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

[BlaznHotAussies]

Thanks Cali :) yup I get ya. I'm really not a horrible person. But it's a huuuuge commitment and I don't want to be stuck with a dog I don't get along with. Again so yeah my motivation is mostly to just minimise the risk of that happening.

I can totally imagine having a totally awesome rescue dog, but it would have to have a personality similar to my Aussie pup which I love so I'm happy there haha.

On top of all that, I want to be able to show, so having a nice dog is part of that. The breeder is on board and she's been helping me out greatly with answering all my questions and giving me training tips and everything.

Just wanted to add. I actually look on Petrescue every now and then, just in case there's a little dog (like my oldie, Poco, who's a Silky Terrier X Maltese we got as a puppy and is now 15 and has the most amazing, tough little temperament and I got her when I was 7, did most of the training, trotted around with her on a lead everywhere we were allowed to go, she's my absolute pride and joy. Sadly she's deaf now and at my parents' on the other side of the country. I'm visiting now and I'm really sad because she's actually starting to feel her age. So I don't hate dogs that aren't purebred. Just rather have a purebred.) that I can offer a home to one day in the very far away future.

Edited January 1, 2014 by Scootaloo

[OSoSwift]

I have not owned a rescue or pound dog - I have owned adult rehomes. I would not got to a pound or rescue as my first choice. If it was my only choice I would go to a breed rescue that knew what they were doing.

This does not make me a bad person it makes me a good one. If any as I am less liekly to get a dog I can't live with. Good for the dog, good for me.

I do not want to take on dogs with potentially lots of issues I need to undo, retrain then get onto training the dog the way I woudl like it. I like to get a puppy from sound parents and a breeder who gives them a good start. No one place is perfect to get a dog from but this road for me gives me the best chances of getting what I want.

[Sheridan]

I chose 'Yes, only of a certain type/look (eg herding breed, bull breed, spitz, retriever etc)'. Although my instincts were to say 'I would rather not get a dog at all', on the off chance that there was a wheaten, kerry, glen, or irish terrier in a shelter/pound/rescue, I would buy from one of these. I'd also be open to one of the Scottish terrier breeds or a dachshund.

I wish DOLers wouldn't fall into the trap of saying 'adopt'. You don't adopt from a pound or shelter or rescue, you fork out your money like you would for a breeder. Adopt is a AR term designed to make people feel guilty for buying a dog and I refuse to use it.

[grizabella]

If I could not get a purebred from a breeder, I would buy a rescue dog. I would not purchase a dog from a pound or shelter, I'd want my dog to have been through a foster home first so I'd have a better idea if the dog is likely to be a suitable match for me and my lifestyle. My preference would be to get a dog through breed specific rescue as, much as I love mixed breed dogs as individuals, I have always preferred pure breeds and I like to have a general idea of what the dog will be. I would only purchase a dog from a shelter if there was genuinely no other way of obtaining a dog other than byb, pet shop or puppy farm.

[Perry's Mum]

I chose 'Yes, only of a certain type/look (eg herding breed, bull breed, spitz, retriever etc)'. Although my instincts were to say 'I would rather not get a dog at all', on the off chance that there was a wheaten, kerry, glen, or irish terrier in a shelter/pound/rescue, I would buy from one of these. I'd also be open to one of the Scottish terrier breeds or a dachshund.

I wish DOLers wouldn't fall into the trap of saying 'adopt'. You don't adopt from a pound or shelter or rescue, you fork out your money like you would for a breeder. Adopt is a AR term designed to make people feel guilty for buying a dog and I refuse to use it.

Koolie Rescue does not charge an adoption fee but we are picky about where our dogs go to.

[Lhok]

Missy my first dog was bought from the local RSPCA, she was lovely but was a lot of work to maintain serial escape artist, prone to anxiety behaviours and took being afraid of thunder to the next level.

After owning her, I decided that I wanted to know what was behind my dog genetics wise and that it is very important to know how a dog is raised so having said that I probably wouldn't go down the road of a shelter dog and if I did want to I would be looking at going through a reputable rescue that knows the dogs in their care.

--Lhok

[hankdog]

How do you know a rescue is reputable though? I have a friend who got her dog through a well known rescue and he bites unpredictably, about two people a year. I got the rod for my back from the pound and once you've had a difficult dog you never want to repeat the mistake.

