Buying a dog versus adopting a dog.

Adopted/rescued dogs seems to appreciate their home and family a lot more cause they know how crappy life can be in a concrete kennel at the pound or wherever. My next dog will definitely be a rescue.

 

My last dog was a rescue. Mugsy was scared to death of me for over two months. He would cower in the corner if i tried to put a leash on him. Freak out and yipe if i tried to pet him. I told him one day that it was his last week and he was going back to the rescue. My heart couldn't take it any longer. One night that week he hopped into my bed and the rest was history. He truly was the best dog. Had to put him down almost two months ago. It was heart breaking but so grateful to have him in the family 11 years. I ponder doing it again but my life has been too busy right now. In due time...

 

Once I get more land I plan to adopt a senior dog from the shelter. My gf is going to be training service dogs so those will come from a breeder.

 

He is GORGEOUS! My black lab came from the shelter too- she had totally shut down and wouldn't even walk outside to potty (they had to carry her in and out) She was so timid when I got her, and seeing her get out of that shell has been so rewarding. She still has her moments - but overall she is SUCH a happy dog. She has convinced me that I want to stick to adoption in the future - I know I changed her life SO much!! (and she changed mine!)

Thanks for the tips! I'll definitely get a second opinion. I was hoping to avoid surgery, but I'm guessing that won't be an option.

Here is my sweet (and currently limpy) Lux!

 

So - my answer would be adopt - and I now have to get out of this thread because it's causing my eyes to water.

 

Definitely adopt. There are way too many homeless dogs and they appreciate a good home. This girl lived with me 15 years before I had to let her go and I miss her every day.

 

How can you not love this....ADOPT

 

I have the two former strays, and one from a breeder. When my female, (from the breeder) is being a snot, I threaten to put her out on the streess for awhile so she knows jow good she has it, never having known what it was like to not know where the next meal was coming from, etc. (joking, of course).
LOL

 

I agree, and it's annoying (and completely false) when someone says "for every dog you get from a breeder, a shelter dog dies".
The responsibly of the dogs ending up in shelters lies on the irresponsible owners who dump them, and the irresponsible byb's who do not vet the homes they sell the puppies to.
Responsible/reputable breeders hold no responsibility for the dogs in the shelters.
I wish the "adopt don't shop" mentality people could see that.
For some, breeder is the only route to go, they cannot take a chance on potentially poor temperament from a shelter dog.
Granted, the rescues I support do a thorough eval on their dogs while in foster homes, and do not adopt them out until they have a good grasp on the temperament of the dog.
There are very good dogs that end up in shelters and rescues through no fault of their own. Especially in breeds like Malinois, where the majority are surrendered/dumped simply because the owner wasn't prepared, and could not handle the breed traits.
I know a number of Mal's that have gone through rescue with great temperaments and have gone on to become working K9's.

I will always support (responsible/reputable) breeders and rescues.

 

My wife and I have talked about getting a lab from a breeder for 6 years. I happened to look at a local shelter on a whim and they had this guy. Got adopted as a pup and returned a couple months later for unknown reasons. First time he met the kids they climbed all over them and he just licked their faces. He isn’t perfect: he loves to eat poop and rolls in everything stinky that he smells. Runs away every chance he gets. Wants to eat the chickens. And I wouldn’t trade him for a million dollars.

 

My dog is a rescue from Puerto Rico. The local adoption agency here works with a non-profit called the Sato Project, which works to rescue street dogs from Puerto Rico. The locals refer to the dogs as "satos." There is a beach there called "dead dog beach." It's at the end of a long rural road, and people just take dogs there and drop them off to die. There are literally hundreds of dogs on the beach in different stages of starvation/dehydration. It's the saddest fucking thing I've ever heard.

I consider myself a fairly tough guy, but my eyes well up every time I think about 'what if Wally (my dog) didn't get rescued off that beach.' If I ever needed to cry on cue, I could totally do it.

Wally is the best dog I've ever been exposed to. He listens, isn't overly aggressive and, I think, is very appreciative of the fact he now has a home. He's far better behaved than the full-blooded labs I had as a kid. He loves to play fetch and swim.

After hearing about this beach and the project to save the dogs, and really looking into the plight of dog shelters and stray dogs, I would never dream of buying a 'designer dog' and would discourage anyone else from doing so (unless you need it for a specific purpose, like hunting or something).

 

I support the responsible breeding of purebred dogs and go out of my way to select great, great breeders. Drove 20 hours round trip last year to pick up my AKC poodle from one of the few poodle breeders in the nation trying to breed the hunting dog back into the poodle. Selective dog breeding is one of the great successes of human culture, and the history behind dog breeds is a fascinating subject to study. Wouldn’t trade my two Scottish terriers or my poodle for anything and they are all unapologetically AKC dogs.