If someone decides to get a purebred dog...

[Anonymous]

Or even a designer mutt, why is it anyone's place to tell them that they should have reescued a dog?
We got a special breed because my husband is disabled and we needed a calm dog, thus a special breed.
I have no reason to feel that I owe anyone an explanation.
Before, when I lived alne and single, I wanted a purebred guard dog that I had trained to guard. I got pure bred puppies and have no regrets.

I am fully aware that there are too many dogs and so on, but please people, every single time a person posts about a breed, someone (often the first post) is about rescue.

[Anonymous]

I rescued a purebred dog from champion lines. No one wanted him, and he just fell in our laps. I get a lot of snide comments when we take him out. People just assume we paid thousands of dollars for him. I never thought I would see the day that a purebred dog was a faux pas. Just don't support puppy mills, find a dog from a good breeder and pay the extra money.

[Anonymous]

Just don't support puppy mills, find a dog from a good breeder and pay the extra money.

This. Even if you as the buyer don't care about the ethics of puppy mills at all, you're shooting yourself in the foot to buy a puppy mill puppy, health and temperament-wise. The odds are very against you, though you might luck out and get the puppy mill puppy without behavior and health issues.

-- love, owner of one rescue and one purchased from a breeder dog of the same breed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Or even a designer mutt, why is it anyone's place to tell them that they should have reescued a dog?
We got a special breed because my husband is disabled and we needed a calm dog, thus a special breed.
I have no reason to feel that I owe anyone an explanation.
Before, when I lived alne and single, I wanted a purebred guard dog that I had trained to guard. I got pure bred puppies and have no regrets.

I am fully aware that there are too many dogs and so on, but please people, every single time a person posts about a breed, someone (often the first post) is about rescue.

+1000. Some people have truly become insufferable on this topic.

[Anonymous]

I have a purebred dog...she came from a shelter. Shelters are full of purebred dogs. If you want a purebred, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Just check rescue programs and shelters first. Why go to a breeder? Why pay so much money? Why not save a life? Why not give a dog a home who needs one?

Any breed you mention (PARTICULARLY labs and retrievers for service dogs, shelters and rescue groups can provide you a good dog).

[Anonymous]

To the person who says she had to have a purebred to train to guard her. Sorry, that's utterly ridiculous. Any dog can be trained to guard. Hell, you don't even have to train them.

[Anonymous]

What if I want a purebred because I want greater security in knowing what I am getting, esp. When it comes to temperament? Is that ok?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Or even a designer mutt, why is it anyone's place to tell them that they should have reescued a dog?
We got a special breed because my husband is disabled and we needed a calm dog, thus a special breed.
I have no reason to feel that I owe anyone an explanation.
Before, when I lived alne and single, I wanted a purebred guard dog that I had trained to guard. I got pure bred puppies and have no regrets.

I am fully aware that there are too many dogs and so on, but please people, every single time a person posts about a breed, someone (often the first post) is about rescue.

I think it's because well-meaning people don't realize how strident and condescending they sound when they say things like that. It's really the same thing as telling an infertile couple that it's OK you can always adopt.

A lot of rescue dogs are bad fits with families. And a lot of animal shelters won't actually place a dog with a family with small children. Been there in both cases. Done that in both cases. Went to a breeder. Glad we did.

[Anonymous]

Responsible breeders will take their dogs back for life and provide them a home if at any point the owner is not able to.

While it might be viewed as more "ethical" to rescue a dog, purchasing a dog from a responsible breeder does not contribute to over population.

[Anonymous]

I get my pets from the pound but don't judge people who buy them. After all, I spend many thousands buying nice horses to compete rather than adopting some awful lame ones with no talent from feed lots. Who am I to say people shouldn't enjoy nicely bred dogs?

I do judge those who harp about this subject but refuse to purchase all their clothes from Goodwill. I mean, really, there would be no sweatshops if Americans just quit buying new, unneeded clothes for vain reasons.

Just kidding. Kind of.

[Anonymous]

We went with a reputable breeder. We've had rescue dogs before and they've been awesome. This time we wanted a German Shepherd. We know a lot about the breed, both good and bad. We have young children, so temperament was key. We went with a breeder so that we could adopt a puppy and train him correctly, so that we could select specifically for temperament as opposed to show quality, and so that we had a health guarantee.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We went with a reputable breeder. We've had rescue dogs before and they've been awesome. This time we wanted a German Shepherd. We know a lot about the breed, both good and bad. We have young children, so temperament was key. We went with a breeder so that we could adopt a puppy and train him correctly, so that we could select specifically for temperament as opposed to show quality, and so that we had a health guarantee.

s/o. often times the "health guarantee" of a breeder is not what it seems.

Ours would refund the money but we had to spend hundreds of dollars on diagnostic X-rays for hip displaysia before she would honor it. This was a goldendoodle, too. Ignore the crap about "hybrid vigor." It's baloney.

Love our dog, but she is facing years of medical procedures and we're looking at bleeding cash.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Responsible breeders will take their dogs back for life and provide them a home if at any point the owner is not able to.

While it might be viewed as more "ethical" to rescue a dog, purchasing a dog from a responsible breeder does not contribute to over population.

Please explain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Responsible breeders will take their dogs back for life and provide them a home if at any point the owner is not able to.

While it might be viewed as more "ethical" to rescue a dog, purchasing a dog from a responsible breeder does not contribute to over population.

Please explain.

Because the breeder takes responsibility for homing the dog for life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Responsible breeders will take their dogs back for life and provide them a home if at any point the owner is not able to.

While it might be viewed as more "ethical" to rescue a dog, purchasing a dog from a responsible breeder does not contribute to over population.

Please explain.

Because the breeder takes responsibility for homing the dog for life.

Possibly, but not always. And that dog displaces a shelter dog who might have otherwise been adopted.