeduppup]

I just got back from the airport with my new baby stud muffin - 8 weeks old and perfect. Bred for temperament and working ability and his closeness to the standard and the breeder has done a hell of a job. Id never do it any other way. Glendawn Maremma and Basenji - you rock!!!

PICTURES!

[dancinbcs]

Pound/rescue dogs are so pretty!

Now this is personal opinion only but i don't consider any one of the above dogs as unattractive or not cute.

flame suit on but there was only one that appealed to me, a couple that left me cold, and the rest meh. I'm sure they are the right dogs for their owners but they are not right for me. So what I got out of that is, if I couldn't get the breed I want I wouldn't get a dog. Which surprised me a bit after owning them for over 30 years.

Same here, there is only one, maybe two of those dogs that hold any appeal at all for me. They are the two that look purebred and I happen to like working dogs but the average pet owner is not after a working bred dog. They want a small, easy to manage, pretty, fluffy dog in many cases and these are the only ones that are always very easy to rehome and therefore tend not to be dumped in the first place. Most Sydney and many country pounds have at least 80% bull breeds and I would never buy one of those, even if it meant I could not have a dog. The Sydney pounds have very few working bred dogs, unlike the rural ones and I find it shameful that so many working dogs end up in shelters these days. The farmers should take responsibility for any puppies born on their properties, not dump them in the pound. They used to shoot unwanted dogs, not leave them in a pound for them to put down instead. Either way the dogs end up dead.

[OSoSwift]

Now I have boarding kennels there are some dogs I could easily take home and quite a few I love them in the short term and happily send them home!!!! Many I click with because of their breed and I understand them, some I like just because they are them regardless of breed.

There are also some breeds I know now I could not and would never own!

[mixeduppup]

Pound/rescue dogs are so pretty!

Now this is personal opinion only but i don't consider any one of the above dogs as unattractive or not cute.

flame suit on but there was only one that appealed to me, a couple that left me cold, and the rest meh. I'm sure they are the right dogs for their owners but they are not right for me. So what I got out of that is, if I couldn't get the breed I want I wouldn't get a dog. Which surprised me a bit after owning them for over 30 years.

Same here, there is only one, maybe two of those dogs that hold any appeal at all for me. They are the two that look purebred and I happen to like working dogs but the average pet owner is not after a working bred dog. They want a small, easy to manage, pretty, fluffy dog in many cases and these are the only ones that are always very easy to rehome and therefore tend not to be dumped in the first place. Most Sydney and many country pounds have at least 80% bull breeds and I would never buy one of those, even if it meant I could not have a dog. The Sydney pounds have very few working bred dogs, unlike the rural ones and I find it shameful that so many working dogs end up in shelters these days. The farmers should take responsibility for any puppies born on their properties, not dump them in the pound. They used to shoot unwanted dogs, not leave them in a pound for them to put down instead. Either way the dogs end up dead.

I coordinate rescue for 3 rural pounds and ALL working dogs from those pounds have been rescued or rehomed. The only dogs not rehomed are dangerous dogs or dogs that are very sick. There's a place for almost most every dog if given enough time.

Edited December 30, 2013 by mixeduppup

[Nic.B]

I don't agree that pounds are made up of 80% Bull breeds, sure Bull breeds are over represented in many shelters, so are JRT's and Malt's. Many working breeds arrive in Sydney pounds and shelters, breed specific rescue do an awsome job helping these dogs, if not adopted.

It is ok not to like a breed of dog and not want to own one. There are many people who love those same breeds and would love to own one.

No different to someone who would prefer a puppy, others don't want a puppy and may prefer an oldie.

There are homes out there for every shelter pet (aside from those who pose a risk to the community).

[BlaznHotAussies]

I've had a "rescue" dog (not really a rescue, he was cared for but just part of a pack with not a lot of human one-on-one, farm dogs) for about 4 years now and I'm over it. He's timid, pack-bound (my horses are kept where I got him from so when I deal with them he would rather be with his 'pack' than with me ), scared of freaking everything, took ages to warm up to new people, is scared of non-border collies/kelpies - even scared of the Aussie shepherds he doesn't know! Luckily he's not aggressive and is good with little children (even when they fall on him!).

He's a bit of a pain to look after though. He barely eats enough even when I try to feed him twice a day and I'm not a sardine factory (he eats them no worries) so he's skinny (people love pointing that out). He will not be kept in a pen. He'll chew his way out. He'll jump huge fences or keep trying. He's even slipped a collar while tied up IN a yard then squeezed through a fence, the collar was stuck on the fence. So on holidays basically the only place we can leave him is where his pack is. *sigh*

Also a few weeks ago he ran off and eventually (after looking for him most of the morning) found him chasing sheep. Stupid dog actually managed to get the poor sheep down (puppy was following, but because it looked fun, definitely not the perpetrator, super pissed off that they ended up out of pens/off chains at the same time, but I hadn't emphasised it to the husband enough). Basically I'm at the stage where I'm over dealing with a dog that you have to be SO on top of it with management and everything. I've put so much time into this dog and he's still a total pain. The sheep thing was really the last straw for me.

TL;DR - not getting a 'rescue' or adult or 'rehomed' dog again because they have too many issues. But I voted that I'd get a dog from a breed rescue (that's what I read rescue group as?) but as young as possible. Or I'd just wait. And dream. And probably get rich

I don't want someone else's seconds.

The puppy is absolutely awesome. Hopefully he doesn't still think that chasing sheep is fun, I think I scared him heaps when I was going bonkers at them but other than that he's perfect. Great to handle, awesome tough temperament, looks gorgeous, socialised with other dogs, great with kids (brought up with little kids so LOVES them)....just a nice easy blank slate! Definitely going there again.