Some reactive dogs are made and some seem to just be born that way. I think I'd rather have an adult because then you might be able to judge personality better. I'm way to scared if I took a pup it might turn out wrong.

[Steph M]

I guess that's a risk you take with any puppy though in a way. You can take as many preventative measures as you can but no one can guarantee you won't end up with a dog who isn't quite with it or is reactive etc.

The odds are certainly not on your side should you adopt puppy from the pound rather than a reputable breeder but there's still a promise it could go either way!

[tdierikx]

How do you know a rescue is reputable though? I have a friend who got her dog through a well known rescue and he bites unpredictably, about two people a year. I got the rod for my back from the pound and once you've had a difficult dog you never want to repeat the mistake.

Some reactive dogs are made and some seem to just be born that way. I think I'd rather have an adult because then you might be able to judge personality better. I'm way to scared if I took a pup it might turn out wrong.

The same can be said for breeders of pedigreed dogs... how do you know that they are reputable or ethical either? A membership to the CC in their state and papering dogs isn't the only indicator that someone is likely to be "reputable"... it's all about researching where you are wanting to source the dog/pup from...

T.

[Sheridan]

How do you know a rescue is reputable though? I have a friend who got her dog through a well known rescue and he bites unpredictably, about two people a year. I got the rod for my back from the pound and once you've had a difficult dog you never want to repeat the mistake.

Some reactive dogs are made and some seem to just be born that way. I think I'd rather have an adult because then you might be able to judge personality better. I'm way to scared if I took a pup it might turn out wrong.

The same can be said for breeders of pedigreed dogs... how do you know that they are reputable or ethical either? A membership to the CC in their state and papering dogs isn't the only indicator that someone is likely to be "reputable"... it's all about researching where you are wanting to source the dog/pup from...

T.

In some instances it is easier to have a breed that is numerically small. You get to know everyone.

[Steve]

How do you know a rescue is reputable though? I have a friend who got her dog through a well known rescue and he bites unpredictably, about two people a year. I got the rod for my back from the pound and once you've had a difficult dog you never want to repeat the mistake.

Some reactive dogs are made and some seem to just be born that way. I think I'd rather have an adult because then you might be able to judge personality better. I'm way to scared if I took a pup it might turn out wrong.

The same can be said for breeders of pedigreed dogs... how do you know that they are reputable or ethical either? A membership to the CC in their state and papering dogs isn't the only indicator that someone is likely to be "reputable"... it's all about researching where you are wanting to source the dog/pup from...

T.

I believe that both need third party accountability - at least then you have somewhere to go to be listened to if its not done according to their code of ethics / practice.

Any one or any group can tell you their policies and codes but without outside accountability its too easy to do what you think people wont notice or you you think you wont get busted on ,sweep unsatisfied customers under the carpet etc.

[Chequeredblackdog]

I wish that option said "only of a certain type/look AND TEMPERAMENT". I care a damn sight more about how a dog behaves than what it looks like.

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

Both of these.

I own dogs from a range of origins.

Over time I have developed a 'criteria' of what I like/ don't like. If a dog fits these I don't care where it comes from ( generally speaking). Though what I'm after is more than likely going to be easier to find through a breeder or reputable rescue.

[Akayla]

I prefer a pup from a breeder but Im not against a rescue. I said puppy (although Id also only choose a certain type ect) purely because I have a two year old. Dogs brought up around little ones tend to be more careful of knocking them over. Finding an adult that meets my needs AND has experience with toddlers is rare and Ive been told by rescues before Id be lucky. Also Id rather see a problem in a 10kg puppy then a 45kg adult.

[melzawelza]

Something to think about. Shelters, pounds and rescue provide a convenient place for irresponsibly bred puppies to be dumped. If the people producing these had nowhere to dump them, they might think again before letting another litter be born. No puppies in shelters and rescue have come from responsible breeders so buying them is no different to buying a puppy from a pet shop. It just provides incentive and space for more to be produced.

