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I would much rather wait 15 months or more, and pay 2000 or more dollars for a dog with an amazing, breeder-guaranteed temperament
than take a risk ever again on a rescue/shelter dog.
I'm sure there are just as many fantastic rescue stories but I wanted to start with a puppy, an intelligent breed and knew exactly what I was getting. Looking at shelter dogs really was a good experience but when a pit bull was snarling and attacking the cage door it was clear that not all dogs were adoptable.
I was stunned how many people got rid of nice dogs, cats, bunnies etc. One shelter seemed like Noah's Ark with two of every type of animal!
I would much rather wait 15 months or more, and pay 2000 or more dollars for a dog with an amazing, breeder-guaranteed temperament
than take a risk ever again on a rescue/shelter dog.
"Breeder-guaranteed temperament"? Do you want some dumbed-down, bred to be laconic thing with no personality and health issues?
This is bad advice for US animal welfare, period. Slamming the whole rescue/shelter infrastructure? That's like slamming our National Parks System because you encountered one rabid raccoon while camping.
THE best way to get a dog is thru local rescues/shelters.
Reputable breeder is the best way.
After laborious research.
This is probably extreme to most people, but it took over 3 years of research and combing through breeders and puppies before we got our smooth collie.
From Georgia.
We had to submit all sorts of info and sign a contract regarding return of the dog, spaying, etc.
We certainly didn't research that long and we did use a backyard breeder for our first Springer, but we did do a lot of researching to decide on the breed that was best for our family. We could not have made a better choice at the time. I still love Springers and I love Brittanys but we live in an area with almost no fenced yards, so we have to be happy with our little guy and we are.
Rescue groups are not always flaky. I got my dog from a rescue and formed a lasting friendship with the person who helped me adopt Max. She works her butt off for the rescue and has a true love of the breed. I like the rescue option a lot. Plus, all of the dogs are living with fosters and not in shelters, so you really can get a true description of what kind of personality the dog has. I know people who have adopted wonderful dogs from the shelters and people who have adopted wonderful dogs from breeders. Do your research and be willing to commit your time, money, and love to that dog for the rest of his or her life. That is what matters.
There is one small issue with rescues evaluating temperament. That is that dogs will behave differently for different people.
Most of the people fostering dogs are experienced dog people. Dogs will acknowledge that and subordinate themselves and behave. But move them to a home where nobody knows how to be pack leader and the dog will take over and fill that position.
So it might not be that the dog was not evaluated. He might have been fine in the foster home. and not so fine with a different family.
Those anecdotes illustrate both adopter naivetee (I mean, how can you not recognise whether a Dobe/Dobe mix is, or an Irish wolfhound) and possibly sketchy rescue groups.
Any rescue that I've ever worked with has full veterinary work-ups done so one that passes off a 10-year-old not Irish wolfhound as a 3-year-old Irish wolfhound is obviously not very diligent. Besides the fact that few IWs get to be ten years old and those that are are going to look at act like senior dogs...that would be hard to miss in most circumstances.
Also what situation did you get your DA and men-aggressive Dane from? Again, any rescue I've worked with that has dogs in foster homes (and I've fostered many dogs) will assess them for cat-safety, dog-aggressiveness, and how they are with people and children in particular. I don't have kids so any foster I've had I've taken to parks, playgrounds, friends' houses and other places where I could assess how they acted around people of all types.
One big reason is liability and fear of getting sued! few rescues will knowingly adopt out dogs with aggression issues and if those are present in certain circumstances they ought to be very open about it with potential adopters, and also screen potential adopters to make sure they will provide the right type of home for the dog. I've certainly turned down adopters for dogs I've fostered if I felt they weren't going to be just the right home.
There are for sure rescues that do not exercise due diligence but in my fairly extensive experience they are the minority. Also I do believe potential adopters need to do research and exercise "buyer beware" whether buying a dog from a breeder or a rescue or a shelter.
I certainly am not saying no one should use rescue groups, they are very valuable and most do a great service but I will argue with you up and down on your statement about the Irish Wolfhound and the Dobby situation. The Dobby situation: our daughter already had a Dobby so of course she knows the difference, but what you are saying is totally untrue: a very young puppy does not look or act the same as he/she will when grown and we all know many rescue dogs are not purebred, thus she didn't think Sassy was purebred, she just didn't expect her to grow up to be almost pure Hound. As for the Irish Wolfhound, again, it was our minister, she was from England and had not only been raised with Wolfhounds but had bred them. If you would have seen Scarlett you would have thought she was one. It was DNA testing that revealed the truth. As for the age difference, again, she had found her via EMail (we all know Irish Wolfhounds are not the most popular or easiest dogs to find here) she drove 550 miles to get her, when she got her home and took her to the vets, she wasn't about to take her back. BTW, the rescue group was one of the few anywhere within 1000 miles.
