Ha! I pay exactly zero attention to the adopt don't shop activists. Especially because they usually have a house full of kids they decidedly did not adopt.

Anonymous wrote:We’ve bought three dogs from a breeder. DH and the kids are dog people. I am not, but knew the responsibility for caring for a dog would fall on me so I wanted to be sure we had a small, calm, low-maintenance dog who enjoyed occasional walks but didn’t require one every day. We got a Cavalier King Charles spaniel and he was the perfect dog for our family. So perfect, in fact, that we got another. Then when the first dog got old and had to be put to sleep, we eventually got another. I will never own another breed.

And I don’t feel guilty about having my own babies instead of adopting from foster care either.

What breeder?

We’ve bought three dogs from a breeder. DH and the kids are dog people. I am not, but knew the responsibility for caring for a dog would fall on me so I wanted to be sure we had a small, calm, low-maintenance dog who enjoyed occasional walks but didn’t require one every day. We got a Cavalier King Charles spaniel and he was the perfect dog for our family. So perfect, in fact, that we got another. Then when the first dog got old and had to be put to sleep, we eventually got another. I will never own another breed.

And I don’t feel guilty about having my own babies instead of adopting from foster care either.

We bought a dog from a very reputable, careful and loving single-breed breeder, because we needed a guarantee that the dog would be hypoallergenic (which means LESS allergenic, not non-allergenic!!!). We got a Samoyed, who are one of the rare breeds known to produce very little dander - not less shedding, they shed a lot. As a result, none of us have ever been allergic to this dog.

We also foster shelter/rescue dogs for short periods, which has allowed us to confirm that some do trigger our allergies!

No judgement here, OP, but please make sure your breeder tests for genetic diseases and houses their dogs in their own home!!! Those are the two proofs you need that the breeder isn't in it to make money, because when they do that, you can be sure they can't make a lot. It has to be a labor of love.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I tried to adopt and it went nowhere. We ended up buying a mini goldendoodle and she's been the perfect pet in every way. No regrets.

Where did you get her?

Puppy mill

Anonymous wrote:I have no regret or shame about buying my dog. DCUM really hates me, though, because he’s a doodle. Gasp!

True doodles suck.

Anonymous wrote:I bought a dog…it never occurred to me to feel guilty? I didn’t realize there was anti-dog-buying sentiment at the time. Anyway, my dog is perfect. A sweet lazy English lab.

Same. Our english lab has a great temperament and overall heath. You get what you pay for. Worth the money!

To be clear, adopting a dog of a desirable breed from a rescue org is next to impossible. You’ll jump thru a million hoops and still not get the dog you want.

Anonymous wrote:I tried to adopt and it went nowhere. We ended up buying a mini goldendoodle and she's been the perfect pet in every way. No regrets.

Where did you get her?

I tried to adopt and it went nowhere. We ended up buying a mini goldendoodle and she's been the perfect pet in every way. No regrets.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We rescued a hound from a great organization who has ended up being an AMAZING family dog. If you are just looking at the actual MoCo shelter, yes, it is mostly pits. But there are tons and tons of rescue organizations in this area that have a large variety of dog breeds, ages, sizes, and temperaments.

Hounds are the best family dogs. Hilarious, gentle, affectionate.

Not true. A neighbor’s rescue hound bit two children (one of who required stitches) so it was returned to the rescue.

Op, don’t feel guilty. We had a rescue dog that turned out to have behavior problems that were incompatible with our family with small children. We surrendered it and got a dog from a reputable breeder. Temperament is night and day from the rescue, and is a great addition to our family.

Anonymous wrote:I feel no guilt. I cannot control or fix the mistakes other peoples make.

I needed a hypoallergenic dog because we have allergies. I needed a good temperament because I have young children. I researched breeders and located one that met my criteria and adopted the perfect miniature poodle for my family.

We are about to get a dog and this is my attitude. I am so sick of people bullying others into rescue pets when these same people wouldn't consider fostering or adopting a child. I am scared of big dogs. I am scared of aggressive dogs. I have allergies. We also have a very small house so a large dog would be an issue.

I went on a message board asking a question and people were horrible bullying about we have to do a rescue. I cannot fix all the problems in the world and I cannot risk an aggressive dog in my house.

Don't let anyone bully you into thinking otherwise.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We rescued a hound from a great organization who has ended up being an AMAZING family dog. If you are just looking at the actual MoCo shelter, yes, it is mostly pits. But there are tons and tons of rescue organizations in this area that have a large variety of dog breeds, ages, sizes, and temperaments.

Hounds are the best family dogs. Hilarious, gentle, affectionate.

My hound came from K-9 Lifesaver

Yep, hounds are the best! My stepson just sdopted a bluetick mix a couple months ago and he is just the sweetest,easiest puppy ever.

I bought a dog…it never occurred to me to feel guilty? I didn’t realize there was anti-dog-buying sentiment at the time. Anyway, my dog is perfect. A sweet lazy English lab.

Look at shelters outside of the area. Cumberland MD seems to get a good mix of dogs. More locally, the very small animal shelter in Rockville on Stonestreet seems to usually have non Pit mixes. I have seen Huskies, beagle or hound type dogs, etc