Adults from shelters, pounds and rescue are a different story. Some are genuine surrenders from people who can no longer keep them due to tragic family circumstances but they are usually not originally from reputable breeders as if they were they could have returned the dog to the breeder for rehoming. They are also usually not cute, attractive dogs either as they could usually be rehomed easily by the owner. These surrenders are often very well trained and looked after, they just aren't pretty. Surrender is the last resort for dogs that only their owner could love. The majority though of dogs in pounds, shelters and rescue are dogs who have not been raised right and trained and are therefore not desirable to the average person looking for a pet. Easily acquired from any source that doesn't ask a lot of questions, so irresponsibly bred in the first place, the owners who dump or surrender them usually do it over and over again. Screw up a puppy so that it is a nuisance, then dump it so they can go and get a "better" puppy to replace it, over and over again. These are the people who are responsible for the high euthanasia rate. Why should people who want a pet, have to take on and try to fix a problem created by someone else? When I worked taking in surrenders I really wondered if we where just making it easier for these people to treat dogs as disposable.

If all dogs came from responsible, ethical, registered breeders, there would be no need for shelters or rescue as any dog that needed rehoming could be returned to the breeder. Every breeder I know personally has this requirement in their puppy sales details or contract. Pounds would then purely be to reunite dogs who have escaped with their owners.

So I would be highly unlikely to ever take on a rescue of any sort from any source but might take on a dog that needed to be rehomed direct from the owner or breeder it had been returned to. I would want to know the dog's history if I couldn't raise it myself.

I just want to say that the majority of this post is completely incorrect for the majority of dogs in rescue.

[Agility Dogs]

I didn't vote. I would not be likely to rescue a puppy. I know there are no guarantees, but I'd like some sort of indication of how a dog is going to turn out rather than a bit of a lottery. (Not judging, but there is no way of telling.)

I'd wait until a suitable pup came up, even if it took years.

[Mystiqview]

Dogs will get rehomed for a variety of reasons - some genuine some not - There is always going to be a "need" for a pound of some description. Not all puppy buyers who even buy from a registered breeder bother to contact them and tell them they cannot keep the pup. It is not until the new owner contacts you that you know a pup has been rehomed and the new owner has contacted you to find out information about the dog.

Some pound dogs are there because they keep escaping and are brought in by Animal Management Officers or members of the public. When I was an AMO - I was certainly responsible for taking some of these same animals to the council pound. It was my job. The owners given the appropriate notices to remedy. Some did, some just left the dogs there to be put down. Some kept paying the release fee and still never bothered to fix the reason why the dogs kept escaping and ending up in the pound. Some after so many attempts just gave up and said they could not just keep going and left the dogs there. The two boxers in this case were later put to sleep. In this example, the owners had spent a fortune on 8 foot fencing, digging it in and angleing it over at the top. Also on release fees. Eventually they just had enough. Try rehoming an adult boxer that jumps/escapes 8 foot fences to general joe public. Not an easy feat.

The majority of the dogs in our pound were bull breeds. Not the cutest dogs in the world. Known wanderers and escape artists. Even AWL did not want them. They took the cute fluffy little dogs off us to rehome, but left the majority of the medium to larger dogs to fate. There were then some working mixes there, and you could tell they were not well cared for by their owners.

A well cared for dog in most cases was reunited with their owners, with some owners coming in daily to look through the pound to see if their pet was picked up. Especially after a storm or other major event.

We had the odd genuine one who could no longer look after the dog through sickness - however I could count those instances on two hands.

We had an influx about two months after Christmas of juvenile pups going through that horrible chew/destruct age and are no longer cute. Unfortunately, some were tried to be surrendered, but they people did not want to pay surrender fees, so dumped the dogs in the after hours/night drop boxes. One pup was bought from Pets Paradise (Cattle dog pup) and was dumped with all its paperwork from the pet store because it started to nip the children... They paid $900 for this pup and paid the surrender fees, knowing full well there was a chance the pup would be put to sleep if no home was found in the nominated time. The pup was 12 weeks old.

A large percentage of dogs were not microchipped. It has been law in QLD to microchip dogs since 2008 - however you still see many ads on the free websites where dogs/pups are sold without microchipping. Of those that were microchipped, about one third were still in the name of the breeder and not the owner. Some times the breeder was interstate and hard to contact. As we could not release the dog without being desexed, the breeder often did not want the dog back as they would have to pay release fees/desexing.

There were not a lot of pedigree dogs that came in - most were obviously crosses and then many were bull breed crosses. Demographics may have influenced this to some degree based on door to door surveys of dogs and cats in the council area, but this is hard to quantify.