You talk about interviewing potential adoptees, of course they do. Our daughter actually got turned down for a Springer just before she got her first Dobby. Why? Because she and hubby worked all day and they rescue group felt the dog belonged in a home where someone would be home all the time with the dog. So of course most of them are reliable, but the fact still remains, it is almost impossible to know exactly what you are getting when you choose to adopt that way. Again, please do not think I am putting rescue groups down, but don't think they are the answer to all those out there who want dogs or cats. And please do not assure someone doesn't know what they are doing when they choose to use a rescue center.
It appears you work with or for a rescue center, and I admire you for that, but aren't you letting your bias show here?
I certainly am not saying no one should use rescue groups, they are very valuable and most do a great service but I will argue with you up and down on your statement about the Irish Wolfhound and the Dobby situation. The Dobby situation: our daughter already had a Dobby so of course she knows the difference, but what you are saying is totally untrue: a very young puppy does not look or act the same as he/she will when grown and we all know many rescue dogs are not purebred, thus she didn't think Sassy was purebred, she just didn't expect her to grow up to be almost pure Hound. As for the Irish Wolfhound, again, it was our minister, she was from England and had not only been raised with Wolfhounds but had bred them. If you would have seen Scarlett you would have thought she was one. It was DNA testing that revealed the truth. As for the age difference, again, she had found her via EMail (we all know Irish Wolfhounds are not the most popular or easiest dogs to find here) she drove 550 miles to get her, when she got her home and took her to the vets, she wasn't about to take her back. BTW, the rescue group was one of the few anywhere within 1000 miles.
You talk about interviewing potential adoptees, of course they do. Our daughter actually got turned down for a Springer just before she got her first Dobby. Why? Because she and hubby worked all day and they rescue group felt the dog belonged in a home where someone would be home all the time with the dog. So of course most of them are reliable, but the fact still remains, it is almost impossible to know exactly what you are getting when you choose to adopt that way. Again, please do not think I am putting rescue groups down, but don't think they are the answer to all those out there who want dogs or cats. And please do not assure someone doesn't know what they are doing when they choose to use a rescue center.
It appears you work with or for a rescue center, and I admire you for that, but aren't you letting your bias show here?
Ah. OK, that makes sense on the Dobe puppy, I was assuming adult dog.
I really do not disagree with you - I think for most people adopting/buying from a rescue or shelter is the best option but I also do not think there's anything at all wrong with buying a purebred dog from someone who breeds ethically.
I have volunteered with various rescues for over 20 years, but see my statement above. I've also acknowleged at least once on this thread alone that there are indeed flaky rescues. I also pointed out how to find an ethical breeder, and why that was also a viable option depending on the buyer's needs. And that I have bought three high-dollar purebred puppies from breeders. So either you didn't read all my posts, or...well... I don't know where you are getting your "bias" opinion from?
The OP was wanting a dog of known temperament, did not want to spend the high dollars a well-bred pup would probably cost, wanted to get a non-pit-bull type dog locally and indicated no preference for breed or type. So my response was tailored to the OP; I figured finding a good local rescue that fostered dogs in homes would be the best and most cost-effective way to get the right dog for her.
I don't understand why buying a well-bred dog is not PC. I've always purchased my dogs from a breeder and I've kept them their entire lives. Why is that not PC? I'm not dumping a dog on the system simply because I get tired of them or it becomes inconvenient. My dogs are like children to me.
I resent the idea that purchasing a dog from a breeder makes me non-PC or irresponsible. This is a notion that was started by unbalanced nuts in the dog rescue community.
I don't understand why buying a well-bred dog is not PC. I've always purchased my dogs from a breeder and I've kept them their entire lives. Why is that not PC? I'm not dumping a dog on the system simply because I get tired of them or it becomes inconvenient. My dogs are like children to me.
I resent the idea that purchasing a dog from a breeder makes me non-PC or irresponsible. This is a notion that was started by unbalanced nuts in the dog rescue community.
I agree with this.
It is "not PC" because some people feel that every dog that is bought from a breeder is one less dog adopted.
Or something like that. It's not very logical, anyway.
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