When buying an adult from anywhere - you don't know its history. There are good foster carers and there are not so good foster carers. Temperament testing and behavioural testing is largely subjective and is depending on triggering each reaction from certain stimuli. If not triggered during the testing, it can go undetected until the new owner has it.

A puppy - again no matter where you buy it. Many factors influence how that pup will grow up and what kind of dog it will be as an adult. At least with a puppy, you have a certain amount of blank slate to train good habits into it rather than having to retrain bad habits out of an older dog and then new ones in and still never fully knowing if they will resurface again later.

I will always go pedigree from responsible breeders who know the lines and do the research. If I was to suggest to someone to get a rescue - I will go first with a puppy for the reasons listed above. Then an adult dog from a responsible breeder and then depending on why the adult is being rehomed. I would always be cautious of a dog being returned as obviously for some reason it did not work out and there could be behavioural issues that need to be attended to - it could be a simple basic obedience and manners or something much more. I would be more comfortable with a breeder rehoming a potential show/competition dog that did not cut it out for their chosen sport or an old breeder being retired.

Depending on what the breed was, I would then go with something like GAP (Greyhound Adoption Program) or a breed rescue, well reputable foster with known good carers over a pound dog, where very little REAL attention is paid to the animal.

[dee lee]

Having been through a bad experience with adopting a mixed breed dog through a rescue group, I would now always choose to go through a reputable breed rescue or a breeder.

NEVER straight from the pound. It would consider it Russian roulette without the temp testing & fostering of rescue groups, and having had to deal with a worst case scenario, I have no desire to risk that again.

I have nothing against mixed breeds, but considering what a lottery they are, I lean towards pure breeds, where the odds are better in your favour in regards to predictable temperament.

[D'smum]

I have two shelter dogs. I had one originally and my plans were to buy a purebred boxer from a registered breeder. Thats what I'd always wanted. However, I am a foster carer and when a beautiful staffy x boxer girl ended up in our care suffering severe neglect and mange, it was decided after two days that she would not be leaving us. I could not ask for a better dog and as much as I'd still love a boxer one day, I'm happy with my decision. And having seen some of the gorgeous dogs that end up in boxer rescue, I have an idea that that's where my next dog will come from. In terms of temperament, my shelter mutts are great. They tolerate foster dog after foster dog and are kind to them all.

[Jed]

I was part of a discussion recently where many people were implying that breeders were the main cause for overpopulation in animal shelters and that breeders and people who purchase purebred dogs were responsible for the death of 1000's of dogs each year that would have otherwise been adopted. The disturbing thing is that many of these people are working in the veterinary/pet industry. I do not believe this is true at all.

The cause for over population in shelters is the irresponsible owners who dump them there in the first place.

These people are solely responsible for the death of these dogs. Its unfair to blame breeders or other potential dog owners. Sure, some breeders and owners are part of the larger problem but most of the responsibility lies with the owner who dumped/surrendered the dog.

Yes, buying a shelter dog is potentially saving a life but is not for everyone. I believe many shelter dogs would make suitable pets, some immediately and some with a lot of work. If you get a puppy, you run the risk of not really knowing how it will turn out in terms of looks, size or temperament. If you get an adult dog direct from a shelter again, you don't really know its temperament as the shelter environment often changes behaviour. An older dog will have had the opportunity to practice undesirable behaviours for months, even years and may take a lot of work to fix those behaviours.

True 'no kill' shelters are even more of a risk because they won't euthanise unsuitable dogs. With so many healthy, good tempered dogs out there needing homes, I don't believe there is a place for rehoming dogs with serious behavioural issues such as dog aggression, resource guarding, anxiety/phobia or human aggression.

A better option imo, is a rescue organisation who places dogs into foster homes before release. I rarely advise new owners to adopt straight from a pound. I know some people who would not have a dog if they could not get a dog from a responsible breeder. They have certain requirements which makes any random dog from the pound an unsuitable choice. Surely they should be commended not condemned for doing their research and only getting a dog that they are pretty sure will fit with their needs.

Personally I have no problems with a mixed breed dog, although my preference is for a purebred pup from a good breeder. I would look to going through a reputable rescue group though if I couldn't get a purebred.

This myth is not supported by facts. The RSPCA and university stats state otherwise. The minority of dogs in shelters/pounds are purebreds, and they are homed first.

This bit of nonsense was first put about by animal rights in US, and like everything animal rights, was exported to Aust. What is is all about is NOT saving dogs in shelters, it is about stopping people breeding dogs. PETA gets millions every year in donations, and does not run ONE shelter.

A major con job.

Maybe people who buy a purebred will not buy a shelter dog instead, but fact is, they buy a puppy. Puppies in shelters go like hot cakes.

Dogs in shelters are usually dumped as teenagers, reasons given in surveys were mainly "did not meet expectations". Those people do not get an older shelter dog, they get a puppy as a replacement.

[RuralPug]

I was part of a discussion recently where many people were implying that breeders were the main cause for overpopulation in animal shelters and that breeders and people who purchase purebred dogs were responsible for the death of 1000's of dogs each year that would have otherwise been adopted. The disturbing thing is that many of these people are working in the veterinary/pet industry. I do not believe this is true at all.

The cause for over population in shelters is the irresponsible owners who dump them there in the first place.

These people are solely responsible for the death of these dogs. Its unfair to blame breeders or other potential dog owners. Sure, some breeders and owners are part of the larger problem but most of the responsibility lies with the owner who dumped/surrendered the dog.

Yes, buying a shelter dog is potentially saving a life but is not for everyone. I believe many shelter dogs would make suitable pets, some immediately and some with a lot of work. If you get a puppy, you run the risk of not really knowing how it will turn out in terms of looks, size or temperament. If you get an adult dog direct from a shelter again, you don't really know its temperament as the shelter environment often changes behaviour. An older dog will have had the opportunity to practice undesirable behaviours for months, even years and may take a lot of work to fix those behaviours.

True 'no kill' shelters are even more of a risk because they won't euthanise unsuitable dogs. With so many healthy, good tempered dogs out there needing homes, I don't believe there is a place for rehoming dogs with serious behavioural issues such as dog aggression, resource guarding, anxiety/phobia or human aggression.

A better option imo, is a rescue organisation who places dogs into foster homes before release. I rarely advise new owners to adopt straight from a pound. I know some people who would not have a dog if they could not get a dog from a responsible breeder. They have certain requirements which makes any random dog from the pound an unsuitable choice. Surely they should be commended not condemned for doing their research and only getting a dog that they are pretty sure will fit with their needs.

Personally I have no problems with a mixed breed dog, although my preference is for a purebred pup from a good breeder. I would look to going through a reputable rescue group though if I couldn't get a purebred.

This myth is not supported by facts. The RSPCA and university stats state otherwise. The minority of dogs in shelters/pounds are purebreds, and they are homed first.

This bit of nonsense was first put about by animal rights in US, and like everything animal rights, was exported to Aust. What is is all about is NOT saving dogs in shelters, it is about stopping people breeding dogs. PETA gets millions every year in donations, and does not run ONE shelter.

A major con job.

Maybe people who buy a purebred will not buy a shelter dog instead, but fact is, they buy a puppy. Puppies in shelters go like hot cakes.

Dogs in shelters are usually dumped as teenagers, reasons given in surveys were mainly "did not meet expectations". Those people do not get an older shelter dog, they get a puppy as a replacement.

I agree with Aussielover's post and Jed's as well.

The AR extremists have pushed the "if you buy a puppy you are condemning a shelter dog to death" line very hard indeed. Apparently it is ok to buy a puppy from a shelter though as nobody bred it? (insert rolleyes here)

In fact, it has been documented in the US ( I hope not here too) that some puppy farms have been advertising puppies as "rescues" with "adoption fees". Rescues (even genuine one LOL) are not the best choice for every single household, and a purebred is not always a requirement either.

For a first time dog owner I would never recommend getting one straight from the pound, although I'm sure someone will say it worked for them, it is a sink or swim type proposition for the most part so very daunting and not always the best thing for the dog/cat.

It is very sad when people think it is politically correct to demand the cessation of all breeding of dogs and cats, which will apparently magically rehome all those unwanted dogs and cats in pounds...

I deal far too often with "serial puppy owners" who sell/give away/surrender their adolescent dog and replace it with a cute "flavour of the month" puppy. There are good dog owners out there too, I've met some but being in rescue I do tend to see the pointy end a bit more. To be fair, some of those serial puppy owners spend big bucks on BYB or pet shop pups - every year. They probably update their smart phones every year too.

Edited for fat finder finger typos (probably missed some, sorry)

Edited January 8, 2014 by RuralPug